This project required a large amount of footage from recording vast amounts of b-roll around the company site to filming the reading of the handbook itself. The reading of the handbook alone provided us with about 2 ½ hours of footage to sort through.
While editing through a large amount of footage, our first goal was to get our base story laid out. By grabbing the best takes, we were able to consolidate the video down to about 1 hour and 15 minutes. From there, we added b-roll on top and decided what else the video might be missing.
We also decided that simple animated segments would complement certain sections. Using Adobe After Effects and CSI’s colors, we created a few basic templates to then use as backgrounds depending on what type of information was being presented. Using these templates for each animation allowed for consistency throughout the video as well as the ability to create each animation much faster.
Alas, there were still some sections that we felt needed more b-roll. When you don’t have the means to go shoot more b-roll yourself, one option available is stock footage. Using stock footage has its pros and cons, but ultimately the challenge is to find footage that not only conveys that idea you want, but also in the setting you want. For example, we needed more footage of the CSI crew than we anticipated. Knowing that CSI field employees wear mostly safety vests and hard hats, we were able to look for stock footage of construction workers due to their similar clothing. However, this footage also often showed buildings and machines that were being worked on, which is not what CSI does. It was difficult to find someone in a construction uniform that wasn’t obviously on a different site than the one we see at CSI. Sometimes we found exactly what we were looking for, and other times we settled with the best footage that was available. The best practice is to get as much b-roll as you can to avoid these issues, especially for shots that require vary specific items, people, or actions.
In total, we spent an estimated 70 hours in post-production alone on this project, and it was very enjoyable and satisfying to see everything come together. Thank you CSI for the great experience!
