{"id":476,"date":"2021-02-11T12:19:22","date_gmt":"2021-02-11T17:19:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/3.12.124.99\/?p=476"},"modified":"2021-02-11T12:19:22","modified_gmt":"2021-02-11T17:19:22","slug":"work-from-home-video-production-during-a-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bsu.edu\/digitalcorps\/2021\/02\/11\/work-from-home-video-production-during-a-pandemic\/","title":{"rendered":"Work-From-Home Video: Production During a Pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Quarantined Corps students created a Zoom video rendition of \u201cStand by Me,\u201d completed with performing, filming, and editing\u2014all while socially-distanced.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Just over a year ago, I walked out of a movie theater feeling immersed in culture and art after thoroughly enjoying the Best Picture-nominated Jojo Rabbit<\/em>. With eyes still adjusting to the outside reality and the taste of butter-saturated popcorn clinging to my tongue, I didn\u2019t know it would be my last theater experience for a long time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Millions of movie-goers, myself included, didn\u2019t expect the toll the COVID-19 pandemic would have on the film industry. A CNBC article<\/a> reports that \u201cthe film industry is in limbo and the coronavirus is costing the box office billions of dollars,\u201d a massive blow to theaters. Moviemakers, video agencies, and even the Ball State Digital Corps needed to quickly adapt to remote production\u2014challenges which could lead to more digital work in a post-pandemic world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adapting the Production Process <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

From live TV script reading events, to nightly news show hosts recording from their living rooms, people are evolving with the constraints of the Coronavirus. Video crews need to consider safety more than ever, and the Digital Corps\u2019 team is no different. As the pandemic continued into the Fall of 2020, the Corps introduced policies to ensure the safety of all Video Team members: including hand sanitizer in camera cases, reducing the number of people on sets, and quarantining equipment after use.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mogwe-Mulwale even starred in a few of the Corps\u2019 \u201chome videos\u201d during the lockdown.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Though these precautions prevent exposure to disease, they also complicate the typical hands-on process of video production. As a Production Specialist, Video Team Master Musifiky Mogwe-Mulwale had to adjust to the challenges of a socially distanced set. Normally, he would be able to stand beside coworkers and help with Corps equipment, but social distancing opens different possibilities for learning about hardware. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor the first time ever, we\u2019re letting people use their own equipment,\u201d says Mogwe-Mulwale. \u201cIt\u2019s cool for the people to get practice and it\u2019s really unique.\u201d <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Corps students have become creative when capturing footage at home. Video Specialist Lexi Esterle had only her phone and a small tripod from Dave & Buster\u2019s, so she had to jury-rig her remote workspace into a functional set. She found that filming remotely with Zoom and QuickTime presented new challenges to overcome. From having roommates \u201con set,\u201d to equipment limitations, remote filming gave Esterle a new appreciation for the traditional process.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Esterle not only captured footage from home, but also starred in the Sherlock Holmes-inspired Zoom skit \u201cThe Theft of Frog Baby.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Though video production may always have physical components, Rev<\/a>, a company with leading AI technology in converting audio and video to text, reports that \u201cthe industry is realizing that it can shift work to remote post-production.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Going Even More Digital <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

 Emerging technologies allow digital creators to overcome the challenges of social distancing. Rather than shooting footage or being on-set during the lockdown, Corps students began experimenting with animation technologies to create while quarantining. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the many unforeseen obstacles of the pandemic, the Digital Corps and other video production agencies used technology to maintain productivity and shift work focus. Shifting video production to animation not only makes content creation safer, but also provides people with the opportunity to work with different technologies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI got to learn a lot more about After Effects and animations,\u201d says Esterle, \u201cwhich I probably wouldn\u2019t have done without working from home.\u201d <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Esterle practiced animation for a helpful \u201cBack to School Tips\u201d video. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Ball State alumna and past Video Master Alana Guidry now works remotely as a Video Artist for the User Acquisition Team at Activision<\/a>, a leading developer, publisher, and distributor of interactive digital entertainment. Guidry\u2019s experience at the Corps helped her land a job in the booming video motion graphics industry where she does game play capture for Call of Duty Mobile advertisements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Corps teaches you to be well-rounded,\u201d says Guidry, \u201cand being in the motion graphics field has given me more opportunities.\u201d  <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Working outside of an office environment can be difficult, so having at-home access to creative technologies makes remote work better. According to the Rev article<\/a>, agencies can improve their digital content by \u201coutfitting more crew members with high-end machines.\u201d The Digital Corps provides students with the Adobe Creative Cloud<\/a> as well as hardware to get the job done. Similarly, Activision provided Guidry with extensive at-home tech to improve the quality and experience of remote work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cActivision sent me equipment and made sure my workstation was exactly how it needed to be to work remotely.\u201d <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Creative Opportunities  <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The office is where some of the Digital Corps\u2019 best ideas happen, and remote work forced the Video Team to get creative in a different environment. With holds on client projects and a lack of in-office content, Corps students had to think outside of the camera lens. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRemote work challenges us because we\u2019re not able to film in the way we\u2019re used to,\u201d says Esterle, \u201cbut it presents opportunities to be more creative.\u201d  <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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