HERE’S WHAT TO LOOK FORWARD TO WHEN WORKING WITH TRADEWIND

First off, Thank you for choosing TRADEWIND!

We understand that all of our clients have a different level of experience having a video production partner on site with them.

To facilitate a smooth experience, and ease any concerns, we have compiled a short how-to guide to address common questions that have arisen.

We hope this helps - but this is just a first step! We’re here to answer any other questions that may pop up!

FAQs for Field/Site Shoots

HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE COMING ON SITE?

WHEN we schedule a shoot we can have anywhere between one videographer for simple media capture, to a team of 5 or 6 for in depth interviews! We appoint crew size based on the complexity of the job, on site expectations, and staffing availability.

CAN YOU JUST GET ON SITE AND FIGURE IT OUT?

WE PRIDE ourselves on being partners to the companies that we work with, but we do need to stress that we are not “a part” of your company. We require an on-site contact/point person at all times to make sure our teams can operate safely and efficiently while they’re working with you.

DO YOU BRING PPE?

YES! At TRADEWIND, all of our teams come fully outfitted with hard hat, safety vest, steel toed boots, and safety glasses. If you have further on-site requirements, or prefer that we dress in your company’s PPE while on site, reach out to us and we’ll arrange it!

WHAT TIME DOES TRADEWIND SHOW UP?

IT ALL DEPENDS on what time the work starts! We are very well versed in shooting overnight, getting on site before dawn, and all the fun things that the world of construction can bring. Our “Typical” Site shoot day is from 7am-3pm, though if there is a significant amount of travel involved we may request a later start or a hotel in the area if the work is not local to one of our hubs. We ask that if there is an atypical start time, or an overnight request, you communicate that to us 72 hours beforehand so we can make special accommodations with our crew.

What makes a site shoot (Really all of our work) the as successful it can be is; open, clear, and consistent communication. We like to know what we’re heading into, so we can provide the best service possible. It can be difficult to pivot mid-shoot, but if our team knows what they’re heading into, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish.

WHAT SHOULD MY COMPANY WEAR ON CAMERA?

IF your company is operating on a commercial construction site, we request that you ensure each team member is wearing proper (preferably branded) PPE. We don’t want to cut a video together only to scrap it because someone is not wearing a hard hat! We also aren’t ones to tell your crew how to do their jobs, so if you want a usable video, we’d prefer you send out an email a day or two ahead of time indicating that everyone dress work-appropriate.

CAN YOU GO TO MULTIPLE JOBSITES?

YES, if we are in a content partnership, or are contracted to go to multiple job sites, we need to discuss where we are going and what we are doing beforehand. We provide a site list beforehand and require that it be filled out preferably a week or two in advance so that we can clear drone regulations and set staffing.

HOW LONG WILL YOUR TEAM BE ON SITE?

OUR time on site varies by the specificity and complexity of each job site, as well as our work expectation for that day. If we’re capturing pure dirt moving on a smaller site, we can cover that in 20-30 minutes. If there is complex, step by step work that needs to be documented as a part of a process, we have been on site for as many as 7 days. Our typical expectation for a job site is 1-2 hours. If we are shooting for a “Half Day” We can typically cover 2-3 sites factoring in drive time. If we are shooting for a “Full day” we can cover 4-5 sites if they are all in a reasonable area. Please factor in drive time when looking at your schedule for a shoot team. If you have 2 sites that are 2 hours away from each other, we factor in the drive time as part of our shoot day.

Expectations for Office/Interview Shoots

WARDROBE RECOMMENDATIONS

When you’re preparing for a film shoot, it can be tough to know what to wear. We typically recommend business casual! You’ll still want to stick with a button down or blouse, another great option is a shirt with your company’s logo on it.

Navigating wardrobe choices for a film shoot can be challenging. We typically recommend adhering to a business casual dress code. Opt for a button-down shirt or blouse, and consider attire featuring your company’s logo.

WE DON’T WANT YOU TO LOOK FAKE OR SET UNREASONABLE EXPECTATIONS - WE OFTEN SAY “DRESS LIKE THE BEST WORK VERSION OF YOU SHOWED UP THAT DAY”

Here are some guidelines to bear in mind when selecting your outfit:

  1. Avoid clothing with prominent logos to prevent potential copyright or clearance issues, unless it pertains directly to your company.

  2. Steer clear of stark whites and blacks, as these hues may not translate well on camera due to their brightness or darkness.

  3. Refrain from wearing dangling jewelry and bracelets, as they can produce unwanted noise during audio recording.

  4. Above all, prioritize attire that instills confidence and reflects your personality while effectively conveying the message of your interview.

OUR INTERVIEW APPROACH

We know you want to be as prepared as you can be - you may even ask for the interview questions ahead of time. We try to avoid that whenever possible because we want your answers to come off as authentic as possible. There are no trick questions, only a conversation that helps us get to the heart of the video. Focus on why you are sitting down for an interview with us. What is the purpose of your company? What are you hoping viewers will take away from this video? Below are some examples of questions we may ask. These are just a baseline to allow a team member to start talking about their journey so we can dive in on the parts that they seem most passionate about.

  1. Introduce yourself, tell us your name, and what you do here!

  2. How long have you been with this company?

  3. What do you love most about working here?

  4. How have you grown with this company?

  5. How does your company prioritize company culture and does it aid the success of the company?
    5. What is your favorite part of your job? What has kept you coming back for 10 years?

To help US prepare for a day of interviews - we like to ask if you have any supporting information for each employee that’s sitting down on camera. (A quick sentence or two to let us know if there are some standout things that we can talk about.) We also love to know what the objective is for each interview!

WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU

To help maintain a smooth filming process, we kindly request the provision of a dedicated interview space. While we work to maintain a small footprint to minimize disruption to the daily operations of your business, a separate space solely for filming is great help. For an interview set up we bring our lights, stands, cameras, tripods, batteries, and charging stations. If this is a full day shoot, we are required to give our team at least a 30 minute lunch break during our filming day.

We can assist you in scheduling the interview time slots to find the best time to break our team!


TALENT RELEASE FORM

In adherence to industry standards, we require all individuals appearing on camera to sign a talent release form. You can our talent release form here.

LOCATION PREPARATION

Ensure that the designated interview space is clutter free and free from distracting background imagery. Consider adding some branding or decorations to the space to make it visually appealing. The setup process typically spans between 30 minutes to an hour and a half for more complex and involved lighting setups, with the actual interview duration ranging from 20 minutes to an hour. When planning the logistics of your shoot, carefully consider the number of individuals slated for interviews, potential variations in interview locations, and the desired duration for each session. If we’re breaking down and setting up a new location for each interview, consider that we will be able to accomplish less interviews throughout the day due to setup time! This thoughtful approach will help us work with you to determine the optimal number of shoot days required to accommodate your project's scope effectively. In our pre-production meetings we are happy to talk through the best plan for your video!

Post Production

Post production is where we move into offloading, logging, and compiling all media captured to provide the expected deliverables. For a typical shoot day, we attempt to have first drafts back for review within 2-3 weeks. For more complex projects with a larger amount of deliverables, we will still attempt to begin the review process in a timely manner, but if our post production team is delivering 20-40 interview videos, it may take a bit longer to get from beginning to end! We will keep in communication throughout this process so you get an understanding of when to expect first drafts.

DRAFT DELIVERY

Our initial draft delivery will be sent via UNLISTED YOUTUBE LINK. This means that only the people with that specific link will be able to find and see the video. This isn’t broadcast to the world, it’s being sent just to you! Often we work with clients that may have multiple stakeholders in the project who have revisions or notes. We ask that you reconcile all comments and compile all notes from all key stakeholders in one document. We also request that you do your best to indicate the timecode for each instance you’d like changed:

Example:
At 2 minutes and 20 seconds our CEO says we have 35 employees, we’d like that removed with the hopes that we’ll grow to 50 employees by the summer.

DOWNLOAD DELIVERY

Upon completion of our post production process, and approval of final video assets - we will send you a DOWNLOADABLE GOOGLE DRIVE LINK to download your videos. From there, you can download the content onto your own devices and post where you wish!

Here’s a quick explainer video on how to download your videos on google drive.

WE HOPE THIS PAGE HAS BEEN HELPFUL!

We have assembled this page with the hope that it sets expectations and helps you navigate your first couple of shoots with TRADEWIND. If there is anything missing from this page - remember that we are media PARTNERS first and foremost, meaning we’re always open to answering questions and helping solve problems. Feel free to email, text, or call your account manager for any additional information!