My Sony PXW-X70 and Panansonic GH4 cameras, with Sennheiser microphones, makes for a small and entirely professional video kit.
A Smaller, Lighter Path to Video
Everyone has stories to tell. I connect with people, put them at their ease, and simply have a conversation.
The goal is to achieve high quality sound and video with the least possible fuss. I start by using available light and working alone, though I have lighting and crew available.
A standard approach to making a video is to arrive with lots of equipment, a large crew, and prepared content for subjects to recite, but the result of this process is that most people are intimidated, their presentation of prepared content is stilted, and the budget is excessive.
My approach produces a much better result with at lot less less stress for all at a workable budget.
One of the big advantages of my process is, that having done the interviews, I already know the good moments of content to look for in the editing process.
Celebrate the Voices
There are 7 interviews in this video of Bostonians dealing with issues of aging. It was made for two collaborating partners: the Age-Friendly Boston program of the Commission on Elder Affairs, City of Boston; and the Design for Aging Committee of the Boston Society of Architects.
I handled all videography, audio, and editing. The full video is 25 minutes, but this short version is just 5 minutes.
In all cases but one, I used the available light in the subjects own space, which made for fast setup and a more relaxed interview.
Dave Cummings Looks Back
Dave had been recently confined to a permanent hospital setting, so we created the video to give him a chance to recall and document various phases of his life.
He talks about his childhood, the nearby Mary Cummings Park that bears his family name, and the story of how he ended up a Navy SeaBee.