Filming Outside “Austin City Limits”

We love working inside the Austin city limits- our regular flight path. As an Austin-based video production company, we are usually within a 100-mile radius. But sometimes, our radius expands.

It's not unusual to have shoots in Houston or Dallas or San Antonio. There have been some memorable trips to far West Texas. We've also produced videos in Las Vegas and California for Austin-based clients. We even did a shoot in Altoona, PA; we visited Gettysburg on our way back to DC.

This year, we have the opportunity to cover an international conference in Atlanta, Georgia. We covered the group's last conference in Austin. That's how we got to know each other.

Now we have the challenge of assembling the exact assortment of equipment we'll need to do the job. And then we need to pack it all for transport via the airline industry. In Austin, we have the luxury of throwing everything we might need into our production van. But on a trip like this, we have to really think it through. 

The location is also important. We will need to contact the Audio/Visual people and determine how we can work together and how they can help us. Then once the equipment dragon has been dispatched, our coverage instincts kick-in. The Q&A aspect of this conference is important. An overall audio feed is crucial.

We'll have two cameras covering presenters, PowerPoint details, and audience questions.  It's what we do. It's not difficult. But camera operation requires alertness. Since we will be editing each presentation, we will need to acquire title slides and cutaway shots. Cover the conference subject matter; cover ourselves for the edit.

This time, we will be acquiring interviews away from the conference. Lighting, microphones, and the right lens will be key.  We apply tried and true production techniques to our overall approach. 

The final chapter to our out of town adventure comes when we download the footage into our editing system. No one will ever know that it was transported across state lines!

Any extra zest or fun we get from experiencing a new place is secondary to the job at hand. But out-of-town working shoots keep us sharp. It pushes the envelope. 

Equipment, technique, and collaboration. It's a formula for success that's been honed by our video production experience. 

We're proud Austin townies, but it's good to expand our horizons outside our comfort zone, and our time zone...