The Challenge
In August 2023, we created a project video for the CRSA about their work on the NLP (Northumberland Line Project). They were so pleased with how this video turned out that they invited us back to the second part of the project, taking place in March and April of 2024.
The CRSA were now keen to create a longer form video as this would be the last main works of the project for them. They wanted multiple perspectives from various staff, disciplines and stakeholders across the project.
They wanted the focus topics of the video to be:
- Safety
- Scope of the works
- Passenger Benefits
- Collaboration
- Social Value
- Staff personal development
The Approach
We took a similar approach here to other videos we create for the CRSA by organising a full day of interviews. Reserving a day just for interviews provides more time per interview as well as a larger number of interviews. Furthermore, we can stage the lighting on a dedicated interview shoot, providing a higher quality aesthetic.
We sent a single operative out to capture some b-roll of the project whilst the work was in full swing. Our operative also managed to record a few extra interviews to add further context to the project and works. We record most of our b-roll on the Cannon R5 or R6 mirrorless. We aslo regularly deploy the DJI mini 4 pro to record aerial b-roll when the weather permits it.
After a full 12 hours of capturing b-roll in dynamic and static styles, we had more than enough footage to create the video.
The Result
After the two filming shifts had wrapped, we began the long process of organising and editing the 22 interviews we had recorded for the project. It was incredibly important that we include every interviewee, and cover each requested topic. Keeping your interview clips well organised helps greatly in facilitating the editing process.
Once the interview clips were on the timeline, we filled the gaps in with relevant b-roll (from both the 2023 and 2024 NLP footage). Recording a substantial amount of b-roll can really help to cover up multiple cuts in interview sections and improve the flow of the video.
Upon finishing a first draft, we sent it over to our contacts at the CRSA. They were immediately happy with the result and requested that we send over a high quality version with some graphical enhancements. We added title cards and name plates to the video and rendered a full 4k file so the video could be experienced in maximum quality.
“Footage I reviewed was amazing really well put together another great effort by the Inside Out Team.”
Victor Thorpe – Operations Manager – CRSA East