The Logistics of a Multi-City Video Production
Is It Possible to Shoot a Multi-City Video Production In a Post Pandemic World? I Just Did.
After a long year of postponed projects and canceled events due to Covid-19, I just finished a multi-city video production. And I have to say, it was SO MUCH FUN getting back into the swing of a full-scale production.
Of course, everyone was wearing masks and social distancing, even after being vaccinated (can’t be too careful, right?).
But still, this was no small project. I ended up shooting in four different cities—Atlanta, Orlando, Denver, and Charlotte—to get the interviews needed to promote the DSP Benefits Center to the independent owners of Amazon delivery services.
First Stop: Atlanta
The DSP Benefits Center is an online marketplace for sourcing employee benefits and services.
This portal wasn’t created by Amazon—it was developed by the DSP (Delivery Service Partner) owners. So it’s by DSPs, for DSPs.
The first leg of production was a day trip to Atlanta, to interview Chris Duncan, COO at Decisely. He would be acting as the “knowledgable voice of HR.”
Next Stop: Orlando
A few days after the Atlanta trip, the real fun began—a multi-leg journey to shoot testimonials with Amazon DSP owners.
It started with an early flight from Charlotte to Orlando, renting a car, and picking up the production equipment we would need. Then we drove to the Orlando DSP’s office, and shot our first interview.
Timing was critical—we had to return the camera gear before 5:30.
Next Day: Denver
Then the next morning, we did it all again. Flew from Orlando to Denver, rented another car, and picked up a different set of camera gear.
For the Denver DSP, we ended up shooting outdoors, at a ranch location surrounded by gorgeous scenery.
We had to deal with a few production issues, like the sun ducking behind a cloud, and the occasional airplane flying overhead, but nothing we couldn’t handle.
In general, all the travel and camera gear rentals went off without a hitch. The entire production was carefully planned out. Rental cars, video equipment and hotel rooms were all pre-paid and waiting for us when we got there.
Instead of renting everything, I was able to travel with my most important gear.
I took most of the lenses out of my main camera case (which happens to be carry-on size) and fit in monitors, batteries and audio equipment.
That way, I was able to shoot with the gear I’m used to.
B-Roll in Charlotte
The last bit of production was completed back home.
I needed B-Roll of Amazon drivers and delivery vehicles, but couldn’t fit that into our tight production schedule. So I scouted my local DSP in Charlotte, and found it was located near the airport.
I got all the footage I needed the next day, capturing footage from the sidewalk, blurring out faces as needed.
A week after that, it was all organized, edited and approved.
In my opinion, this multi-city video production was a great example of smart production.
We mapped out everything we needed to shoot, where and when, with very little wasted effort or expense.
And in the end, everything was delivered on time, and on budget.
A big thank you to my clients at Decisely for trusting me with this project. Can’t wait to start the next one!
About the Author:
Harry Hayes is the owner and executive producer at Content Puppy Productions, a corporate video production agency based in Charlotte. Before starting Content Puppy, he spent 20+ years as an advertising writer and creative director.
