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Guerrilla Video Production

Adam Murtland | @AdamMurtland

Cornell University

#MCS5

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About Me

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DSLR Revolution

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What do I mean by “GUERRILLA”?

  • Low to no budget
  • Minimal crew
  • Fast *sometimes*
    • Ideation
    • Execution
  • Efficient

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Above all else… it is a mindset

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The Video

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How did we do it?

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Meetings...

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lots and lots of meetings

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Budget & Goals

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  • Existing line item from last year, but the objective was to minimize funding as much as possible

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  • Emphasize peer-to-peer communications
  • Showcase that this is a worldwide effort
  • Cornelians coming together can make a difference
  • Encourage giving

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Budget & Goals

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set it and forget it!

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Actual Costs

$17,500

$1,000

$800

$300

$19,600

Animated motion graphics and voiceover:

Actors (10 x $100):

Production crew in Hong Kong:

Production crew in London:

TOTAL:

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Concept

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What do you want them to feel?

What do you want them to do?

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Concept

The game of “Telephone”

  • Show different alumni finding out about Giving Day through different mediums (phone, television, radio, social media, etc).
  • The scenes show the message going from one spot to the next across the country and across the world (a la Indiana Jones).
  • Use different notable alumni to receive and pass on the message.

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  • We want them to feel connected, proud, and powerful as one positive force for good.
  • We want them to give and spread the word.

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Pre-Production

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matters most at the two extremes of the budget spectrum

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Production

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Play to your strengths

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The camera doesn’t matter… but it sorta does

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Shoot 4K

  • Better image
  • Archival purposes
  • Pan & scan ability
  • Less compression on Youtube
  • Higher search ranking on Youtube and Google

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  • Animations were outsourced to maintain branding from previous years
  • First shot is from iPhone 7 and not in Wisconsin, but Lisa’s house
  • Facebook post was a free AE project
  • Actors were paid $100 each
  • Laptop screens are motion tracked CGI

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Motion Tracked Screens

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  • Opening shot is stock footage
  • Initial shooting location for the mother character fell through, so we improvised. We shot very tight to avoid clues
  • We actually recorded the iPad video for compositing use later (cut for time)
  • I recited the lines to both actors
  • Actual Cornell student in WVBR
  • Recorded iPhone video for later use
  • Extra dialogue was cut for time
  • Cutaways will allow you to avoid continuity issues

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  • Boston opening shot is stock footage
  • CGI screen with photoshopped website
  • This is our VP’s office
  • I had to dress the set
  • Twitter interface is free AE Project
  • Her profile picture is a screen grab from this shoot, cut out, reversed, with color manipulation, on a stock photo background

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  • San Diego opening shot is stock footage
  • That’s me!
  • Was shot in West Palm Beach, FL because we were there for another event
  • Welch’s sparkling grape juice bottle
  • Didn’t actually throw it

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  • Prominent alums in Hong Kong
  • Outsourced this shoot: was facilitated by the alums. They have experience in video production $800
  • Welch’s bottle. We chose this specifically because it is broadly available in both countries.
  • The note was hand drawn by me ahead of time, scanned and emailed to them so they matched.
  • We made sure to get this footage before filming San Diego so that we could adjust continuity if needed

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  • Stock shot of London
  • Another alum cultivation opportunity with Hongnan

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  • Completely produced by Kate’s team
  • Working through her IGO, we sent her three pitches in descending order of effort on her part. Backups included an Instagram video (actually posted or not) or and Instagram post (posted or not).
  • News graphics are a template AE project

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Production Tools

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EditReady

-Transcode

-Embed elements

-Scale

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Adobe CC

-Everything

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DaVinci Resolve

-Color grade

-NLE

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Subscription Services

•Audio

•Video

  • videoblocks.com

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Apps

•Rode Reporter - Record quality audio for syncing using the Rode SmartLav+

•LUMIX Image App - Remote control Panasonic cameras and transfer images to phone

•UAV Forecast - provides all necessary wind, weather, satellite, and FAA data for drone operators

•SunSeeker - Uses AR to show trajectory and position of sun at any time

•Filmic Pro - Maximize your phone’s video quality. Use your phone as a true video camera.

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Ten takeaways

  1. Have lots of meetings
  2. Set budget and goals and stick to them
  3. Pre-production matters
  4. Play to your strengths and lean on others
  5. Something will always go wrong - ADAPT!

6) The best camera is the one with you

7) Fake it

8) Help others help you

9) Shoot in 4K

10) Jump on opportunities to try new things

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Additional Resources

•Film Riot - Fun techniques, reviews, hacks, DIY

•Curtis Judd - Lighting and audio

•Tony and Chelsea Northrup - Theory, technical info, reviews

•Dave Dugdale - Reviews, techniques, software

•DSLR Video Shooter - Lighting, techniques, DIY

• Naked Filmmaking book

•B&H Wishlist with all products I mentioned: https://www.bnh.com/wish/F616C8DDEE/

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Thanks!