Want to get the most out of your project? How about documenting it? Who ya gonna call? The videographer! We called upon Dennis O’Clair of Media 276 (his new site, coming soon if not already live).
I didn’t know Dennis beforehand but he came highly recommended and with his wealth of experience, we couldn’t go wrong. He was a former film and photography instructor at the Hallmark Institute of Photography and he also conducts workshops. He currently has an extensive client list and his plate is full of projects. I was wondering how and if he could fit us in to his schedule. Luckily he did.
We consulted by phone and many times by email to discuss the concept for the project, the script, the props and the details. Coordinating this all from a far was a little challenging as stated previously, but we managed to make it happen because of the experts on hand.
Fortunately, Dennis is accustomed to being able to control lighting situations with rainy and watery weather conditions that make it difficult to achieve natural lighting.
He’s had a lot of practice with water with his exceptional underwater photography too (from his d/o photography site – “eau and light” just like his O’Clair name). Fortunately, our project did not take place in a pool. It only felt like one outside and not this bright and cheerful.
When I asked Dennis to describe his creative process, he had this to say, “I always start with the concept and move forward from there making all creative decisions based on whether or not they help to enhance or illustrate the concept and do these things, the lighting, storyboarding, editing, action, camera angle, etc, help to tell the story.”
We had a concept and he even added some of his own personal items to complete our storyboard. They included a hand-constructed mobile he made for his own children.
He describes his creative process in more detail with the following:
For this project, like most, I like to have a clear understanding of what the client is trying to accomplish with the Video. Who is the target audience, what’s the message, what outcome are you hoping for, etc. Then we develop a simple concept and build from there. There are usually many considerations and/or constraints. Budget, deadline, the location, available props and many other factors all need to be considered. For this project, the decision to combine the still and video shoots into one production was the key to its success. We all worked as a team and each of us had strengths. My contribution, I believe, was in the production planning, scripting and lighting. By planning which shot to shoot when, we were able to take advantage of the lighting conditions outside the window and we were able to move efficiently from shot to shot. We decided to use continuous lighting for both stills and video. So we utilized all of my video lighting gear and created a unique “feel” for each situation. All of the shots were very elegant, well styled and sophisticated. The lighting created a mood and was the element that added that extra something that made the visuals really stand out.
If this video below is any indication of Dennis’ work, I can only hope ours turns out as well. I’m excited to see the results. I love the sense of play and tongue and “cheek” humor here. What fun it looks like it was to create.
Reading, Writing, Revelry! – The 2013 Woodstock Writers Festival Promo Film from Dennis O’Clair on Vimeo.
We couldn’t have completed the project without Dennis’ expert knowledge and execution, his attention to detail and willingness to work with us.
Thank you, Dennis, for an excellent job on the project and for all your hard work!
— Ashley
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