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Filming a celebrity interview in Soho for Monica Price TV

ediacrews recently worked with Monica Price TV. We have got to know Monica through her association with Homeopathy UK with whom we have worked on several occasions.

Monica asked us to film an interview with singer, musician and producer Leee John – the lead singer of the band Imagination who had several hits back in the 1980’s. Leee is now well known on the jazz circuit as well as for his charity work and documentary making and has himself recently become an ambassador for Homeopathy UK.

Filming took place at a hotel in Soho and lasted around an hour. We used 2 cameras, clip on microphones and 2 led light panels. Although space was tight compared to a studio or hall location both the client and ourselves were very pleased with the captured footage – the colours in particular of both Leee’s outfit and the furnishings of the room worked very well together.

We edited the final footage adding credits and the tv shows animated graphics. The 45 minute interview will be appearing on websites and online TV.

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Yoga tutor mobile phone and presentation skills training

At Mediacrews we enjoy working with all types of business and individuals. Alice is a yoga teacher in her spare time and wanted to polish up her video skills and presenting style. Our mobile phone filming and presentation skills course was ideal. We talked about camera angles, getting better lighting and sound etc so that Alice’s online videos will now be more engaging to her audience. Simple tweaks such as the use of low cost microphones, iPhone holders and a LED lighting can make all the difference. We discussed content, body language, delivery and how to add energy to her performance – meaning Alice now has the skills to present and teach with more confidence and authority.

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Video and presentation skills training with connelly accountants

The mediacrews full day filming and presentation skills course can help improve both your video filming techniques and your on camera presentation confidence.

We recently worked with accountancy firm Connolly who regularly make short videos for their social media platforms.

Our day long camera skills and presentation confidence course consisted of 2 focused sessions.

The morning session centred on video skills using iPhone. We discussed tips and techniques to improve their iPhone filming including: using a tripod and mobile phone rig, better lighting, improving sound quality, using plug-in microphones, camera angles and shooting in portrait format for both Instagram and Facebook.

The afternoon session was all about getting the best out of people who are putting themselves on camera. We looked at content, their spoken delivery style – in this case we encouraged a more conversational delivery. We worked on eye contact – looking directly at camera and we also focused on adding energy and enthusiasm to the spoken delivery whilst slowing down the pace to allow room for emphasis on key words and phrases.

It was a successful day both fun and informative.

“David came to our offices recently to train our team on how to film and present confidently on camera for our social media posts. The day was well planned and the sessions were engaging, practical, and perfectly tailored to our needs. Everyone came away feeling more confident, with loads of useful tips we’ve already started putting into practice. David created a positive and encouraging atmosphere, making even the most camera-shy among us feel comfortable. I would highly recommend this training for any team looking to up their video and social media game!”

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Behind the scenes filming with Jo Wood

Mediacrews has recently been involved with filming celebrity interviews for Monica Price TV; usually on location at their homes or hotel of choice.

A few months ago we travelled to film an interview with author, entrepreneur and tv personality Jo Wood at her farmhouse in the English countryside. The ex-wife of Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood, Jo has also published her photography and has worked as a model.

We decided on a two-camera shoot with one focused on Jo the other on interviewer / host Monica and then recorded extras such as wide shots, noddy’s and cutaways once the main interview was over. We used a mix of natural light and two led panels to light Jo’s kitchen where the interview took place. The kitchen was very photogenic and provided a great backdrop for the filming which took around an hour to complete.

The footage was edited the following day into four distinct 10 minute segments allowing for commercial breaks and as Jo was such a good speaker and raconteur that editing was very light-touch and really only required the TV show idents, graphics and credits to be added. The finished interview will appear on websites and web TV.

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Camera Confidence Course for Estate & Letting Agents

Like most modern businesses Estate Agents use a strong social media presence and digital marketing to reach new clients and create awareness of their property portfolio. Creating content in a professional and assured way is not necessarily an easy task especially if it requires ‘straight to camera’ presenting. Mediacrews has recently been working in the real estate business, coaching estate agents to talk straight to camera with our On Camera Confidence Course. The case in point was a medium size business near London and included 2 half day sessions with over 10 participants. The day began with short filming sessions of each of the agents to see and judge the standard at start and then the course moved to improving all ‘on camera’ presenting skills and ended with a final filming session with the same participants putting into practise all they had learnt and the improvement was measurable. During our On Camera Confidence Course we discuss eye contact, speech patterns, energy levels, hand movements and a whole host of other tips, even as far as discussing what to wear.

David’s created a tailored video workshop for our social media team. The session was a mix of practical and theory, giving everyone the chance to learn new skills and practice in front of a camera. He provided lots of valuable tips and we all left the workshop feeling much more prepared.

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Nhs sussex mobile phone skills filming course

Staff at My University Hospitals Sussex create their own videos using mobile phones for the charity arm of the hospital – raising funds to buy equipment. I was asked to go in and provide training to help improve their overall video skills. The day long course was split into 2 sessions. The morning focused on practical skills, including using accessories like tripods, microphones, iPhone holders and so on. We discussed different filming modes such as cinematic mode and also what shots to use and why whether it be a wide angle shot for scene setting or close ups for emotion, allowing the audience to connect with the subject. The afternoon was dedicated to basic editing skills (there are many editing software programmes out there – but the techniques are usually the same). Cutting umms and errs and what type of fade / cuts to use among techniques discussed.

This short one day course is designed to be fun and informative…

“I had a brilliant day of learning basic techniques of filmmaking, building a narrative for a storyboard and then shooting the script. It involved discussion, ideas, team work and acting out the story. We spent some of the time finding a good location and then getting the position of the camera correct. The day was well spaced with good pace of delivery and learning blocks.  David showed his expertise in the way he was able to transform a storyboard into a two minute film.”

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Milk-pal cafe milk dispenser using only mobile phone video footage

Mediacrews training courses are structured and developed using the knowledge and experience gained working with clients on their specific video requirements for varying projects.

MediaCrews was recently asked to create a short video using only iPhone by Marco Beverage Systems ,
a company that manufactures hot and cold milk dispensers for coffee shops around the UK. As filming was set inside a busy coffee shop in central London the client requested we use iPhone only, so as not to cause any disturbance and to be discreet.

The basic rules of filming still apply – create a story with a clear beginning middle and end, use wide shots for general views to scene set and then focus on the client product within the story for viewer engagement – in this case a milk dispenser.

The use of an iPhone was ideal in the circumstances – moving around the coffee shop and going behind the counter to watch the baristas at work meant we could capture the action without being disruptive. We filmed in both landscape and portrait mode as the videos were to be used on both YouTube and TikTok. It wasn’t possible to use a tripod but an iPhone holder (rig) proved invaluable.

We used a small external microphone for speaking at the beginning of the video – for a more professional sound than the inbuilt mic on the iPhone. The footage was then later edited and subtitles and logos added with copyright free music backtrack.

“Working with Mediacrews was easy and stress-free. They produced an excellent video for us, and we were very happy with the quality of their work. Truly professional from start to finish.”

Filming Homeopathy UK Launch with iPhone and Pro Video

At Mediacrews our mobile phone video training workshops are developed from our own experiences gained from working with clients and industry on their specific filming requirements.

Mediacrews were contacted by Homeopathy UK to record an evening of speeches, interviews,  drinks and meet and greets at the new Homeopathy Centre in the East End of London. Whilst professional video cameras were used to film interviews and speeches – iPhones were used to film the b-Roll and ‘behind the scenes’ content such as people meeting, attendees talking to other guests and speakers and audience reaction shots.

iPhone is far less intrusive than a conventional video camera. Mounted in an inexpensive holder (rig) iPhone allows you to grab candid shots without people becoming self conscious. You can also take footage quickly and easily respond to interesting moments. In editing the iPhone footage worked seamlessly with the video camera footage and it was felt that the flexibility of using iPhone greatly enhanced the audience shots and we caught some great candids.

On Camera Confidence Course Tip 4: Pace

Looking at the importance of Pace in this fourth tip taken from our Medicrews On Camera Confidence Course.

Pace… it’s one of the first key points we discuss in any training session. The pace of your on camera speech is vitally important – we not only teach you how to slow down your delivery but also where to pause to allow your audience to understand the points you are making and when to to stress and hi light key words so your message is clear.

All these points and many more are covered in depth on our On Camera Confidence Course. So if this is something you feel would benefit your on camera communication skills …. Then let’s talk.