What tools do you use to research and prepare for your Field Production project?

When I meet with my clients on Zoom I use a note taker called, “Fathom” I really like how it’s integration into zoom helps me highlight (with a highlight button) moments the call that I want to circle back to repurpose for content. Because you can download the video (low quality… 720p maybe?) and you have the highlights you can quickly scroll through, get the timestamps and a transcript. It’s pretty awesome.

My go to tool for pre-production currently is Milanote as the templates and previous projects I’ve done on there give me a jumping off point for any new projects which saves me time and allows for micro adjustments to tried and tested plans. Additionally as it has an app, if I need to refer to it during a shoot it’s easily accessible.

One thing I've found helpful is to meet with clients via Zoom several times before the shooting date. That way we can work on the video script outline and shot list together and plan ahead for the days to come. I use Proposify for my proposal and contract software for my clients and my contractors. I also Frame.io a lot for post-production work.

I produce a good amount of live productions, and have been implementing SRT codec for remote video integration. Its low bandwidth requirements and low latency make it ideal for multi-presenter remote video productions.

Build out different recipes of kit for different situations. I’ve found what you use in the field should come down to what makes sense for the project rather than what you’re used to. Some situations don’t require a full kit and bringing one can often be a distraction as you potentially waste precious time setting up, or checking equipment if you’re working solo. If you’re part of a team this is slightly easier but then you need to manage your team as well as the subject.

People will forgive bad shots, but if you have terrible audio nobody will stick around. Invest in a good microphone and then check, double-check, and triple-check your audio to make sure that you can hear what your subjects are saying. If it's windy, then be mindful that you may need to cover your mic a bit or find a place that is shielded from the wind.

I’ve been editing on Final Cut Pro for over almost 20 years. Never thought I’d need anything else. But recently - I’ve started learning how to edit in Adobes Premiere because of an AI plug in tool (only they have … for now?) called AutoPod. AutoPod has several functions. But I use it primarily to make an assembly cut of my multi-cam footage for me. Yes. You read that right. I lay out the media on my timeline, plug in the correct information, and it will literally edit the footage for me with … I’d say 90% accuracy. It’s taken 10 hour projects down to 3-5 and allowed time to scale my business and take on more projects at s time. Give it a try!

I've been using Frame.io for projects for a few years. It's abilities to create team collaboration for editors combined with its review tools for clients, makes it indispensable for my projects. I can share footage, project files, and assets with a team and make it a seamless collaboration. The review tools add the ability to review client changes inside the premiere timeline which saves on emails and confusing documents.

My most treasured tool over the past couple of years has become UPS. A switcher for a live event costs about $1500. A local production company will rent it to you for $200 a day. So, after eight event days, the switcher has paid for itself. The same goes for good lenses, coms, etc. I've put together several packages for live events, documentaries, high profile interviews, etc. I carry the cameras / lenses, UPS most of the rest and pick up light stands, tripods, and grip stuff from local rental houses. Lots of money saved.

Keep your team: *trained *informed *feedbacked *with good food and rest *happy *taken into account You'll regret not doing so.

There's tons of software and equipment that make the job easier, but do yourself a favor and learn the soft skills. When you're interviewing, keep your questions short...and don't try to answer the question for your subject. Don't interrupt. Listen. And instead of looking at your notes, make eye contact and nod to reassure them that what they're saying is interesting.