NCI Video Production | Jan. 2023 Update
2023 rolled in seamlessly for NCI’s video production work. NCI’s excellent partnership with MN Wheat continues to keep the video work busy with the Prairie Grains Conference, Small Grains Update, and the Best of the Best conferences being held within the past and upcoming months.
Prairie Grains and Small Grains Update:
Where we left off in 2022, Prairie Grains had just wrapped up for another year. NCI was instrumental in the recordings of the annual event in Grand Forks, ND. Thanks to the newest investment of 512 GB SD cards, there was ample space to record during the two days.
The past video blog from December details more on the Prairie Grains Conference, including NCI Director Mark Jirik’s “Next 5 Years Recap” presentation. To view that blog, visit https://www.northern-crops.com/whats-new/nci-video-production-update-dec2022
View the Prairie Grains playlist here:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD9ujiJyhaYdNa9xR_libNrYj8Gqb4mYX
MN Wheat’s Small Grains Update took place January 10-13, 2023. The recordings by NCI were done at the Dilworth location of this tour. As this is the second year in which NCI helped with the video work, we were looking for the best ways to improve. That was accomplished with a brand new audio recording method to capture speech at a much higher quality. If the audio is ununderstandable, the video vastly loses its purpose.
The go-to lavalier microphone set for the NCI comm team is the Rode Wireless Go II. We love how light and compact it is, while still maintaining high quality audio. Nearly all the settings can be monitored and adjusted right from the wireless receiver. This made starting and stopping recordings at Small Grains simple and efficient without needing to adjust anything on the transmitter. Thank you, Rode Go II!
To learn more about the Small Grains Update, visit https://mnwheat.org/growers/2023-small-grains-update-meetings/
Sourdough Update:
Who remembers the sourdough course that’s in the works? This has been a hot topic of the last few video production blog posts. A while back, we had a shoot in the NDSU bake lab. Last month, there was a teaser for the upcoming shoots. This month, we can officially report the shooting locations and dates to come.
First up on the list will be next week at Breadico in Sioux Falls, SD. The NCI cameras will migrate south for a two-day tour and interview shoot. Rounding out December, those same cameras will hit the plane for SEYLOU bakery in Washington, D.C. Lastly, February will kick off with Sourhouse, a home bakery in Fargo, ND. We are so excited for what is to come.
The online sourdough course has required immense planning on the video side. From scripting questions to creating shot lists, these shoots are among the most advanced the video production crew has worked on.
With that, now would be a great time to transition to some of the video goals for 2023.
2023 Goals:
There are three goals the NCI video team would like to work on this year. First up is branding/consistency. Since the video work is clearly here to stay, it is important to keep all video work aligned with NCI’s branding guide. A set formula is being developed for transitions and title screens that work with NCI’s colors and reflect the overall mood of the organization.
Next up is more of a focus on better shooting quality. Many of the videos produced in the past years are an on-the-go or run-and-gun situation style. There have been several live events with one shot to capture. Now the professionalism focus is shifting towards more scripting and storyboarding. Shoots now often require pre-planned scenes that may require multiple takes to get just right. Lighting is another big aspect that has not been explored much. With potential feed mill shoots on the horizon, it will be critical to artificially enhance the lighting in low-light situations such as the feed mill. With better shooting comes better editing as well. The editing process is always looking for improvements, and the overall quality increases with experience via each video produced.
Lastly, accessibility is another goal. As mentioned earlier with the emphasis on capturing high-quality audible audio, NCI would also like to have closed captioning or transcript options available for all videos to enhance the speech element even further. This will be especially useful in online and on-demand courses for the domestic audience.
2023 has started strong, and we are excited to see where else it will go. With these three goals, especially, in mind, the future of video production still looks strong, so stay tuned for more.
VIDEO PREVIEW: At the 2022 Prairie Grains Conference in Grand Forks, ND, NCI Director Mark Jirik presented a recap of the main topics covered during NCI’s previously held Next 5 Years Conference.