NCI Video Production | November Update
Another month, another video blog from the Northern Crops Institute (NCI) communications team. After a jam-packed October full of harvest shoots and course content production, November is significantly lighter with video work, but it is certainly not any less important.
NCI Course Video Production:
The NCI course load for November included two courses: Ethanol Procurement for Importers and Quality Feed Pellet Production, both of which concluded earlier this month. Both of these were online-only courses, which required pre-recorded videos for all components of the education.
For more information about upcoming courses at Northern Crops Institute, please visit https://www.northern-crops.com/courses.
Video Shoot at Hankinson Renewable Energy in Hankinson, ND
As mentioned in October’s video blog, the team was busy with ethanol-related film production. Shooting typically lasts between half a day and a full day, and editing takes much longer, depending on the length of the video, amount of editing required, and the amount of other tasks simultaneously occurring that need to be finished as well.
The largest ethanol video, which was in the works in October, was completed this month. Check out a short snippet of that video in the preview below. Al-Corn Clean Fuel CEO Randall Doyal briefly discusses the plant’s role in creating a sustainable future for our world.
The course on pelleting, which was the other November 2021 NCI course, needed an introduction video to kick off the course. The communications team was ready and waiting, using the NCI pellet mill as a background.
NCI Director Mark Jirik was the star of the shoot. In an in-person course, Mark typically welcomes the participants to NCI and gives the overview of what the course will entail. With the virtual courses, it is important to have a concise, put-together recording to accomplish this.
Behind the Scenes of a Shoot:
With the relatively light production schedule of this month, we will take a deeper dive into what a video shoot looks like. The pelleting course intro from above will serve as the model.
This was a morning shoot, so all the equipment needed to be checked over the night before. If any cameras needed charging or audio recorders needed batteries, those were all plugged in or replaced. Plenty of pre-planning is required to ensure everything has enough power to last through the shoot. Extra batteries and extension cords are must-have items packed in the camera bags as well, just in case.
On the day of the shoot, everything is loaded into the vehicle to head to the shooting location. This shoot took place at the feed mill, where the one-person video crew arrived a half hour early for setup. Arriving ahead of the scheduled time helps keep the actual shoot within the time constraints, so no time is wasted on setup.
The equipment for this shoot included two video cameras, each on a tripod. Multiple camera angles add more flavor to the final product. Mark was the lone speaker, so he was wired up with a bluetooth microphone and transmitter, while one of the video crew was listening in to monitor the audio levels through the paired audio receiver. Lastly, the final piece of equipment for this shoot was an artificial lighting kit to brighten the feed mill.
Setup, recording, and editing all went smoothly for this video, thanks to proper preparation.
Creativity in November:
There’s never a slow time for the communications team at NCI, but when video work is all caught up on, it’s time to build some of the creative graphics for future videos. So far, there have been a few days to spare for creative moments in November.
One of these “creative creations” included working on producing a set of NCI logo reveals. Stay tuned for future videos that end with the NCI logo and website floating, spinning, piecing itself together, and more.
Building video assets is important to NCI’s branding. Graphics and logo reveals should have a similar look and feel, so all of NCI’s content looks cohesive. The communications team has done great work with this idea in all its video work, as well as in print and online displays.
Check out our website to see the communication team’s creativity in action. Also, for any additional information about the Northern Crops Institute, please visit https://www.northern-crops.com/.
VIDEO PREVIEW: Check out a short video preview from one of the Minnesota ethanol plants that was featured in a full-length video for NCI’s Ethanol course in late October and early November.