NCI Video Production | October 2023 Update

The 2023 Q4 is here with courses in the homestretch. That shifts NCI’s video production crew to planning mode already gearing up for bigger and better things in 2024. Read on to learn about the mock studio setup NCI has been working on in preparation for the new media room in the Peltier Complex coming soon.

Here’s a sneak peak at the temporary recording studio set up in the NCI auditorium.

Pop Up Studio Practice:

NCI has the lights, the cameras, and the action, so this month those three elements were utilized together to create a temporary “studio” in the NCI auditorium. Let’s walk through the setup.

NCI intern Seth Hansen stood in as a presenter placeholder when practicing the green screen setup.

First, a brand new green screen makes its debut for a more polished look when filming presenters for online courses. It takes 4 studio lights to adequately brighten up that neon green as well as illuminate the presenter. Next, in the “studio,” NCI is saying goodbye to those pesky lav mics on the lapel. Now a much cleaner shotgun mic overhead on a boom pole is utilized. As always, the Panasonic HC-X1000 is always ready to roll. And finally, small finishing touches include a projector confidence monitor and the usual screen recording software.

The use of a green screen calls for an upgrade in editing as well. The model thus far includes removing the background and placing the presenter cutout over top of the PowerPoint. More trials on editing styles and techniques are yet to be tested.

The pop up setup takes one person over an hour to set up. Thankfully it goes much quicker with a team. Because of this extensive labor required when constantly setting up then taking down, NCI is eagerly awaiting the new media room in the Peltier Complex, so the setup can stay up permanently.

In case you missed it, check out a preview video for the Peltier Complex, coming to NDSU’s campus Spring of 2024: https://youtu.be/3GBAGGwtFjs

NCI On-Demand Course Video:

As the weather gets colder in Fargo, the courses move online. First up on the online course list is the course Future of Feeding Soybean Meal. Participants in this course will have the first look at the green screen setup recordings.

Just two presenters have been filmed thus far with more in the near future before the course starts up in November. In the meantime, NCI also squeezed in a recording with NDSU Crop Economist/Marketing Specialist Frayne Olson. His lecture on commodity contracting will be utilized in multiple upcoming NCI online courses including Healthy Solutions for Food Barley Uses and High Oleic Soy Foods.

Several on-demand and online courses are currently available to take. Check out the list and stay tuned for more upcoming courses. To register for an on-demand course, visit https://courses.northern-crops.com/catalog?pagename=On-demand

Gearing Up for What Comes Next:

In addition to the upcoming on-demand course videos that need producing, the winter conference schedule is already filling the calendars. Catch the NCI film crew at the Prairie Grains Conference again in Grand Forks on December 13-14th.

Handbooks are another platform of education provided by NCI. This month, the first handbook promo video debuted. Plan on seeing more handbook videos in the future. Some new creative ideas are already in the works.

Also stay tuned for more videos on NCI’s technical equipment like pilot-scale processing equipment. NCI plans to document the capabilities of the equipment through video to demonstrate the technical services capabilities. The move to the Peltier Complex is the perfect time for this task as all the equipment is moved to the brand-new, clean space.

The Peltier Complex move is just months away, and the preparation has already begun. Check back in next month for more updates and possible video clips of the progress.

VIDEO PREVIEW: Check out a video promo of just one of NCI’s handbooks: The Wheat Quality Handbook.