Here are the top 3 tips to help you prepare for the geotechnical and environmental storytelling process!
3. Have the right resources available (& they are willing to participate!).
In the lead up to filming day, make sure to commit the right people who will be featured in the geotechnical engineering video and give them some time to prepare. You will make sure they are willing to be on camera. It may be their first time and they may be nervous and that is completely normal. But as long as they are willing to do it, it will be great. On the other hand, someone who wants nothing to do with this could sabotage the project altogether.
Once you figure out the person(s), book their time for filming day(s) so they can focus and be present in the moment.
2. Brainstorm engaging backgrounds and use actual field/project sites where possible.
Say you are looking to film an environmental or geotechnical case study. The better the visual nature of the video, the better it will resonate with the target audience. Interviews of people can occur in a board room but the best videos will also include videos at a project or field site, showing what is happening. And videos of people in the field or project site are even better than just field on its own.
Don’t worry about noise levels outdoors, we can overcome that with microphones!
1. Know the key content/information that must be included, in advance of filming.
During the Discovery and Planning stages, we will have worked on a question list and storyboard for the filming day. During these stages is the best time to let me know about key content or information you must have in the final video. On the day of filming, we can make some small alterations to add in content but after filming, it becomes a more challenging ask.
Once this information is finalized, make sure to brief all the team members who will be in the video so they can review in advance, mentally prepare how they would answer the questions and put themselves at ease.
Keep in mind, I don’t want them to memorize a script, word by word, as this does not come across very natural. It is better for them to think of the topic they would answer and then just be themselves on camera answering in their natural personality!
I find this post to be very inspiring, not just for geotechnical storytelling but across many fields. I am particularly impressed by Tip 1; it’s a thoughtful and considerate idea to recognize that teammates might feel nervous in front of the camera, so we have to make sure this before video shooting. Great tips!
It’s very true – not everyone is comfortable. I used to be in their shoes so I can sympathize with them. I think its something that can be overcome, if they are willing to work through it!