Today’s work took about 2 1/2 hours. Because the equipment was out of the box, we spent the time placing desks, chairs, camera, lights, and other materials. We also tested the video and audio.
The LinkedIn Learning team is based in Carpinteria, CA, while I’m in Boston. We’re separated by 3000 miles and 3 time zones. I moved the equipment and placed it and positioned it as they described. While setting this up, we had 3 cameras showing the scene. Two were the built-in webcams on the two computers (one mine, one theirs). The third camera was the DSLR itself, showing through the camera’s filming software.
Looking from the corner of the room, you may see the light and camera placements. We've set off the window with a privacy screen. Photo taken near the top of the teleprompter, showing the set's lighting and placement.Sitting in the set chair, looking towards the teleprompter and the computer controlling the camera and audio. The blue blanket thrown over an empty clothes rack behind the teleprompter is acting as a sound baffle.One frame of the test video. I'm sitting in the set chair and looking at the camera.
I’ll be recording a live action course with LinkedIn Learning from November 29 to December 3.
In non-pandemic times, this would mean flying to Carpinteria, CA, then working with a film crew for a week on a stage in a controlled environment. It’s quiet, the lighting is always perfect, the passing of time is not obvious as the stage always looks the same.
In pandemic times, I’m at my home in Watertown, Massachusetts, just outside of Boston. LinkedIn sends me boxes of gear, which I set up. As they say, “Jen, you’re the grip and the talent.”
A grip is the film crew member that is tasked with moving things, assembling them, taking them down, and so forth. They don’t run the camera, nor do they run the sound, but they may put the tripod in the right location.
Who runs the camera? The film crew is in California, 3000 miles away. They run the camera over the internet. It is an amazing setup.
I’ll document the process over the next few days.
First, you must prepare a space for the filming to happen. My dining room is relatively easy to rearrange and prepare. I’ve brought in a small, glass desk for the set. My dining room table is moved out of the way, and there are chairs all over.
The dining room before rearrangement.Dining room after moving the table out of the way and placing the glass desk.Gear shipped from LensRentals.com and from LinkedIn Learning.
