This series of instructional videos were made to be informative and easy to understand. Aesme wanted the films to be wide reaching so accommodating a large audience was vital.
Aesme have very clear definitions for what they want from video content. They came to us after separating from another production company who they felt didn’t meet their expectations. Having been through the process before, they were careful to get it right this time. We were provided with storyboards that we made sure we followed as best we could.
We shot the instructional videos with two cameras in the Aesme floristry studio in West London, unfortunately this location was right underneath the railway and Shepherd’s Bush station. With a tight budget, there was no option but to film in this location. The crew and contributors had to be patient and wait for trains at every shoot. Our soundman was vigilant and we glad for it, as you don’t hear the trains at all!
When a location has an unavoidable environmental issue, careful mic placement and timing takes around the problem, in this case train noise, solve it during production rather than relying on being able to fix it afterwards in the edit.
Following their existing plan and storyboards precisely, rather than pushing an alternative creative direction, is usually the right call early in the relationship. Trust gets earned through reliability first, creative latitude tends to come later once a client's confidence is established.
Prioritising clarity over stylistic flourish, straightforward camera setups, clear lighting, and simple, well-paced demonstrations, usually serves an instructional brief better than an overly stylised approach that risks distracting from the actual information being communicated.