In my two months as an intern at IIMBx, I never spent time on set for a shoot; I only saw the content in its finished form, after the edits and graphics had been placed on the raw footage. Today, I join Natasha and Shreya – Instructional Designer and Pedagogical Research Associate at IIMBx – as they shoot video content for their latest course, MOOC on MOOCs: A Digital Learning Playbook.
The first shoot was with Professor P C Narayan – faculty member, finance at IIM Bangalore. It was scheduled to be an outdoor shoot but due to the rains, it was promptly shifted to a classroom. What I was expecting was a cameraperson and perhaps someone who would help set up the mic. However, what I saw was a team of three, each of whom had a separate camera to capture different angles, extra lights and other shooting equipment I didn’t know existed. The atmosphere was similar to that of an ad film shoot.
The camera crew and interview panel prepare for the shoot
During the shoot, I discovered how much work has to be done before the cameras start rolling. While I’ve read about shooting etiquette and the importance of pre-production, it didn’t strike me how effective it really was until now. After a test run, where I assumed the role of both the interviewer and interviewee, we were good to go.
It’s not easy to pretend that the camera is a student but Professor Narayan, a digital learning veteran with eight MOOCs and multiple awards to his name, was extremely comfortable with the process. It was a delight to watch him talk to Shreya and Natasha about MOOCs and blended learning.
My next adventure was in the studio with Usha Ganesan – Programme Manager, IIMBx and Professor PD Jose – Chairperson, Digital Learning.
The studio team works with Usha Ganesan to record the course video
I have been to the studio before – once, by accident, when I was hopelessly lost on campus. The studio is state-of-the-art – complete with a green screen, LED lights, soundproof walls and other high-tech equipment that seems straight out of a Bond movie. The recording at the studio was very different from the one at the classroom. As variables like light and sound are far more controllable here, the prep took only a fraction of the time.
The shoot at the studio was a surreal experience. With its soundproof doors and equipment that blocks out light, it’s hard to keep track of how much time passes in here.
Overall, my experience was just as fun as it was informative, and I learnt that the process is just as engaging as the end product.
[This post was written by Trina Gupta, Communications Intern, IIMBx]
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