We often get called out on location to record interviews, discussions, or panels of many sorts. It is our job to assume whatever the intended message is and bring it to life. Sometimes, a discussion or interview is simply meant to inform or engage an audience. Other times, an interview is meant to make an audience feel certain stronger emotions. Messages intended to invoke inspiration, empathy, or any other strong emotion can be difficult to carry out technically. This is where we are the best in the business – taking what our clients intend to do or say and then executing the technical part of the production in order to most effectively convey their message to the world.
We had the pleasure of producing a series of videos on Gold’s Gym back in 2016. We were hired by Freeman AV to do the recording for their client Gold’s Gym. This micro-series highlighted various gym-goers, one of which ultimately would be presented with the coveted “Most Inspirational Member” Award. In order to best carry out this style of video, we had to be on our A-game not only with the technical process but with the scripting necessary to draw out the story and the emotion.
The Process
Each gym location selected its most “Inspirational Candidate”. From there, the field was reviewed and narrowed from hundreds of candidates to just 3 – one who had since expired. As part of a Gym Owners Convention in Las Vegas, the candidates would be interviewed and recorded and a winner announced at a morning keynote. For the candidate who had passed away, his family and his gym owner were interviewed. Videos needed to be shot, edited, and ready for the winner to be selected by first thing the following morning!
We gave each candidate “Homework” before flying to Las Vegas for the convention. From the synopsis, each candidate provided information on why they should be chosen. We built scripts and instructed the candidates what footage and images we needed to produce their story. Some of these needs were done simply, however some candidates took their time to deliver what we asked for. We collected everything and started editing, getting voiceovers, assembling the story, building graphics, and whatever else we could weeks before the interviews. This was surely going to be a time crunch on the day of the shoot. We had to record interviews, edit overnight, and have the final videos ready promptly the next day.
We constructed an interview set in one of the breakout rooms and used a black background to help with the mood. The interviews took one full day and then our two editors went to a suite in the hotel and edited all night so the videos could be shown by the morning. We had the videos ready for review just one hour before show time. Some minor changes were requested, but the videos were eventually delivered on time!
The Most Inspirational Member Candidates
The Most Inspirational Member candidates were Sarah, John, and Keith. Each had his/her own story, special in its own way. This made for a versatile micro-series and an interesting time on the job for us. As we shot the videos we began to get to know each member individually – their passions, struggles, and life outlooks, etc. We wanted to make the audience feel as invited into the members’ personal lives as we did. The exact criteria that the judges used were not given to us. In retrospect, however, it’s no wonder why the winner was chosen. This is the video of the winner. Let us know your thoughts.
Gold’s Gym Throws Another Successful Event
In the end, we were proud to be an instrumental part of Gold’s Gym’s Most Inspirational Member Awards. We are also glad to have been able to help out Freeman AV with their client’s needs. We helped them do something very special. This event inspired the community and brought it together in a way that not many companies can these days. Behind the scenes, there were many moving parts that needed to be managed to carry out the production. There was also a daunting time deadline that needed to be met. The pressure of this situation is something you grow accustomed to in this business. Through these obstacles, we helped Gold’s Gym make their annual Most Inspirational Member Awards a successful day. They were extremely pleased with the deliverables – so much so in fact that they wanted us to help them with their recurring event the following year.
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