We all have been forced to redefine what together means. At our core, we Postmodernists are exceptional because of our togetherness. We put tremendous value on (and our colleagues and clients hearkened to), our ability to pull multiple expertise together, and all in one place.
What does in-person production look like?
We continue to shoot, keeping our crews small, and our safety protocols snapped to the most current safety standards required by the CDC, the state, and the city. We’re more nimble than we were at the beginning of the year and we’re open to taking any project on.
What are our safety standards?
Postmodern is taking the following precautions:
- Entrances (door handles, light switches, door frames) are cleaned before and after every individual exit or entry to the building and in/out of individual suites and offices
- Separate entrances for the audio booth for talent, keeping audio engineers and producers isolated and distanced from each other and talent
- Digital, no-touch thermometer at the main entrance with entry and exit log for everyone that enters the building
- Hand sanitizer at both building entrances for all who enter and exit
- Disinfectant wipes readily available in suites, offices, and entrances
- Strict adherence to 6+ feet of social distancing if any in-person interactions need to take place in the building
- We’re requiring that anyone coming in and out of the building bring their own mask and wear it at all times (on-screen performances and audio recordings are an exception during performances).
- We as a business, and as building occupants, continue to follow all city, state, and national (CDC) guidelines for both individual and business-related guidelines surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and will adjust our protocols according to the most current standards.
- We ask all visitors, staff, and occupants to adhere to the standards we are exercising and welcome any/ all specific requests for safety measures, not directly outlined here.
How does the team work remotely?
All of our post-production work runs through a shared storage system that allows us to edit video, record audio, color correct, sound design and mix audio remotely and completely integrate with all the steps in the process. This system was in place well before the global pandemic. Now we just access it all from either our home studios or in-studio, when the project warrants it.
What kind of projects are we now producing?
We quickly realized as the pandemic unfolded and restrictions tied around our normal way of producing video, that we were well prepared to use some of our existing techniques to allow for what might be, ironically, more intimate and thoughtful storytelling. The development of best practices for both our Interrotron setup on location (see below) and b-roll shooting wasn’t as challenging as we anticipated.
Now is a good time to repurpose old, original footage and fold in stock footage. We’ve also been able to shoot some remarkable b-roll and subject matter expert videos without big, unwieldy crewing or logistical safety issues.
And podcasts! Podcast audiences have never been hungrier or more discerning. It’s a great time to be producing high production value podcast series, in collaboration with brands and companies, because the audience reach is so intimate and so thought-provoking; hungry ears are out there.
All other audio projects are as easily done in this new environment too.
What is an “Interretron” setup?
One of the most interesting and successful documentarians is Errol Morris. In 2004 he developed a method of conducting intimate interviews (vignettes) using a technique called Interretron, that put him (as the interviewer) in a completely different room from the interviewee. In fact, the interviewee was in their own separate space completely removed from Morris or any crew members. This technique was then (and is now) highly effective at carrying on very intimate discussions and interviews with on-camera interviewees without sacrificing any aesthetic aspects in the filmmaking. It’s also a fantastic approach to conducting interviews during the age of COVID. The production crews can be adequately distanced from each other, as well as from the interviewee, for a very safe and effective method of filmmaking. Here’s a great example of work we’ve done recently that uses this production strategy.
Years ago, Postmodern Company built a tagline around being together: Get it. Together. It was meant to be duly engaging: Implying that we (the company) will get it all together. All disciplines and capabilities are necessary to produce amazing video content. We (you + us) will get it together.
We’re shooting, editing, mixing, coloring, and designing together.
Give us a shout, we’ll get it together.
