Aboard the Sovereign of the Seas
Somewhere in Caribbean
8:14 am – Thursday, Jan. 30
Erik Laidroo directing the cast & crew

“Alright Raymond…nice job, let’s punch out the 2nd sentence a little more, and we need some more eye contact with Danny.”

“Mark, can we get just a little more fill out of the 350? Maybe bring it in just a notch. Whoaaa…right there…back it up just a hair. Split the difference! Ok…you got it. Perfect!”

“Alright! Roll camera, let’s try to get that circle take…andddd ACTION!”

Being on the set of a video shoot is an interesting place to be. You hear a lot of different terminology. It’s what we call “crewspeak.” Bringing in a light just a “notch” well…you get the idea. Jussssst a little bit. “Split the difference” ? You took half a step too far…just go back, and…split the difference. And what on earth is a circle take? A circle take is what we aim for, it’s our manna. It’s when all the forces come together…actors, crew, mother nature (in some events) and we get the perfect take for our scene. That’s our “circle take”. It’s the take our production assistant logs with a circle next to the timecode, so that when Post-Production rolls along our editor can look at the notes and enter in all the times that have a circle notation. It’s a huge time saver in editing. When you have a circle take…it’s a good thing!

Ok…so back to the shoot. We compare directing a video shoot a little like conducting an orchestra. You’re trying to bring all the pieces together, in harmony! The director is constantly instructing his crew and his actors what parts need to be improved and polished; the whole time realizing that the clock is always ticking. A good director is vital to every production. Just like every ship has to have a captain, every video project needs a director!

About Bright Circle, Inc.

Bright Circle is a Florida based media production company offering a full range of creative services. Bright Circle provides professional teams that offer support in convention video services, as well as commercial production.