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The Production Pulse

Short episodes on making video, from a San Francisco video production company. What a corporate shoot actually costs, how to brief one, what happens on set, and when not to spend the money. Two to three minutes each, for the people who commission video and the crews who make it.

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Videographer or Production Company?

Episode 1

The wrong question is which one is better. The right one is how many people your job actually needs.

Episode and transcript

The RFP That Gets You Good Bids

Episode 2

Most video RFPs are missing the one thing that would get you comparable quotes. Here’s what to put in.

Episode and transcript

Why Your Nonprofit Video Isn’t Raising Money

Episode 3

One story beats every story. The mistake almost every organisation makes with its fundraising film.

Episode and transcript

Your Exec Is About to Freeze On Camera

Episode 4

How to prepare the person in front of the lens, and the one question that fixes most of it.

Episode and transcript

One Event Shoot, a Year of Content

Episode 5

You already paid to film the event. Most of what you paid for is still sitting on a drive.

Episode and transcript

The Footage Nobody Asked You to Shoot

Episode 6

Behind the scenes content is nearly free if you plan it, and impossible to fake afterwards.

Episode and transcript

Filming in San Francisco Without a Permit Problem

Episode 7

When you actually need a permit in SF, and why we stopped winging it.

Episode and transcript

The Unwritten Rules of a Film Set

Episode 8

Corporate sets aren’t film sets, and the crew who understand the difference keep getting called back.

Episode and transcript

Buy the Camera or Rent It?

Episode 9

We bought a Ronin 2 for shots we ended up needing twice in a year. Here’s the test we use now.

Episode and transcript

How People Actually Become Videographers

Episode 10

The route in, from someone who hires for it. Less about gear than anybody expects.

Episode and transcript