Flowers are blooming, birds are chirping: the season of new beginnings, and new content is here. A long, snowy winter, hunkered inside, is a great time to capture content indoors or even get ahead on media strategy planning. However, capturing seasonal or outdoor content is less appealing when temperatures hover around 20 degrees, the skies are grey, and the trees are brown.
What better way to take advantage of these longer, brighter days ahead than filming captivating and engaging content? Let’s review a few essential tips for filming video in the springtime.
Capture Campus Blooming
Springtime transforms school campuses into picturesque scenes with blooming flowers, budding trees, and lush greenery. To take full advantage of this natural beauty, incorporate more outdoor shots into your school’s videos—especially in B-roll.
At the peak of the blooming season, consider using drones to capture aerial footage of the campus from unique perspectives. Drones enable you to capture the entire school grounds in a way traditional cameras cannot, giving viewers a comprehensive view of the campus and its surroundings.
If you have the right equipment, you can elevate your video with time-lapse footage. Time-lapse videos are a visually compelling way to show the transformation of plants as they bloom, capturing the essence of spring. Set up your camera in a strategic location to capture the unfolding of nature’s beauty over time. These time-lapse shots add depth and interest to your videos, allowing viewers to witness subtle changes in the spring season within seconds.
Leverage Longer Days to Film
Running out of daylight can be a videographer’s worst nightmare. Fortunately, the spring equinox brings longer, brighter days, which allows for flexibility in filming schedules—especially if you’re filming on campus in the evenings, both inside and out. If your school uses natural light from windows, the last shot of the evening could be night and day, literally, depending on the season. While overhead lighting works effectively, sometimes you just can’t beat the warm hues that natural lighting has to offer. Longer sunlight allows you more time to set up, take test shots, and experiment with capturing different types of footage.
When filming outdoors, it’s important to monitor lighting conditions and how they affect the appearance of your shots. If you’re going for a more vibrant, brighter feel, shoot during the golden hours—early in the morning or late in the afternoon—when the sunlight is softer and casts a warm glow. This can enhance the visual appeal of your footage and create a more inviting atmosphere. Also, remember when you’re filming outdoors that the sun can be bright, but it can also be harsh. Using a white sheet or diffusion panels can help soften the light, and really take a shot to the next level!
However, even if the sun isn’t out in full, when filming faculty, staff, and students, it can be beneficial to capture them on a cloudy, overcast day. This naturally softer light will minimize squinting and unnatural expressions caused by bright, direct light. Whenever you’re filming individuals, you want to ensure they are as comfortable as possible, as this will affect their performance in the video.
Embrace (and Enjoy) Mild Temperatures
Unlike the extreme temperatures of winter or the muggy heat of summer, spring offers mild, comfortable weather ideal for filming. The pleasant temperatures make it easier for both the production team and the subjects being filmed to work comfortably without the distractions of extreme weather. Aside from the obvious benefits of filming outdoors in mild temperatures, it also offers advantages for indoor filming. Moderate temperatures allow your team to move seamlessly between indoor and outdoor spaces, making for a cohesive, concise filming day. During the springtime, you won’t have to worry about filming outdoor shots for a single video later in the year due to weather or freezing temperatures. Mild temperatures also help prevent leftover salt or snow residue from disrupting your shots of the hallway or classroom when filming content, such as a virtual tour.
Check out Sheridan Community Schools’ Facilities Tour.
However, you should still be prepared for unexpected weather changes, such as rain showers or gusty winds, which are common in spring. You should always have a backup plan in place in preparation for challenging weather. In short, be prepared to adjust your filming schedule to ensure you capture the footage you need while keeping everyone safe and comfortable.
Keep Your Protective Gear on Standby
This time of year is also known for its rain showers and thunderstorms. It’s just a part of the season. While we can’t prevent rainy days, we can prepare for them. There might come a time when a spring shower comes out of nowhere, and you end up in the rain. Don’t find yourself caught unprepared in a storm, drenched with tons of expensive filming equipment in hand. Invest in protective outdoor gear. Use a rain cover for your camera this spring, or keep a plastic bag and rubber bands with you if you’re in a pinch. Lens hoods and microfiber towels are also essential accessories for protecting your equipment. If you can, bring a weatherproof gear bag to your outdoor filming sessions to keep your gear secure in case of a downpour or unexpected drop in temperature, which can drain your batteries.
Capture the Kickoff of the Spring Sports Season
On your mark, get set, go! Now that spring is here, it’s time to gather updated clips of your school’s spring sports teams. Baseball, soccer, lacrosse, tennis, you name it. Spring marks the beginning of sports camaraderie and school spirit, which make for wonderful content to represent your school. Whether it’s sports highlight videos, extracurricular promotions, or some strong b-roll, spring sports are a natural way to capture your school’s community and essence.
Take advantage of the mild weather to shoot outdoor interviews, group activities, sports, and classroom scenes with ease. The comfortable temperatures will help create a relaxed, enjoyable atmosphere, enabling more natural interactions and genuine expressions from participants.
Media Services is Here To Help You
Don’t miss out on the natural beauty that spring offers for filming videos.
Springtime supplies a variety of advantages for creating compelling videos that showcase your school’s best features. If you’re seeking optimal video production, leave it to the experts at CIESC Media Services. At CIESC Media Services, we work with our clients to ensure they have the right video assets to engage their audiences. No matter your video goals, we have the tools and resources you need to bring your vision to life!
Contact us today to get started. If your school is a member of CIESC, reach out to explore how you can use your Media Services credits.
