Point of view: your kids are running around the house, you smell the food getting prepared in the kitchen, the dog is at your feet begging for attention… and you? You are laying down on the couch in your jogging, with your headphones and mic on while simultaneously coordinating the production of the talkshow of that night, delegating as much responsibilities as possible, being the driving creative force, and making sure the production goes to plan.
Sounds familiar? ? While this might sound as a risky and chaotic nightmare, remote production has actually quite some perks to it and might come in handy to save time and costs! Ironically, remote production can bring in even less stress, according to Mathieu Dams. The pandemic obliged us all to work in a more structured way, often from the comfort of our own homes. Therefore, we listed up 4 remote production tips & tricks that are key to efficiently and with satisfaction working on your television show and having dinner with the family immediately after. We’re in this together!
1. Environment is key
It’s important to have your own space at home where you can focus on your work without being bothered by your family members’ activities. Being in the comfort of your own home won’t reduce stress levels if you don’t actually feel comfortable and in control.
2. Equipment is key
You don’t want to worry about the quality of your mic or your internet connection right before or during the show. You need that time and headspace for bigger priorities. Make sure all your gear is in good shape and state so you can scratch at least some issues from the worry-list already! Invest in some good quality monitors, an ergonomic office chair and a good desk set up for your home office, to create the best possible work environment.
3. Anticipation is key
So the hard thing about remote production is the velocity of things happening. You’re not sitting around the same table to quickly help each other out, ask questions or make last minute adaptations. Therefore, it is important to anticipate as much as possible to what can go wrong and what should be changed by talking things through in advance.
4. Communication is key
You have to make sure that you’re connected at all times and that you’re instantly to each other’s service. Besides TinkerList as the main online environment for team collaboration on script writing, rundown creation and media management to keep in sync with the latest updates, there’s plenty of ways to stay in touch quickly and easily. Tools such as Slack, Discord, Notion, Zoom or just a Whatsapp text can provide you the right platform to convey the right message to the right people in time.
Even though it must be nicer to celebrate and discuss the show with your colleagues afterwards in real life, there’s also joy in going from one extreme into the other. One moment you taped a liveshow for national television and the next, you take off your headphones, walk down the stairs, and peacefully have dinner with the family. Let’s embrace this new way of working and enjoy its perks! ?