Well THAT was Different

[Loupey]

Wrapped up a marketing/advertising video shoot for a company which makes, hosts, and coordinates business teleconferencing equipment.

The crew shot us at our location in the morning and the reaction shots of the other two locations off the video screen. After lunch, the crew drove nearly 2 hours to one of the other telepresence suite locations so that they could film them and our reaction to them but through the video conference feed.

Never been directed remotely before. It was surreal in that, after a while, we began to forget that the actors at the other two locations weren't actually in the same room with us. They are projected onto the screens at life-size. In the future, I'm sure that they will be able to use holographic images instead - how cool would that be?!

I didn't have my camera during the morning when the crew was actually in the same room with us. But after lunch, I went and got my old 10D with the 24-85mm kit lens out of the car and shot these.

Image #1 - studying the script during lunch while waiting for the crew to arrive at the other set

Images #2 & #3 - fellow actors clowning around to pass the time

Image #4 - our view from our suite including the "overseer" who actually coordinated who we were seeing, and in what part of the screen, and when

Image #5 - director and producer directing us through the wall for reaction shots from there


Thanks for looking.

[Old Timer]

That is so cool. Thanks for sharing this experience with us. I have participated in a few two and three way video conferences but certainly never any thing this high tech.

[Frog]

Ah, we had all that in sci-fi films when I was a kid and past a kid now that I think of it.

[Loupey]

OT, Frog - thanks for looking.

One unnerving aspect was that although we/they could not always see each other, the microphones spread throughout the two rooms we were in were always on. So every once in a while, the other locations would chime into our conversation without us being aware that there were listening and/or watching (and never knew when the cameras in the room were active).

I'm sure that the nerve center of this facility, which looked like a cross between Wall Street and NORAD with all the computer monitors and technicians, was watching everyone the entire time.

Big Brother meets Star Trek.

[Speed]

You're right.

THAT was Different!

:-D