Working remotely from our home offices is by no means a new concept. Many companies were allowing their employees to work remotely long before the COVID-19 pandemic struck and turned the world upside down. When the coronavirus hit, many scrambled to find a new means of completing their work, without being able to enter their office buildings or studios.
For the video production industry, the transition into full-time remote work presented some interesting challenges and required many production studios to invent a “new normal” for themselves. In video production, being able to access and share content on a daily basis is crucial. Remote production allows any team, no matter how geographically dispersed, to collaborate and contribute various aspects and skills on a project, all from using home-based equipment and online resources.
So, has remote production become the new normal? We will discuss why remote video content production is needed, as well as the various benefits it has brought to this industry.
Why Do We Need Remote Production?
With the increasing number of people working from home – many times in a different state or even country than their employer – the pressure for your company to allow working remotely has escalated. Working from home opportunities were once considered an added perk and has since become a necessary part of a company’s survival. Especially now, amid a global pandemic, most aren’t even considering finding a job that doesn’t allow work-from-home opportunities. Production companies are not immune to this, and they have also had to allow remote work for their team members, to both ensure their health and safety, while also meeting strict deadlines for client projects.
Further, with theatres needing to temporarily close their doors due to COVID-19, the need for streaming video content is at an all-time high, and remote video production was the only realistic way meet that demand.
Whatever the case, production crews have become dependent upon having the technology and workflow to continue creating high-res content and complete the final product entirely from a remote location.
Challenges, Benefits & Opportunities
Along with adjusting to remote work, production studios also needed to modify their team’s workflow. In the past, various projects may have gone at a slower pace, allowing added time for on-site shooting and setting up equipment. Today, we’re simply trying to meet the rapidly increasing demand for remote video content production, and as a result, collaborative workflow may need adjusting. This typically means moving content, projects and assignments around from various team members, which can be disruptive and cause delays. On the other hand, as less time is spent on transportation – whether to and from an on-site location or a daily commute to work – more time is available to adjust to new workflows and collaborate succinctly as a well-polished team.
Related Post: Benefits of Remote Video Production
Another benefit is obviously the cost of remote production compared to traditional video production. Rather than needing to purchase thousands of dollars’ worth of hardware and equipment, as well as the cost of renting a studio, one would simply need a humble laptop and a stable broadband internet connection in order to complete any given task from the comfort of their own home.
Production companies, media companies, broadcasters and more can all benefit from remote production. While COVID-19 may have catapulted the industry forward towards being almost entirely remote-based, with the increases of work-from-home opportunities and the growth of the Internet and technology, remote production would have become the norm sooner or later.
Sorrentino Media is a national, digital-first video production company headquartered in Manhattan, NYC. We specialize in short-form digital content and remote video content production. As a boutique production company, we provide exceptional service to our clients that large production studios simply cannot match. Learn more about our remote production services, and get in touch with us today to discuss your next project!