Why Behind The Scenes Video Shoots Are Unique

I love shooting “Behind The Scenes” video projects. These stills are from a fitness apparel photo shoot, they hired me to the shoot video and pull together multiple advertising campaigns.

One very cool thing about shooting Behind The Scenes videos is you get to witness other creative professionals in action, executing their craft.

But what I love most… I have to completely forfeit all control over the shoot. I’m not an active participant in directing, instructing or facilitating anything at all that would help me get the shots I need.

For shoots like this, I’m a spectator… Which means, I have to wait for it to come to me. Be patient, be present, have a sharp eye to see those moments of magic… and then capture them.

Shooting this way serves as an important reminder. You can shoot with state of the art cameras & lenses, have the perfect lighting set up, or even be in the most picturesque setting… but really great cinematography, that inspires, connects with an audience and truly tells a story… often begins with taking a step back, rather than forward. And then… being able to recognize those moments when something visceral is happening.

Having this perspective and viewing things through this type of “lens” (pun intended), has given me a much better appreciation for my craft and I’m grateful to be a much better cinematographer because of it