Sandy beaches and social media: Communicating brand value through images

Filming during the pandemic

Due to the ongoing pandemic, it was necessary to request special permission to film on this particular beach. Story Productions navigated the authorisation process on behalf of AlgaeCal.

We then coordinated shoot dates and timings with the client around tide charts to optimize the natural light and water levels and capture the best possible footage.

One week before production, our fixer visited the site to scout out the area before the shoot. This allowed our crew to adjust their gear list and bring along those items that could help the production go smoothly—such as a cart with special wheels for hauling gear across the sand and umbrellas to shield the crew and cameras from the sun. The crew then arrived a day ahead of the shoot to check everything was in order, ready to start filming early the next day.

On the day of the shoot, Mother Nature lent a helping hand and ensured there was enough algae washed up on shore to capture the manual harvesting process on camera. We generally provide a detailed meteorological forecast on exterior shoots, and the weather was – as expected – perfect allowing the crew to wrap up the video shoot as well as the stills shoot a half day quicker than the anticipated 2-day shoot schedule.

Knowing that there would be few hands available to haul gear across the sand dunes and shoot on the beach meant the Story crew had to plan on bringing just the essential pieces of equipment to meet the brief.

The smaller, more practical Sony 7s2 camera helped keep the gear light for the trek across the sand, while also providing mobility in camera angles and tracking without compromising the quality of the image.

The needs and dynamics of creating video versus still footage are completely different—the teams, the equipment, and the work dynamics make it impossible to function in the same space at the same time and achieve optimal results for both. We have found dividing the schedule into dedicated slots for each to be the best solution.

Additionally, having a camera operator that excels in both—video and still shots—meant smooth transitions between the two work styles and excellent material for both.

Story Productions delivers the highest production standards, offering everything from pre- to post-production, live streaming services and location shoots.

Contact us today to start your next project with us.