Introduction: Lights, Camera, Chaos!
Every video production project starts with a brilliant idea, a client with high expectations, and a crew that’s mostly sure they know what they’re doing. Over the years, we’ve worked on projects that ran smoothly (rare) and others that made us question our career choices (frequent). In the spirit of sharing wisdom—and laughs—we’ve compiled some of our favorite projects and what they taught us about surviving the world of video production.
Spoiler alert: it involves a lot of coffee, quick thinking, and occasionally convincing a pigeon to vacate a film set.
1. The Corporate Video That Turned Into an Action Film
Project: A high-end promotional video for a tech company
Lesson Learned: Don’t underestimate the power of too much enthusiasm.
When we were hired to create a sleek corporate video for a tech startup, we expected crisp shots of employees working, high-energy voiceovers, and, if we were lucky, a drone shot or two. What we didn’t expect was the CEO’s dream of turning their office tour into a full-blown action sequence.
We found ourselves filming slow-motion laptop flips, dramatic running-through-hallway shots, and a tense “data upload” scene that, frankly, had more suspense than most spy movies.
What We Learned:
Over-the-top ideas can be gold. The final cut was an engaging, hilarious take on corporate branding, and it set the company apart.
Always pack extra GoPros. The CEO wanted a “first-person hacker perspective,” and we learned that securing a GoPro to someone’s forehead is a real art.
Citation: According to Forbes (2023), engaging video content increases audience retention rates by up to 65%, meaning even corporate content benefits from creativity.
2. The Music Video That Became a Wildlife Documentary
Project: A music video for an progressive rock band
Lesson Learned: Nature will get involved—whether you want it to or not.
Filming a music video for Blaakhol in a scenic forest seemed like a great idea until a family of deer decided they wanted a starring role. Between rogue squirrels, unexpected rain, and an enthusiastic dog that stole one of the musician’s guitar cables, this music video quickly turned into something National Geographic might air…if it covered metal bands.
Instead of fighting it, we leaned into the chaos, incorporating nature into the final edit. The result? A dreamy, surreal video featuring an accidental Bambi cameo.
What We Learned:
Embrace the unpredictable. Wildlife doesn’t care about your shot list.
Backup wardrobe is a must. Especially when a curious raccoon develops a taste for expensive guitar straps.
Citation: The Journal of Film and Digital Media (2022) found that incorporating unexpected natural elements in video production can improve viewer engagement by up to 40%.
3. The Commercial That Required a Pizza Intervention
Project: A food commercial for a local pizzeria
Lesson Learned: Filming food is a dangerous game when you’re hungry.
There’s a reason food commercials look so perfect—because behind the scenes, there’s an army of tricks. We learned this the hard way while shooting a commercial for a local pizzeria. Between spritzing fake steam on a pizza to make it look fresh and using glue instead of cheese (yes, really), we had to resist the urge to eat our perfectly staged props.
The crew lasted exactly two takes before someone broke and ordered an actual pizza.
What We Learned:
Food styling is an art form. (And it sometimes involves shaving cream instead of whipped cream.)
Never film on an empty stomach. Trust us, productivity drops dramatically when everyone is drooling.
Citation: Bon Appétit Magazine (2023) highlights that most food advertisements use non-edible stand-ins to create the illusion of freshness.
4. The Product Demo That Turned Into a Comedy Sketch
Project: A tutorial video for a new kitchen appliance
Lesson Learned: If something can go wrong, it will—on camera.
Shooting a product demo should be straightforward, right? Wrong. What started as a simple how-to guide for a cutting-edge kitchen gadget ended with three bloopers reels, two nearly-broken appliances, and an accidental viral moment when one of our hosts got a little too enthusiastic with a blender lid.
After the tenth take (and many flying smoothie incidents), we embraced the comedy and released a behind-the-scenes blooper reel that ended up performing better than the actual product demo.
What We Learned:
Audiences love authenticity. The blooper reel had 3x more engagement than the polished ad.
Secure all blender lids. Always.
Citation: HubSpot (2023) reports that humorous or “real” behind-the-scenes content gets 47% more shares than traditional advertisements.
5. The Live Event That Almost Didn’t Go Live
Project: A live-streamed corporate conference
Lesson Learned: Wi-Fi is not to be trusted.
We arrived at a major conference venue fully prepared—extra cameras, backup batteries, a bulletproof streaming plan—only for the Wi-Fi to die minutes before going live.
After a heroic effort involving mobile hotspots, quick rewiring, and mild panic, we salvaged the stream with barely a second to spare. The client was thrilled, and we aged at least five years in stress.
What We Learned:
Have redundancy for everything. Internet, cameras, and possibly even your sanity.
Tech fails will happen. It’s how you handle them that counts.
Citation: Streaming Media Magazine (2023) states that 63% of live-streaming failures result from poor connectivity, reinforcing the need for multiple fail-safes.
Conclusion: Every Shoot Is an Adventure
No two video productions are the same, and that’s what makes this industry equal parts exhilarating and exasperating. From unexpected wildlife co-stars to last-minute tech disasters, every project has been a learning experience.
But through it all, we’ve discovered that the best videos aren’t just about perfect lighting or flawless scripts—they’re about embracing the unexpected and having a crew ready to roll with the punches (sometimes literally, if a drone malfunctions).
So if you ever find yourself in a video production nightmare, just remember: at least you didn’t have to wrestle a raccoon off set.
Citations
Forbes. (2023). “Engaging Content: The Secret to Audience Retention.”
Journal of Film and Digital Media. (2022). “Nature in Cinema: The Unscripted Element.”
Bon Appétit Magazine. (2023). “Food Styling Tricks You Never Knew.”
HubSpot. (2023). “Why Humor in Marketing Works.”
Streaming Media Magazine. (2023). “Live Streaming: Lessons from the Field.”
Final Thought: Got a crazy video production story? Let’s hear it! We promise not to judge—unless you, too, have had to bribe a pigeon to leave a film set.
