Commercial Videography at NRF Headquarters in Washington, DC
This week I spent a half day filming inside the National Retail Federation's headquarters in Washington, DC. NRF is a client of Jason Dixson Photography, and Jason Dixson Photography contracted me as a videographer to run cameras on a holiday webinar episode NRF produces for its audience.
What NRF Does
The National Retail Federation is the world's largest retail trade association. It represents retailers of every size and type, from department stores and grocery chains to restaurants, online brands and independent shops, and it's one of the biggest voices for the retail industry in Washington. Founded in 1911, NRF publishes research, tracks retail sales, advocates on policy and puts out a steady stream of content for its members. Its headquarters sits right in downtown DC.
An In-House Studio Built for Content
Inside the HQ, NRF has a beautiful studio. Their team uses it for podcasts, Zoom calls, webinars and just about everything else they put out. They have their own lights, teleprompter, wireless mics and a staff videographer, so most days they run it themselves.
For certain projects they bring in an outside production company, which can add cinema cameras, extra operators and production experience on top of what's already in the room. For this one, NRF brought in Jason Dixson Photography, and I was on their crew as a contracted videographer.
The Shoot: A Half Day in the Studio
We filmed for a half day. The episode had two presenters, each delivering a segment straight to camera, followed by a reset into a seated two-person conversation. That meant planning a medium shot and a wide for each solo segment, then reworking the whole setup for a conversation with a wide and a single on each person.
Cinema Cameras and a Teleprompter
I brought out the Canon C70 and the Canon C400 as the main cameras. Both give you clean, high-quality footage with plenty of room to work with in the edit, which is a big reason a team with its own studio brings in outside cameras for its bigger pieces.
The presenters read from the studio's teleprompter, and we synced our camera setup with it so their eye line landed right where it needed to be. On screen, it reads like they're talking directly to you.
Working Our Gear Into Their Studio
We used the studio's existing lighting and built around what was already there. Our equipment worked in with theirs seamlessly, and we were able to help their team with their own cameras and their audio needs too. When you come into someone else's space, that's a big part of the job: fit into their setup, make it better and don't slow anybody down.
Why We Recorded Audio Externally
NRF's original plan was to record audio straight into the camera. That can work, but it puts all of your audio in one place. If a cable gets bumped, a level gets set wrong or a card has an issue, there's no backup, and on a talking piece, bad audio means the take is gone.
I recommended recording audio externally instead, and the team went with it. It's a small change on the day that takes a lot of risk off the table.
Timecode Makes Raw Media Delivery Easy
We synced the cameras and the external audio through timecode. This job was a raw media delivery, meaning the footage goes back to NRF and their team handles the edit. With everything on matching timecode, their editor can drop the files in and line up every angle and the audio in seconds instead of syncing clips by hand.
Need a Videographer on Your Crew?
A lot of my work comes from production companies and photographers who need a dependable videographer to round out their crew. When a job calls for cinema cameras, a second operator or someone to handle audio and sync, that's where I come in. If you're a production company or photographer with a shoot coming up in DC, Northern Virginia or Maryland, reach out to C King Media and let's talk through it.