How to: Film in Factories
The factory film is no longer an essential part of a Make Works listing, however it is hugely desirable as it:
helps people really get a sense of the factories and the processes at work
can help you create more accurate and interesting listings
encourages people to return to the website
provide you with content to promote your listings on social media
Many factories even use these videos on their own websites to promote themselves.
After the first few factory visits, you and the team will start to get into a rhythm of how best to work together in a factory. Somebody will naturally put the company at ease, another will be checking off photographs in their head. We try to keep a factory visit to two hours so as not to ask too much from factory owners.
Here are some hints and tips to get started:
Team and Tasks
The dream team for a factory is three people. You can work with more, you can get away with just two, but three means you can cover everything comfortably in two hours. We generally break it down as:
One person concentrates on capturing film footage
One person concentrates on photography
One person does the interview, takes notes and talks to the host, ensuring all the information required for a comprehensive listing is required
Having somebody for the host to focus on (this is sometimes the Manager, other times a marketing person) is particularly useful in a larger factory when you might be taken on a tour. This is because it frees up those filming or photographing from having to answer questions or be ‘hovered’ over. It can also be a brilliant way to find out more about projects the factory are working on, e.g. other machines they have and what they are interested in.
Be direct
While you are on site, don’t let yourself be shy: ask people to work on the machines; show you a process again; pull a piece of material off the shelf. There is nothing more frustrating than returning from a factory visit and realising that you didn’t quite get the shot(s) you needed.
Ask what you can and can’t photograph / film
Some factories will be wary of their competitors seeing too much, or have client contracts that mean they can’t disclose what they are making. You should always ask if there is anything that they'd rather you did not photograph or film before you begin.
Order of filming
If possible, we suggest filming the interview first. Whoever you are filming will be nervous, so we find that getting this out of the way early on means that they will relax and you will get more out of the rest of the filming. It is also a useful way to get more information about what processes and machines you need to capture, so that you can match it with the sound captured in the interview.
Right after the interview is a good time to make sure and get a representative's signature on the filming disclosure form. This means you can use the film footage and photographs of the factory taken during the visit online under the stated Creative Commons licence.
Sometimes, the company will ask if you would like to do a tour of the space first. This can be really useful to get an idea of the factory's layout and anything you'd like to photograph or film, and may inform any adjustments to your interview questions or questions you need to ask to complete the listing. It is worth taking your camera with you on a tour in case you don’t get the chance to go back and end up filming ‘on the go’.
The Outdoor Shot
We always leave the ‘outdoor shot’ until the end of a shoot. With this, we take a moving portrait of the company outside their front door or factory with as many members of the team that are able to join, which you can then lay the factory's details over. We started filming this shot to give viewers a human understanding of how big the factory is that you are showcasing.
Shooting the outdoor shot last works as a really good way to round up your team and gets you all outside ready to leave. If a shoot is going badly, or you don’t think the listing is a good fit, then 'should we get the outdoor shot now?' can also be a useful team code word to ‘get out’.
Doing the outdoor shot last also means that if your host has gone back to the office as you captured things on the factory floor, it is a good opportunity to let them know you are almost finished.
After capturing the final shots (don’t forget the portrait photo!) you can explain when you will next be in touch with the film edit and get on your way.
FAQ
What if we realise the company is not a good fit for Make Works while on site? It might be the moment you arrive, during an interview or something that is said on the factory floor: sometimes you get a feeling that the factory you are visiting are just not a good fit for Make Works. It’s part of why we insist on visiting manufacturers, so that we don’t send artists and designers to a place that don’t fit the listing criteria or is as open to working with others as they say they are. Some examples of things we have discovered while on factory visits:
The company don’t actually make work for others - only in their own style
The quality is lower than expected
Only part of the work is made locally - the rest is shipped in from overseas
You don’t trust that they will take the sorts of enquiries coming through Make Works
There are a number of ways you can explain to factories and makers you are not listing them, but it really comes down to communicating why you feel they are not a good fit. For example, if they would only get enquiries as a result of Make Works that would not be useful to their business. We’ve always tried to make sure any situations like this end amicably. Ultimately you are the curators of your region so it is your decision as to who is listed. Don’t feel obliged to list everyone that you visit, or get in touch.
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