EPISODE
59
Season 2, Episode 20: 12 Part Series - The Creative Process - Onsite Production
EPISODE LINKS.
SHOW NOTES.
Onsite Production: Step 7 of the 12-Step Creative Process (McFarland Minutes)
Natalie McFarland introduces McFarland Minutes and outlines episode topics, then covers step seven of the 12-step creative process: handling an onsite film shoot after problem ideation, goal determination, strategy, storyboarding, and logistics. She and Ryan emphasize preparing the night before by charging and organizing gear and building rigs when possible, then holding a production meeting (often at breakfast) to review the day’s storyboard, roles, audio/video settings, timing, addresses, and expectations, followed by smaller department check-ins. They stress quickly meeting and calming the client/talent, introducing the full crew, often filming B-roll before interviews, staying on brand and avoiding distractions, and using shot lists/storyboards to ensure nothing critical is missed. They argue a well-coordinated crew is essential for quality, and recommend celebrating a successful shoot day; next step is data management.
00:00 Welcome to McFarland Minutes
00:38 Step Seven Onsite Overview
01:47 Prep Night Before Gear
02:20 Coffee and Crew Energy
04:39 Production Meeting Gameplan
07:24 Meet Talent Build Trust
09:24 B-Roll First Then Interview
11:10 Stay On Brand On Track
13:18 Shot List Avoid Misses
17:35 Why a Full Crew Matters
22:15 Wrap Celebrate and Next Step
ABOUT THIS EPISODE.
Navigating the Creative Journey: Step 7 – Onsite Production
Welcome to McFarland Minutes, your soft launch to Monday, where we dive deep into the creative process behind the scenes at McFarland Productions. In this installment, we explore Step 7 in our 12-step creative process: onsite production. This is where all the meticulous pre-planning comes to life, bringing our stories to fruition with the hard work of our talented team.
The Importance of Onsite Preparation
Onsite production signals the culmination of preliminary efforts such as problem ideation, goal determination, strategy, storyboarding, and logistics. It’s essential to ensure meticulous preparation, which includes charging equipment, assembling gear, and critical team meetings.
Natalie McFarland emphasizes the importance of making sure all equipment is charged and packed the night before. The team needs to conduct a production meeting, typically around breakfast, to discuss daily storyboards, audio details, logistical notes, and crew roles.
Building Relationships and Setting the Stage
Ryan highlights the process of conducting mini-production meetings tailored to specific focus areas like camera operation and audio settings. These meetings help the team check off the intricacies of the storyboard to ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
A crucial part of the onsite experience is meeting clients and the talent. Establishing rapport and making them comfortable is imperative, as it influences the entire day’s shoot. The introduction sets the tone for a smooth production by fostering familiarity between the crew and talent.
Ensuring Smooth Execution
Once onsite, the team collaborates to make sure every shot aligns with the storyboard. Ryan and Natalie underscore the significance of maintaining focus and checking that all essential shots are captured. Avoiding distractions and ensuring the storyboard is fully realized helps convey a cohesive story.
Despite the potential challenges, onsite days are exhilarating. The collective experience of working together enhances the end product, making the production task feel like a well-rehearsed choreography. Natalie mentions the excitement of being part of a synchronized team where everyone plays their part in achieving a shared vision.
A Recipe for Success
Ryan draws an analogy between film production and a Michelin star kitchen, illustrating how teamwork and expertise from different areas culminate in a finely crafted product. The importance of not cutting corners with team size and having the right people involved is highlighted as crucial to the quality of the final production.
Celebrating Success
As the day wraps up, it’s vital to acknowledge and celebrate the team’s accomplishments. Ryan emphasizes the importance of ending the long, hard-working day by reflecting on successes over dinner, boosting team morale and fostering camaraderie.
Conclusion
The production team truly comes alive during these onsite experiences, creating not just films but cherished memories. As Natalie McFarland wraps up this episode, we look forward to Step 8, focusing on data management, where we ensure every element captured is safely organized and stored. Join us in our continued exploration of the creative process.
Thank you for being a part of McFarland Minutes. Stay tuned for more in-depth insights as we continue this creative journey.
IN THIS EPISODE.
Ryan Lee
Creative Content Manager, McFarland Productions
Starting as the Intern in 2023, Ryan is now the Post-Production Editor and has joined the team full time. His creativity and organization play a crucial role in quickly creating unique content all across the board, however with a core focus on video production. Ryan grew up in Gladstone, OR, where he spent time playing sports, on the water, and in the mountains. He attended Oregon State University where he got his Bachelors Degree in Digital Communication Arts. Although Oregon will always be his home, he spent previous years in Tennessee, and now lives in Connecticut. In his free time he enjoys cooking just as much as eating, and if you can do both outside, all is good in the world.
After spending time filming and editing countless events, sports, adventures and more, Ryan’s main action in the company is to organize, edit, and export content. Whether it’s 30 minutes and horizontal or 30 seconds and vertical, moving or still, he’ll take care of it.
ABOUT YOUR HOSTS.
NATALIE MCFARLAND
PRESIDENT, FOUNDER
MCFARLAND PRODUCTIONS
After freelancing her way through college, Natalie established McFarland Productions in 2014, which has continued to grow rapidly over the last few years. Her passion and focus have always remained the same; capturing, understanding, preserving and promoting Ranching, Farming, Western Lifestyle and AgriBusiness. She has always had a love for the western culture and even at a young age it was unmistakably clear she would someday find a career serving the industry.
Natalie grew up on a small ranch, rodeoed, showed horses in a variety of disciplines, showed livestock, and participated in 4H and Oregon High School Equestrian Teams. She has trained herding dogs and started colts, worked with sheep and cattle and has had the experience of racing to finish up a hayfield before a rainstorm hit. She understands the joys, sorrows, wins, losses and hard work of ranchers and farmers. That’s why McFarland Productions can produce authentic marketing campaigns for the businesses, organizations, events, and brands of the western and agriculture industry – it’s who she is.
With a passion for building community surrounding brands, Natalie focuses on building real connections between companies/brands and the people that make up their community. Telling the stories of your customers and making them apart of the brand’s story is her main focus. Creating real, human, meaningful connections and strengthening community within the western and agriculture industry through strategic marketing services.
SCOUT FOSTER
DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC STORYTELLING
MCFARLAND PRODUCTIONS
Scout’s faithfulness to the agriculture and western sports industry is rooted in tradition. Growing up in Central Florida, she stood by her family as they supported different sectors of the industry, including raising beef cattle, bucking bulls for local rodeos, and spending weekends with her grandparents who lived on Disney’s Wilderness Preserve.
Moving away from The Mouse, Scout graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Nation’s top agricultural communications college at Texas Tech University in 2022.
Now residing in Crockett, she and her husband, Lane, keep busy raising beef cattle and bucking bulls with her family. Scout also loves gardening, raising chickens, reading, and her two dogs: Rue and Dill.
