Interview with Max & Bob Ponzen - GiG drinks

In May, I teamed up with Business-Channel, a platform that frequently interviews professionals, founders, and CEOs who share their stories and insights about business, marketing, motivation, and more.

I was in charge of video production. On set, we encountered a significant issue related to the shoot location.

THE ROOM WAS TO SMALL

THE PROBLEM OF FILMING IN A SMALL ROOM

To set the stage (no pun intended), let me explain the "problem." No room is too small to film in, but it definitely affects how your footage looks. In my case, the issue was a lack of depth in the frame. Without enough depth, you can't really separate the background from the subject because there's not much space between them, like the walls.

It's an issue that can't be solved just by lowering the aperture. I filmed with a Canon EOS RP and a Canon RF 24-105mm f/4.0 lens, which doesn’t create much depth of field.

SO HOW DO YOU FILM IN A SMALL ROOM?

My main tip to overcome this issue and get as much depth as possible is to film diagonally in the room, especially if there’s furniture you can’t move around. What I mean is, the room I filmed in was small and square-shaped. To make the most of it, I positioned my camera near one corner and my subjects towards the opposite corner. I’ll include a visual representation below.

Positioning the setup like this not only ensured a well-lit interview but also prevented a flat background. If you film a subject sitting straight in front of a wall with little distance between them, it bluntly shows the lack of depth. Filming diagonally provides some extra depth and avoids a flat wall behind the subject. See the frame below for reference.

Here you can see what it looks like when you use this method.

CONCLUSION

You’re not always in control of the set or location you’ll be filming in. Sometimes, you come across a spot that isn’t ideal from the start, but that doesn’t mean it’s all doom for your production. I believe using this method can help you get the most out of small rooms, whether for yourself or your clients.

If you want to see what the full interview looks like, make sure to click here