Would you know what to do if there was a fire at the building you work in? What about in the event of a tornado, earthquake or even an active shooter? Unfortunately, many people in the workplace are uninformed about how to handle emergencies, and until the situation arises, the topic is often ignored. That’s why Lou Bopp, a St. Louis and NYC-based photographer and director, was recently commissioned by Brandywine Realty Trust to direct a series of at least four educational safety videos. It covered topics like unexpected weather emergencies, high rise fires, earthquakes, tornadoes and active shooters.
In the videos, risk manager Kirsten Shawn asks real tenants in Central Philadelphia Brandywine buildings the question, “what would you do?”
Prior to meeting with the client, Lou was unsure whether emergency safety videos were the type of project appropriate for his style. He wanted to avoid making a dry piece that lacked an emotional component. Luckily, after meeting with Kirsten and discussing options, Lou realized they were on the same page and he was 100 percent on-board to direct the series.
It was a great collaborative effort, one of the best. We had the same goal in mind. We want their tenants to watch these videos, and we wanted to create a platform for them to learn and to be entertained at the same time. The information can literally be a life saver.
After discussing options with Kirsten, Lou based his treatment for the videos on engaging unsuspecting people in a Brandywine Realty lobby and asking them building-related safety questions. Lou knew immediately that Kirsten would make a perfect host:
I wanted to let Kirsten be herself, within the context. She blended humor with her serious side, took chances, hit social cues, played to the camera and to the interviewees, etc. She also knows this topic like no one else, she did great!
Lou’s experience as a still photographer allowed him to add more depth to the production.
I see motion frames as I would shooting stills. I love composition, clean and uncluttered backgrounds, perspective, lines, nuances of light and mood. I put a lot of emphasis on directing the edit as well, which is vitally important. Ultimately, I am responsible for sharing my view with the audience.
When it came to production, Lou says everything went super smoothly thanks to comprehensive prepro, great crew and a terrific concept. Lou also worked with Jess Dudley, one of our executive producers, to produce the shoot while he handled the directing. In the end, Lou said the videos have been recieved well, and people seem to enjoy them “since there is entertainment and humor wrapped into such a serious subject matter.”
Lou learned a lot through the process (I bet he could handle any building emergency situation you put him in now!) and was happy with how the whole project turned out.
It validated the notion that if you trust yourself, do all of your research and homework, surround yourself with the best people, things tend to go your way.