Beatriz Montalvo de CNNE
According to Beatriz Montalvo, Creative Director, and Brand Strategy at CNN en Español, creating a “set inside anchors´ private spaces or wherever it is they are quarantining, in order to broadcast their respective programs, has been a challenge.”
“Creating an atmosphere at home that is attractive, without being distracting, subtle without being boring, and yet continues to reflect the CNN brand has been quite a challenge,” she comments and adds that there are many factors that play a role in this process: from connectivity (Internet) to the positioning of the windows in their homes.
Another thing is the space. “we try to find depth in the shot by using unusual camera positions; for example, placing the phone or laptop camera on top of books or boxes to remove the frame of a door that appears to transverse the subjects’ head or maybe to place less emphasis on a neck area,” she detailed.
She adds that lighting is key. “We always start with covering the windows of the room with blackout fabric to eliminate the light. This brings about a whole new set of challenges, since we now must start from scratch and strategically place lights using standard electrical availability and without the input of the lighting director. Most of the time, we solve the issue with a mix of residential lamps, makeup lights, and semi-professional kits that, when brought together and placed throughout the space, solve the problem,” she comments.
The audio issue has also been a difficult point. “We have solved the noise issue with very creative solutions: from placing heavy blankets and pillows on the floor around the talent, on the windows and on the door frames, to asking the other inhabitants of the house to go out for a family walk while the show is on the air,” she expressed.
