Obviously, Milan isn’t exactly down the road from Little Bird HQ, here in Cornwall, so it was decided that I’d fly from Bristol Airport. Now, I may sound like a bit of an anorak here, but I love airports – I enjoy the hustle and bustle, the excitement of knowing you’re about to jet off somewhere and the secret opportunity to indulge in some serious people-watching! So, I was looking forward to the journey. My only worry was the self-transfer I’d have to do at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam… But, I told myself, it simply meant I was going to enjoy a mooch around another airport on the way to my destination. What could go wrong?!
Look, I’ll level with you. Me. I am what could go wrong!
You see, I’m quite severely asthmatic and I’m not great at having to rush. I walk a lot – in fact, I love walking – but running is not a skill I have at my disposal.
The thing about flights is they are, like any form of travel, susceptible to delays. Indeed, it was a delay taking off from Bristol that meant I arrived in Amsterdam with 45 minutes in which to go through passport control, navigate security checks and find my departure gate. Very few of us probably look our best when travelling a long journey, but I am pretty certain that by the time I had negotiated the post-Brexit, seemingly mile-long passport queue, been stopped at security (having breezed through it at Bristol!) and discovered that my gate was literally at the other end of the airport, I looked like I had crawled out of a swamp…
I arrived in Milan at around 11pm and made my way to the apartment I’d be staying in. The location was fantastic – right next to a Metro station (ideal for getting to work in the morning), plus just a stone’s throw from a variety of shops, restaurants and, to cap it all off, a short walk from the stunning Duomo Cathedral. Despite being exhausted and more than a little frazzled, I couldn’t help standing out on my balcony and watching the city for a while!
Before I knew it, morning had arrived – and with it, enough rain to ensure I certainly wasn’t going to get homesick! After showering and scrambling into my “crew blacks,” it was time to head to the lobby to meet the rest of the (genuinely lovely) crew.
We were in Italy to film and edit footage from CPHI Milan, an international pharmaceutical event, featuring industry leaders from around the globe. My job was to edit interviews with some of the people exhibiting at the event, including B-roll as well as the interview footage itself, to create snappy, informative videos of around 5 minutes in length.
Thankfully, if navigating a self-transfer and solo-travelling across Europe was a completely new experience for me, this was much more familiar territory! Having worked with clients such as ArtUk, The Royal Institute of British Architects and The Ladies Association of British Barbershop Singers, editing interviews was well within my comfort zone and I quickly got used to the fast pace of work required for “on-the-day” editing. In fact, once I was “in the zone,” I found myself so deeply engrossed in what I was doing, that I was quite surprised when lunch time rolled around so quickly! And what a feast it was – the caterers did the most phenomenal job, providing us with pasta, salads, meat and fish dishes and an array of delicious desserts every day. I’m amazed I still fitted into my trousers by the time I left!
Everyone on the team – from our fabulous presenter, to the camera crew and my fellow editors – worked hard during the day to create fantastic video content for our clients. Then, in the evenings, we were free to explore the stunning city of Milan in all its glory!
We visited the beautiful Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II (the phrase “shopping mall” really doesn’t do it justice, but it’s the kind of place that makes you feel slightly self-conscious of the Florence & Fred jeggings you picked up at Tesco…), where you’ll find Prada, Fendi, Louis Vuitton and a number of other luxurious outlets. We posed for pictures outside the Duomo, because, well, when in Milan…
We also went on several late-night gelato trips, because when you’re working hard, you need ice cream at midnight!
After three busy days, full of video editing, pasta and adventure, it was time to head back home. I will spare you the tale of my self-transfer from Charles de Gaulle to Bristol, given that it was, if possible, even more stressful than the one from Amsterdam, but I arrived back on UK soil at around 11pm and headed to the motel I’d booked for the night, feeling as though I could sleep for a week, but very pleased that the trip had been so much fun!
I always say that I view video editing as something of a jigsaw puzzle. You sit down, with all the pieces in front of you, knowing roughly what you want the finished product to look like, but without a handy picture to follow. The picture, rather than being on the front of a box, is yours to create from scratch – that’s what makes it so much fun!
Video has so many fantastic uses. In this case, the interviews were used to showcase what each exhibitor had to offer within their business, as well as providing a snapshot of the overall event. But videos can do an enormous number of things – from giving potential visitors a behind-the-scenes look at your organisation, to introducing a new product or service. Video can entertain, inform and engage curiosity. it can encourage people to donate to a cause or even take up a new hobby. And of course, video is proven to stop people in their tracks on social media. In other words, if you want to be noticed – use video!
If you’re looking for a friendly, enthusiastic team to help you make the most of video, why not get in touch? You don’t have to promise us a trip to Milan – we’re just happy to do more of what we love!
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