(To quickly summarise, the Cluster of Neuroscience is a group of scientific departments of the Medical University of Vienna, that come together to try and solve the many questions and theories we have about our very own brain. Everything from psychology to molecular neuroscience is a part of this grouping.)
This had me quite intrigued from the get go. In my personal experience, when it comes to medicine and biological studies and so on, it is still very traditional how this information is portrayed, even nowadays. I thought here was a chance to create something new, from a new angle, from an outsider’s perspective who has generally speaking not a clue what all the research and science really means. Here was an opportunity to make something unique and stand out, that in its own field could perhaps show the way forward in the digital and media age, when the medical scene has been so slow to adapt and remained traditional over the last few decades.
A few months go by, and we have the first few meetings regarding the film and what it should portray and which message it should convey. The briefing we received was that this film should raise interest for medical students looking to make the next step, motivate a new generation to keep being inspired by the brain and also to show off what incredible facilities the Medical University of Vienna possesses. We were hooked and already had our brains pumping out ideas. We go back and forth with both our contact within the university as well as the communications department of the university. It was quite clear to us early on that they wanted to stay in the pretty methodical and traditional lane they have used up until now, that I have already previously mentioned.
The team and I had a clear vision, even when we went back to the drawing board, that we were not really keen on abiding by these rules and that it would be best to take this fresh, new, modern approach to the film (especially if we wanted to inspire these students and promote the film to coming generations). We had been able to mostly agree on the contents of the film: establish the location, combine the past, present and future, show off the equipment and facilities as well as the diversity of the people working and researching there. However, when we presented both our music choices and also our voice over choices for the film, let’s just say the response was very sceptical and hesitant. We insisted that when everything was put together it would be worth it, but also agreed that both could be changed if they did not like it in the end.
In early 2022, we had been able to finalise and conceptualise a storyboard and a manuscript, and had our personal music and voice over choices in place. We wanted a warm, relaxed, inspiring and intriguing feeling to the film; therefore, we thought it would be best to shoot the whole project during the summer. In the next couple of months, leading up to the shoot, we made sure we had everything in place for our arrival in Vienna. Not just research and location wise, but also planning the shots, our accommodation and travel, and most importantly all the equipment we would need. As this was supposed to be a very free flowing film, we decided we would have no talking heads or interviews, keep it short and punchy, deliver information and inspire to take action. In a way it is a commercial combined with a promotional film. The equipment we chose to use for this shoot was carefully handpicked. Using Canon’s incredible new R5C, wrapped in a smallrig cage, we knew we would be able to get the shots we wanted. On top of that we had our trusty Zhiyun Crane 3S Pro gimbal built like a tank for all of our moving shots, Godox lights and our Zoom H6 for all of our ambient sound recording. A pretty simple but effective setup, which also shows that if you know what you’re doing you do not need a lot of equipment to make it work.
Once we arrived, we had a little bit more than a day to pick up our equipment and do a bit of on site scouting and just looking around in general. We then filmed for three and a half days straight. In 38 degrees Celsius. It was tough, but it was epic. Not only were we able to discover a new city and country, but also watch in awe of these incredibly smart and talented scientists using such sophisticated machines and microscopes. This is one of the big things I love within my profession. The ability to jump into different situations and see how other people work in their respective fields and learn so many things from them on the spot. After calling it a wrap and finishing up the physical shoot of the project and making sure we had all the footage we needed (and of course backing it up multiple times because you can never be sure enough), it was time to hand back the equipment, take in the city for one more day and then head back home.
Our next step was to sort through the footage, create a rough cut, add the music, voice over and SFX, do some minor VFX renders, colour grade, refine the rough cut and send away the first draft to the university. Sounds simple enough, right? Far from it. Weeks and weeks went into perfecting the film, with every frame and clip of the video having a specific place and reason for why it was used. Subtle, subtle changes were made every day until we got exactly what we wanted. After a few rounds of tweaks and revisions with the university itself, it is safe to say they were positively surprised with the outcome. They not only agreed with our creative choices but also deemed them to be exceptionally well thought-through.
In the end, all the time and effort and energy put into this production was worth it. With over a year of planning and researching and filming and editing, the project finally came to fruition. Given the circumstances throughout the production process, we are very happy with our efforts. We have been able to deliver and exceed what was agreed. As with every project we do, we had an internal evaluation of the production as well as the end result, and have taken with us extremely important lessons and what we can improve on the next we should embark on a similar creative adventure.