Objective

To provide CAHNR departments, units, and programs with professional video services for use in promotional materials, such as websites, social media, digital marketing materials, and news stories. This SOP will serve to 1) confirm the responsibilities of the CAHNR Office of Communications and the CAHNR unit requesting services; 2) determine the scope of services to be provided; 3) establish the standard timeline for scheduling, coordinating, and executing the shoot, and for processing and delivering final video files; 4) provide recommendations for acceptability of subjects and locations to make video shoots as efficient as possible and ensure deliverables meet the standards of the CAHNR Office of Communications and the desired outcomes of the CAHNR unit requesting service.

Scope

This SOP applies to all video services provided by CAHNR’s Office of Communications. Video services provided by external agencies or individuals outside of CAHNR’s Office of Communications are out of the scope of this SOP.

Roles/Responsibilities

Requestor: The CAHNR individual/unit requests video services from the CAHNR Office of Communications using the online project request form. The Requestor serves as the point of contact for CAHNR’s Office of Communications and the CAHNR videographer to support all aspects of the video shoot (i.e., submitting the request for service, discussing desired outcomes, coordinating with members of the unit as needed for the shoot, etc.)

CAHNR Executive Director of Communications: The CAHNR Executive Director of Communications will assign appropriate projects to a CAHNR videographer. The CAHNR Executive Director of Communications will work with the Requestor and the CAHNR videographer to determine the scope and timeline of the project.

CAHNR Multimedia Specialist: The assigned CAHNR videographer and/or CAHNR Publicity/Marketing Coordinator will create a high-quality video to support the desired outcomes. The CAHNR videographer and/or the CAHNR Publicity/Marketing Coordinator will work with the Requestor on the logistics of organizing and executing the video shoot.

Timeline

The CAHNR Office of Communications will respond to a request for video services within three (3) business days upon receipt of the submission form. If resources will be provided, the CAHNR videographer will schedule the video shoot at a mutually agreed upon time that is acceptable to both the Requestor and the CAHNR Office of Communications. The timeline for delivery will depend on the desired outcomes, the scale of the project, and responsiveness of Requestor.

Subject/Location Preparation

As part of preparation for the video shoot, the Publicity/Marketing Coordinator will instruct the Requestor that locations/equipment/spaces to be filmed should be tidy, clean, and accessible to the CAHNR videographer. This includes ensuring that all EHS requirements are met during the shoot, even if the activities are staged. Individuals to be filmed should be available and willing to participate in the shoot. Their attire should be appropriate for the desired shoot (e.g. lab coats should be clean and pressed, only UConn logos should be worn, goggles, gloves, etc. should be worn if required by EHS for a given activity). If any of these requirements are not met, the videographer may be required to reschedule the shoot.

Permissions/Licenses:

Certain locations like private land or State/National Parks may require permission. It is the responsibility of the Requestor to ensure that the CAHNR videographer has permission to shoot in such locations, and/or connect the CAHNR Publicity/Marketing Coordinator with the appropriate parties to ensure permission is granted.

Use of the final video (or any portion thereof) in a location or for a purpose other than what was originally agreed upon by the Requestor and the CAHNR Office of Communications should be approved by the CAHNR Office of Communications. This will allow the Office of Communications to provide guidance on use for file format, accessibility, and target audience.

Deliverables

The CAHNR videographer will shoot professional video and will process/edit videos using professional editing software prior to delivery. The CAHNR Publicity/Marketing Coordinator will oversee delivery and back-up the final video files. The CAHNR videographer will notify the Requestor via email to deliver the final video, copying the Executive Director of Communications and the relevant program/department head.