Director Approach: Benefits of making videos in the shop

When National Express, a company managing over 20,000 school buses and other passenger-moving assets, rolled out its new wheel fitment policy, management knew written standard operating procedures would not be enough: Video was also needed. This is the multimedia age, after all, and training has to adapt. And as Wayne Skinner, SVP of the company, puts it: “People used to say a picture’s worth 1,000 words, so a video must be worth 100,000 words.”

Those words have to be accurate, so when the company made its latest series of Tech Talk videos, it used the written guidance as the script.

“We basically took our wheel fitment SOP, which is extremely critical, and we filmed the technician,” Skinner said. The on-camera technician was also directed to work with his regional maintenance manager to walk through the process as instructed in the written document.

The step-by-step video instructed how to safely remove and inspect the wheel and the hub surfaces, along with the wheel studs and lug nuts. This was followed with visual demonstrations of how to clean and torque them, Skinner explained. Seeing how this is all done helps the techs retain the info,  he added: “You can read all that in a document, but to actually watch it on a video—that really makes it come to life in your mind.”

This creates accessible, digestible, and memorable training content, Skinner said. And this is just one example where a shop grabbing a camera and pressing record can help fast-forward the learning process.

Some companies invest in videos not only to train and educate, but also to help differentiate their brand.

Video is “really valuable across the board, from product training, to messaging, to creative output, to anything and everything,” said Mike Heath, marketing manager for Diesel Laptops. The company does videos with Melissa ‘The Diesel Queen’ Petersmann, who has almost 1.5 million followers on Instagram and TikTok alone. The company’s sometimes irreverant, meme-style approach on Instagram is a masterclass in getting doomscrollers to stop and watch.

“We just hope it grabs attention and keeps people tuned in to our message,” Heath said, “and so far it seems to be working well.”

Whatever the reason for getting behind the camera, you want to look at directing video the same as other technical jobs in the shop: assign the right people, gather the right tools, follow the best practices, and get creative if it’s not working out how you had planned.

“It’s always kind of an evolving process, especially with social media. What works today might not work tomorrow,” Heath explained. “It’s all about being original still and giving your customers what they want to see.”

And just because Hollywood now spends $300 million per blockbuster doesn’t mean you can’t get away with directing your indie shop films on an arthouse budget. Of course, you can invest in some additional gear as well, like lighting and tripods, but the main thing is that video can communicate how you want your maintenance team to operate in ways that paper instructions and sporadic classroom training cannot. Techs are able to see and hear exactly what they should be doing, and it’s always there as a reference. Plus, they can pause, slow down, and even rewind the lesson, which for managers is likely more preferable than repeating themselves several times.

If you have such filmmaking aspirations, you can use the following as a guide to ready your vehicle repair stars for their close-up.

The approaches to camera gear are all over the map, however. While some companies and creators opt for the professional look and feel of top-of-the-line investment cameras, others prefer the flexibility and convenience of simply using their phone, like Missy Albin, a technician with Taylor and Lloyd International who creates content on the job.

“I have a GoPro, but it’s too much work for me to seriously go and set up a computer and transfer [the footage] all over,” she pointed out. “It’s just really easy to use a phone.”

Howat added that Penske’s video team has also shot with a phone when necessary, and Gaffin used his phone to film until 2021, when he switched to a GoPro.

Audio and lighting equipment are also essential for more polished, professional-looking video content, and as Bendix’s Day emphasized, can be “the hardest things to master.”

When it comes to sound quality, a good microphone system will “get you 99% of the way there,” according to Heath. “The best thing you can do is to invest in a wireless lavalier mic system,” he added, recommending brands like Deity, Hollyland, and DJI.

One thing to keep in mind is that a shop environment isn’t exactly a quiet place most of the time, with loud diesel engines and power tools echoing throughout the hollow, concrete bay. One solution is simply not to worry about the audio in the moment.

“You can sidestep a lot of [audio issues] if you do a voiceover narration,” which can be added in later during editing, Howat explained. Just make sure to record that in a room that doesn’t echo. Thick blankets and curtains are cheap ways to muffle that problem.

In regards to lighting, natural daylight is always ideal to shoot in, according to Regis Rock, sr. manager of training at National Express.

Heath agreed, touting that lighting isn’t much of a concern for Diesel Laptops, as the team shoots most of their video content in a shop with a double garage door that lets around “40 feet of natural light in the building,” which is ideal for filming.

But if natural light isn’t an option, Heath recommends an Amaran and Aputure lantern or LED lighting setups. Even lights that might already be lying around the shop can work, like the Milwaukee Tool M18 Magnetic Extendable Boom Light.

Albin has a more readily available solution in her guerrilla-style production process.
“I use flashlights for light, and will point them around my work to record while using the flash on the phone,” she illustrated. “That will help remove shadows in dark areas.”