Lights, Camera, Adventure: 3 Unique Locations We’ve Filmed
Part of the fun of being a video production company isn’t just what we shoot, but where we shoot.
Depending on the client or what needs to be captured, the location of a shoot might end up being a very striking experience for our camera crew. On various shoots, our crew has seen extraordinary foreign architecture, iconic sets familiar from TV, and towering worksites that are usually inaccessible to the public. Here’s some of our favorite locations we’ve filmed in over the years:
1. Buddhist Temple in Osaka, Japan
We shot here during a very warm summer. Osaka temps were in the 90’s and humid. The steps up to the temple are many, which made for a difficult journey with our small camera crew, equipped with camera, tripod, and batteries.
The payoff was worth the pain though, given the opportunity to photograph this beautiful religious site. What started as a physically exhausting workday far from home, turned into an immersive cultural experience that we couldn’t wait to capture on camera.
2. Behind-the-Scenes of Shameless
For a decade, one of the most recognizable Chicago locations on TV was a fictional family’s South Side home. Showtime’s longest running scripted show, Shameless immortalized various real Chicago houses just in short exterior shots. Fans frequently track down the Shameless house just to see it in person.
Shooting behind-the-scenes on Shameless was more than just a drive-by photo of the outside of a house. It felt like being with the actual Gallagher family. The set was relaxed, and everyone seemed coordinated in both their roles and the production process.
It was great to see DP Rodney Charters coordinate the camera department and watch the IATSE crew at work.
Our EPK camera crew always had to be “at the ready” to shoot actors like William Macy as they became available to us at a moment’s notice. We shot mostly handheld b-roll with an on-camera LED to provide some fill, using the sun to our advantage.
3. Nuclear Generating Station in Byron, IL
Any work in an industrial worksite has many additional security and safety procedures that are applied to all activities. For a nuclear facility, that goes far beyond name-badges and hardhats. We worked with TV Tokyo to film a documentary centered on nuclear power, pre-Fukushima.
Upon entrance, all the crew’s gear was examined by security, and baseline tests for radioactivity were performed that were compared to identical tests on the way out. This was true for personnel as well as the gear. We had both a safety and public relations escort who provided us with a guided tour of the plant. We were able to get some great shots of the reactor pool with active piles being moved.
These extensive safety and security protocols just served as a reminder that we were able to enter a location that—for very good reason—does not provide educational tours to visitors. Seeing the power plant up close in person was quite remarkable. The scale of the pipes, structure and control technology were very impressive and made for interesting video. We shot the reporter’s standup right in front of the reactor pool. We were able to pull it off in record time and we got out of there no more radioactive than when we entered!
In video production, each project is a chance to tell another story. We love exploring these unforgettable locations and seeing each one bring its own unique narrative to life. As our cameras roll, we're reminded that the journey to create compelling content is just as thrilling as the end result itself.
Production Craft, Inc. is a video production company based in Chicago, serving markets worldwide.
We are proud to be a Women Business Enterprise (WBE) certified by the State of Illinois Business Enterprise Program (BEP) and the National Women Business Owners Corporation (NWBOC).
