Concepts’ “Class Trip” to QVC
Class trip! YES! I used to love these days back in high school. For some reason, the sun was always shining for a class trip. With excitement in the air (No school! We’re going somewhere new! We’re getting outta here!), everyone loaded into the caravan and hit the road!
With snacks in tow, good tunes on the radio, and lots of fun conversation, yesterday’s office adventure was reminiscent of a class trip. And the destination for Concepts’ Class of 2015 was none other than QVC
Collette Liantonio, our fearless leader, orchestrated a special VIP tour for our staff of the QVC studio. It was a wonderful learning experience to see how other production facilities operate.
Many of us marveled at the calm atmosphere on set and attributed some of it to the minimalistic crew. With robotic cameras, the ‚“cameraman” was essentially the control room. Overall, the entire operation seemed minimalistic seemed being the operative word. In reality, it was a well-oiled, high-tech machine. With 24/7 live airings, modern sets relied on simple d√©cor with minor adjustments, like changing the color of the couch pillows for seasonality. Lights were already in place and multiple sets allowed for seamless transitions.
The prop room was impressive - wall to ceiling organization with two of every product labeled and ready to go. (It was enough to make a neat freak like me super giddy.) The hosts were well trained and relied on research and memory, opting for adlibbed sales pitches versus canned teleprompter scripts.
Pre-production, production, and post-production were all around the clock. In the control room, everyone knew everyone else’s jobs, so the show could always go on. They also switched positions mid-shift to avoid fatigue. During bad weather, they put employees up at nearby hotels and had two monster backup generators if ever there were a power outage.
Meanwhile, product feedback was instantaneous. With moment to moment updates, everyone knew exactly how well a product was selling, enabling hosts to adjust their pitches as necessary.
In general, the word efficient came to mind. And, although I jest about the class trip, I’m one of those people who truly love to learn, so I’d say this trip was ahead of the class. Thanks QVC!
