Universal Belting Resource & IBT

While the early morning snow delayed the flight departure, the IBT Media crew prepared for their quick-in/quick out visit to the Universal Belting Resource (UBR) facility in Carmichaels, Pennsylvania – south of Pittsburgh.

The assignment was to capture just the right footage of the processes that the company uses to fabricate a full range of lightweight belting for industry. UBR’s General Manager Vernon Smith and his team in Carmichaels had provided ample orientation material for the IBT Media crew, so they were well-prepared and knew what to anticipate on location.

In addition, working in the video production world, this crew was experienced at responding to unusual situations, solving problems on the fly and using skilled editing to make it all work. All their tools would help pull the project together into dramatic and meaningful form after the actual photography was completed.

Arriving at the UBR plant, the crew enjoyed a quick walk through, a working lunch and then set about calculating lighting strategies, figuring angles, selecting specific set-ups and shots and visualizing the best way to tell “the UBR story” with maximum effectiveness and minimum inefficiency.

One factor that worked very much in their favor was the extreme cleanliness and great internal lighting of the location. The levels of experience, knowledge and cooperation of the UBR team were an added bonus.

Getting an early start the next morning and returning to the UBR plant, they filled in the mandatory shots of the belt making process and then had plenty of time to get creative.

Creativity took the form of finding points of view in the mezzanines, using factory equipment to get unusual angles, and, finally, improvising a crab dolly to wheel the camera gear around the plant, yielding footage to use for intercuts, so as to add additional interest and variety to the final version.

Returning home, they chose the best shots, used the right words, added professional voice talent and carefully selected the music that would help add interest and urgency to the finished product.

Then they tightened up all the factors, finished the editing process – and turned UBR loose with a new tool.

Early feedback from the client – and from the client’s targeted prospects – indicates that the outcome of the process has exceeded initial expectations. The video is helping the client communicate with the marketplace and letting people know just how dedicated, professional and qualified UBR is as a lightweight belting supplier.

The process used to prepare the UBR video can work for any location, any process, any product, any company. If you’d like to learn more about our video production process, let us know.