Filming a podcast in London is one thing. Flying out to Milan with a small crew, limited time and a packed schedule is another.
Last year, I travelled to Milan to film the second episode of Legends Corner, a podcast hosted by former England international footballer Sol Campbell. The guest for this episode was Inter Milan legend Christian Vieri, so there was a pretty good reason to make the most of the opportunity and capture more than just the conversation itself.
Now that the episode has gone live on YouTube, I can finally share a little more about what went on behind the scenes and how we approached the production.
The aim was for the episode to have more of a documentary feel rather than looking like a traditional studio podcast. That influenced the way we planned the shoot, from filming around Milan on the first day through to the multi-camera setup for the podcast itself.
A two-day podcast production in Milan
The production was a two-day shoot with a small crew consisting of myself as camera operator, producer Jonathan and second camera operator Reg Wantling.
Working with a small crew meant that everyone had to be organised and clear on what needed to be achieved. There wasn't much room for unnecessary equipment or wasted time, particularly as we were travelling internationally and had a lot to fit into two days.
The documentary approach also meant that the podcast wasn't going to be the only thing we filmed.
We wanted to capture some of the atmosphere of Milan and create footage that could help introduce the episode and give the audience a sense of place.
Day one: filming around Milan
Our first day was spent filming B-roll around Milan, which would be used at the beginning of the podcast.
This gave us the opportunity to capture some of the locations and atmosphere of the city before moving on to the main interview. It was important that this footage felt connected to the episode rather than simply being generic shots of Milan.
We also met with Sol Campbell to go through the filming schedule and make sure everyone was clear on the creative direction for the following day.
With such a tight schedule, planning was a big part of the production. Jonathan and I worked closely together to make sure we knew what we needed to capture and that everything could realistically be achieved within the time available.
When you're filming abroad, small delays can quickly become much bigger problems, so having a clear plan before the main filming day made a real difference.
Setting up the podcast at PLB Hub
On the second day, we headed to PLB Hub, Christian Vieri's esports and gaming location, to set up for the podcast.
The production used a three-camera setup. We had a wide shot covering the conversation, close-ups of each interviewee and an additional angle to give us more flexibility when it came to editing.
For a conversation like this, having multiple camera angles is particularly useful. It allows the editor to move naturally between Sol and Christian, change the pace of the conversation and remove sections without constantly cutting back to the same shot.
It also meant we could concentrate on the conversation during filming rather than worrying about whether we would have enough usable angles in the edit.
Making international production work
One of the practical considerations when filming a podcast abroad is the equipment.
Rather than travelling from London with every piece of production equipment we would need, we sourced a local kit rental company in Milan to provide lighting and some of the additional equipment.
This made the logistics considerably easier.
International video production can involve a lot of planning behind the scenes, particularly when you're working to a tight schedule. Travelling with less equipment meant less to transport and organise, while sourcing equipment locally gave us what we needed once we arrived.
It was a good example of why preparation for filming abroad isn't just about the filming itself. Knowing what equipment to take, what can be hired locally and what needs to be arranged in advance can make the whole production run much more smoothly.
Filming the podcast
Once everything was set up, we filmed the podcast in around two hours.
With a three-camera setup, lighting and all of the equipment in place, preparation was important. There wasn't time to be figuring things out once the recording had started.
The small crew worked well for this type of production. Everyone had a clear role, which allowed us to get the setup ready efficiently and concentrate on capturing the conversation.
Although the final video is centred around Sol and Christian's conversation, there was a lot of work that happened before they sat down in front of the cameras.
That's often the case with podcast video production. The filming itself may only take a couple of hours, but getting the right location, cameras, lighting, sound and schedule organised beforehand is what allows those two hours to run smoothly.
A race against the clock in central Milan
Once we'd finished filming the podcast, there was one more part of the production to complete.
We needed to head into central Milan to film Sol's introduction for the podcast series.
This ended up being one of the more challenging parts of the shoot.
We had a flight home later that evening, which meant there was very little room for delays. We needed to get into central Milan, find the right locations, capture the shots we needed and then make our way back to the airport.
It was one of those situations where good planning is important, but you also need to be able to adapt quickly.
We had to move efficiently, make decisions on location and avoid spending too much time trying to get something that wasn't going to work within the schedule.
Thankfully, everything went to plan.
We got the shots we needed, made our way back and managed to catch our flights home on time.
What goes into filming a podcast abroad?
This shoot was a good reminder that podcast filming isn't always about sitting in a studio and pressing record.
Sometimes the production involves travelling internationally, working with a small crew, sourcing equipment locally and fitting several different filming locations into a very short window.
For this project, the combination of documentary-style B-roll, a three-camera podcast setup and the additional filming around Milan gave the episode a much broader feel than a straightforward interview.
It also showed the importance of having an efficient production process when working internationally. With only two days available, every part of the schedule needed to work.
From organising the local equipment rental to planning the filming locations and making sure we could get to the airport on time, the production depended on everything happening when it was supposed to.
Podcast video production in London and beyond
Although I'm based in London and regularly work as a podcast videographer in London, projects like this are a great opportunity to take that experience further.
Whether it's a corporate podcast production in a London studio, a multi-camera podcast filming setup or a project that involves travelling abroad, the approach is ultimately the same: understand what the client wants to achieve, plan the production properly and make sure the filming delivers what is needed for the final edit.
The Legends Corner shoot was a particularly enjoyable example of that.
A small crew, two days in Milan, a three-camera podcast production, filming around the city and a flight home that evening made for a busy couple of days, but it all came together.
And with the episode now live, it's great to finally be able to share a little of what went on behind the scenes.