Hello everyone,
It’s been 6 years since I started working in the world of video production, photography, and other creative fields. Over the years, I’ve gone from creating simple social media posts, to filming weddings and music videos, to working on international advertising campaigns.
The one area I’ve always hesitated to get involved in is politics. Politics is often a sensitive subject, stirring up divided opinions in society. From a financial standpoint, these projects can be attractive for creatives, but they also come with the risk of being criticized for earning supposedly excessive fees. Another potential risk is that by collaborating with a particular politician or political party, you might be perceived as aligning with a specific political stance.
However, life sometimes requires us to step into the unknown and try new things, even when they feel uncomfortable. Thanks to my work with an advertising agency, I was given the opportunity to be part of a campaign for the Czech Senate elections. In this project, I was responsible for most of the production process – from filming campaign ads, to creating graphics for billboards and newspapers, and even photographing parts of the campaign. That’s why I’ve decided to share my experiences and methods here, so that even those of you who aren’t familiar with this field can gain some insight into how a political campaign is created.
How Did I Get Involved in the Campaign?
As we say in the Czech Republic: “I stumbled into it like a blind man with a violin.” About two days before it was confirmed that the agency I work for would be handling this campaign, we were filming an aftermovie for a music festival we attend every year. Since I had been working with the agency only as a freelancer over the past year to have more time for my own projects, I didn’t expect to be involved in this campaign long-term. As we were leaving the shoot, I was informed that the person originally responsible for the initial filming of the campaign wouldn’t be able to make it, so we needed to find a replacement. Caught up in the excitement from the shoot, I volunteered to film the campaign’s opening video.
Once I got home, my thoughts settled, and I realized I was jumping into completely unfamiliar territory. I spent the entire next day studying political videos to understand how the market operates and how others approach this type of work (there’s nothing better than drawing inspiration from what works). At that point, I still didn’t know how the campaign would unfold or how significant my role in the project would be.
Campaign Kickoff – Initial Filming, Market and Client Analysis, My Role in the Project
After two days of preparation, the day of the shoot finally arrived. Everything was rather last-minute, so I wasn’t sure what conditions to expect. I packed two cameras, a gimbal, lights, lavalier microphones, and set off on a two-hour drive.
The first day of shooting went smoothly. We filmed the campaign’s introductory video, where the candidate introduced himself. In this video, we worked with the fact that people in the region were already familiar with our candidate. For the opening shots, we chose a location featuring a mural of the city where he’s from, which is also one of the three major cities in the region where he’s running. Next, we moved to the town square, where we took photos for social media and banners that would be used later in the campaign. We ended the day in the village where the candidate was born, focusing on his career as a volunteer firefighter at the local fire station.
After the shoot, I faced another long drive home. During the journey, I spoke with the project manager about whether I could not only film the introductory video but also edit it and create the necessary graphic elements. Since I had already stepped into this "rabbit hole," I figured I might as well dive in headfirst. I then took on the responsibility of creating the entire visual side of the campaign.
At the start of every campaign, I make sure to get to know my client as well as possible, understand their goals, and analyze how their competitors approach the market, to achieve the best possible results.
In this case, the task was a bit easier because I had known the candidate personally for several years. So, I already had a solid understanding of what I was working with, and I just needed to expand my knowledge of the political party he represented. My first step was to review their website and carefully study the logo and brand guidelines. Politics has clear boundaries in terms of what you can and cannot do, and even at the regional level, great attention is paid to ensuring all graphic standards are met. I spent the entire day reviewing these materials to ensure I understood all the variables of the project.
How to Get Everything Done Before Vacation?
A few days after the initial shoot, I had a week-long vacation planned, but since the elections wouldn’t wait, I had to finish all the work assigned to me on this project before leaving. This included the final video edit, creating billboards, and developing a website for the client.
There was no time to waste, so I got straight to work. I started with the basic video edit. The video was divided into four sections, so my task was to piece it together and select the takes where the candidate didn’t make any mistakes or stumbles. It's important to note that politicians aren’t actors, so working in front of the camera can be more challenging for them. By the end of the first day, I had a draft video ready to send for approval to both the client and the political party.
The next morning, I received feedback and made the necessary adjustments, allowing me to move on to selecting music, color grading, and creating the graphics. By the end of the day, the final version was ready to be sent out, with just a few small details left to tweak before the video could go live.
While waiting for the video approval, I decided to start working on the website. I won't pretend to be a web developer, and despite the fact that my father has been developing websites for over 20 years, my own skills are limited to basic HTML and WordPress. Since the website was simple, consisting of text information and a few photos, I opted for an HTML solution and got to work. A few hours later, I had the final version of the website ready. It was a presentation site featuring a brief bio of the candidate, his photos, the positions he held in the past, and as a bonus, I added a countdown to the first round of the elections.
Finally, I made the last adjustments to the video, which was now ready, and I could check another task off my list.
All that was left was to create the billboards and banners…
When Nothing Goes as Planned – A Few Stories
Before my vacation, I hadn’t received the required dimensions for the billboards and posters, so I suspected I’d have to deal with work during my time off. I packed my laptop and mentally prepared myself for the fact that my peaceful evenings would be disrupted by work.
As I expected, this turned out to be true. On the very next day, I received the required dimensions. Over the next two evenings, we adjusted the details accordingly, and I hoped nothing else would interrupt my work. However, at that moment, I received a call from an unknown number. Somehow, I sensed it was related to this project, so I answered, and it was the owner of the printing company responsible for the posters and banners. Although I had assumed they had their own designer who could finalize the prepared materials, it turned out otherwise. I ended up spending several more evenings during my vacation “doing their job.”
Upon returning from vacation, I was looking forward to a family birthday celebration. But, of course, another problem arose. Due to a communication error, one printing company received the materials for print, while the company responsible for the billboards didn’t receive any materials and even required different dimensions, etc. I left the family gathering and sat down at my computer. I had to redesign the entire banner composition and prepare everything for print once again. I managed to complete and send everything in one day, but a few days later, I learned that the materials were sent too late and would therefore not be produced in time.
Now, with only two weeks left until the elections, we’ve filmed several more spots, created additional social media posts, taken more photos, and we’ll see if this campaign has a successful ending.
I hope I’ve provided some insight into this world and that you enjoyed the article. Keep your fingers crossed for us!