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Building (and filming) a Car Clinic research event

Irwin Video provide filming and AV services for many types of market research events, including car clinics. On a recent UK car clinic for a premium car manufacturer, we supplied a high resolution, 7 metre wide LED video wall, which was used to show real-size video animations of current and future vehicle designs. The LED video wall can be built to any size, sits directly on to the floor and offers a vivid, high definition image which, unlike projection systems, delivers uniform brightness across the whole screen.

We made this timelapse film for Promotor Events, who set up the car clinic on behalf of Northstar Research Partners (UK).

In addition to the video wall, we also provided several camera operators to film multiple streams of focus groups and one-on-one interviews, as well as portable translation systems for focus group interpreters, and wireless multi-channel headsets for attending clients.

Filming focus groups and IDIs at a car clinic.

Camera operators were completely mobile and able to wirelessly follow focus groups and IDI respondents around several vehicles in the hall. Respondents, sometimes up to 8 in a group, wore radio microphones which transmitted audio directly to the mobile camera.

We also provided iPads with video clip logging software which enabled listening-in researchers to note interesting customer quotes and easily locate these video clips after the event.

We continued on to provide our AV and filming services for this project in the USA, China and UAE.

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Car Clinic Filming and AV across the world

Irwin Video have been very busy with car clinic filming this year. We have been as far east as Shanghai and as far west as Los Angeles. In June, we worked on our first car clinic filming project in the beautiful city of Copenhagen. The departure board in the picture shows just some of the trips we’ve made this year. Of course, being based in England, the majority of projects that Irwin Video support are here in the UK.

For those who have not heard of car clinics, they are market research events, commissioned by a car manufacturer, where suitable respondents are invited to provide their opinions on new and forthcoming vehicles.

The event is often held in a large venue, such as a an exhibition hall or film studio. Focus groups and in-depth interviews are often conducted as part of the project.

Unlike focus groups in viewing facilities where the entire discussion takes place around a table, respondents at car clinics are invited to walk around, getting in and out of several different vehicles. With clients eager to hear what everyone thinks of their new automotive ideas and researchers keen to capture valuable killer quotes for their post-fieldwork presentation, it is our job to make sure that we film and record high quality video and audio of all respondent reaction. Not only film, but also transmit the video signal to a client viewing room tucked away somewhere in the venue.

Our Car Clinic Filming and AV Service

We provide a fully HD service, from the cameras to the large screen TVs or projectors in the viewing room. For safe mobile filming we use encrypted wireless video transmission.

We use high grade, long range radio microphones and sound desk equipment for excellent sound pick-up.

Clients listen using digital, wireless headsets. For projects where a translator is required, we provide simultaneous translation equipment. Listeners can easily tune their headsets to listen to their preferred audio channel.

Our camera operators have wireless talk-back headsets so instructions can be passed quickly from clients via our AV desk.

Whilst our master video recordings are of high quality, we also make a compressed version, so clients can quickly take away the video files at the end of clinic, not having to wait for large file transfers.

We offer a secure live video web-streaming service, so clients can watch the focus groups remotely.

And for projects which involve drive tests, we provide professional grade in-car mini cameras and microphones. In addition, we provide a unique live-link service from the moving vehicles so clients in the viewing room can watch the drive test as it happens.

Contact us for more information of our car clinic filming and AV service.