The Loop on Location - Visit to Southwestern Ohio

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A New Challenge

This past year, the employees at the Ohio Department of Transportation have endured many changes. The biggest change being that a large percentage of the ODOT workforce transitioned to working from home, while many still had to perform their roadway duties in person. This presented ODOT leadership with the challenge of maintaining a cohesive workspace despite these new barriers.

In order to boost morale and help with this challenge, the ODOT Communications Team utilized their weekly ODOT-focused news show, The Loop, to put the spotlight on the ODOT Districts throughout the state. With The Loop on Location, the team began travelling to a different ODOT district each month to highlight local projects and the folks behind the scenes.

The Results

The resulting episodes have provided a unique opportunity to break down barriers between the ODOT Districts and the ODOT HQ “ivory tower.” We have been able to make meaningful connections with the people working in the districts and created a true showcase for the projects and talents throughout the state. With each Loop on Location episode produced, we have received overwhelming positive feedback from both the internal ODOT employees and our external audience on social media as well.

In order to make the episodes as timely as possible, we release the episode the same week we shoot it. This results in a production schedule of just a few days with a filming day on Monday/Tuesday, final edit completed by Thursday afternoon and episode posted to social media Friday morning. We would not be able to meet this tight deadline without the tools provided in Adobe Premiere Pro.

Using Adobe Premiere Pro

Premiere gives us the ability to quickly sort and label footage using markers and metadata, then create a string out using the efficiency of "Top/Tail" editing techniques to make b-roll selections and identify best takes, then finally, use custom Motion Graphic Templates we’ve created in Adobe After Effects to make lower third titles and transitions a breeze. These videos have been invaluable to our agency and the tools provided by the Adobe suite allow us to continue generating meaningful content in the most efficient way possible.

Submitted for judging is The Loop’s visit to District 7 (southwest Ohio, including the Greater Dayton Area) because it best highlights a variety of stories, unique use of video editing techniques and humor that The Loop has become known for in the ODOT Community. You can check out other recent On Location episodes below.