This blog post will introduce how we documented the renovation process of an office building in Yokohama from the ground and air and also provided high quality completion photo and video to market the newly renovated commercial property to prospective tenants.
We were approached by international real estate and investment company Hines to provide photography and video assets for their renovation of a large office building and surrounding spae in Yokohama, near Tokyo, Japan. Our scope of work was essentially around two areas:
The client, Hines, complete photo and video coverage to document the building as it was before renovation. With a crew of one, with the same person being able to take both photos and video, from both the ground and air (drone), we were able to be flexible to accommodate the renovation schedule, the weather and the client’s schedule, all the while delivering quality visuals.
The before photos and videos needed to document accurately all the areas that were to be renovated, so we worked together with the client to get the best angles for each shot. The difficult part was ensuring that we could take similar angles after the renovation and that we covered the key areas that were to be renovated so we referenced rendered visualizations on the shoot.
Our countrywide drone permit to fly in usually restricted built up areas of Japan meant that we could fly within the grounds of the building and get some photos and videos from the air to really showcase the impressive transformation from before to after the renovation.
As photos and video to document the commercial property renovation, the client wanted high quality completion photos and video to use for marketing the asset to potential tenants. As well as a large central atrium, a common public space on the ground floor and a community space on the top with stunning views over the port of Yokohama, the building has quite large landscaped public spaces on both sides of the building. With the sun rising on one side and setting on the other we had to make sure we timed the exterior photos and video to ensure the best light for each side.
Before and After video of an office building renovation in Tokyo
As well as clean shots of the complete spaces, we also included people in the spaces to give a sense of scale and provide a use image for potential clients. As well as delivering edited photos, we also delivered a number of videos. The video above show cases the before and after transition by using screen wipes from before the renovation to shots from the same angle after renovation, finishing off with a montage of interior and exterior angles after the transformation.
The video below showcases the transformation of the large atrium in the center ground floor of the building and how it seamlessly connects with the exterior of the building as a location near the sea and port area of Yokohama. The video is essentially a drone one shot take, starting from a view out over Yokohama Port at the top of the building, filming the landscaped interior, through the remodeled entrance area and then along the length of the atrium. Circling around the large tree at one end, the drone then flies up over two research scientists talking on the walkway and then back down to a father and son walking under the central art object at the entrance.
This drone shot was filmed in one take (with a drone catch and then release around the entrance doors) but it was decided that the recorded length of about a 3 and a half minutes needed to be shortened, and that a combination of the best parts of a couple of takes would better showcase the space, so we the one-take was edited down. The overall flow still looks great though and really gives a good sense of the buidling’s location and how the atrium connects with the exterior.
drone fly through of a renovated commercial property in Tokyo
