Estimated duration of the filming process
The length of filming depends on the length of your protocol. Because of our length limitations on the protocol portion of the script, JoVE filming averages 6 to 7 hours. This includes videographer preparation and pack-up time, filming of the introduction, protocol, and conclusion sections.
A simple way to estimate the duration of the shoot is to look at the number of steps in your protocol and the length of each step. We generally require one visual per 1.5 lines of 12 pt text, which takes about 5 minutes to capture. If your protocol consists of 30 steps comprised of three lines of text, then it will take about 5 hours to shoot your video protocol.
Filming procedures for microscope-based experiments
Our videographer will bring a camera and microscope adapter setup to film your microscope work. Our adapter kit is more or less universally adaptable to all microscopes because it fits in the ocular or trinocular ports, which, according to industry standards, are usually 30 or 23 mm in internal diameter.
One complication with our scope and adapter system is that complicated dissections may need to be performed as you look through one eyepiece. If your scope does not have a trinocular port housing with the internal diameter mentioned above, or does not project a virtual image, in stereo, to both the eyepieces and third port, then you will be unable to use both sets of eyepieces. The best solution is to try to find access to a teaching scope or stereoscope with a discussion bridge, since these have two sets of eyepieces and make it very easy for us to capture your footage.
Many of our authors who don’t have access to a teaching scope are fine with performing microscope work using one eye. These individuals will generally practice their procedures this way in the days before the experiment.
Filming protocols that take more than one day to complete
Not all protocols are filmed in one day. When additional shoot days are requested, authors are required to pay additional fees. To accommodate the single shoot day, long experiments with overnight incubation times will require samples to be prepared and processed before we arrive. On the day of filming, the protocol should be set up like a cooking show, meaning all parts of the recipe are ready to go and you can quickly move from one step to the next. If an additional shoot day is absolutely required, authors can take advantage of our Author-Provided Footage model to avoid the additional fees.