As I’ve mentioned before, Netlink IT have been fortunate enough to be selected to be a part of the Microsoft Windows 7 Ignite program, wherein we have partnered with Microsoft to deliver their latest operating system, Windows 7, both internally to our own staff and also to a number of our clients, additionally providing support and guidance to all involved in the run up to Octobers Windows 7 final release.

On Monday some staff and a video production team from Microsoft in Seattle visited our offices in Weoley Castle, Birmingham to film a number of video Case Studies around our experiences with Windows 7. We were asked to share thoughts on the impact Windows 7 has had on our productivity, our ability to do business efficiently, and the partnerships within our business. On Tuesday the crew visited two of our clients in the Birmingham area to ask similar questions and record footage, and to speak to our staff who weren’t available on the first day (we still had a business to run whilst we were being filmed!).

We’re now running 100% Windows 7 internally here at Netlink IT, and are real fans of the new Operating System, so talking about how positive our experience with Windows 7 has been felt natural as we’re really sold on it internally. As I’ve said to anyone who has asked about Windows 7, simply “It just works”.

As for the filming process - all I’ve got to say is… wow! I’m glad I work in IT and not video production! The amount of equipment involved in shooting an hour or so worth of video footage is simply amazing (our office manager Sharon looked more than a little upset when our desks started getting moved around and equipment tossed to one side to make way for cameras, lights and other equipment) and the patience of the production staff is second to none. Filming our individual videos was both nerve-wracking and tiring – those lights are really hot, and after a while you simply start to lose concentration and begin to mumble and bumble – but bless the Director and Camera Engineers, they don’t laugh, they don’t tease, they just help you to record the piece again properly. It really didn’t help that I developed man-flu over the weekend so was coughing and spluttering under the hot lights throughout filming (I got my excuses in earlier you see) – Sharon later told me she knew I wasn’t myself because I was talking more rubbish than normal. Thanks Sharon.

The first part of the shoot was at our small offices, a converted residential flat where the production team struggled to fit in equipment but where we eventually recorded stock footage (which I understand is called B-Roll) of us typing, making phone-calls and going about “daily office life”, all of which will be used in post-production.  We then moved on to The Hyatt hotel in Birmingham in the afternoon to record individual video Case Studies overlooking Birmingham City Centre.

Throughout the first day we recorded snippets of footage using a Flip-HD handheld digital camcorder. Here’s a few short clips of what we recorded (I offer no guarantees of how interesting these clips will be, or not!)

I understand that the Microsoft team had already recorded something similar with a US Partner based in New Jersey, USA and are travelling on to Prague, Lyon and Paris to record three other European partners after leaving England. Let’s hope as the only British partner filmed, we represented the UK admirably!

We didn’t get a lot of real-world Netlink IT work done between us all in the two days filming, but it was a great experience which we thoroughly enjoyed. The Microsoft film crew were a real pleasure to work with, and I’m sure they’ll edit the footage to make us rank amateurs look professional by the time the finished video’s are made available publically. I understand the videos themselves will be used in a variety of of areas, such as on the web, at Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference in New Orleans this year (which I’ve also been fortunate enough to be asked to speak at as part of a panel discussing the IT Community) and in other publicity elsewhere.

Fame at last! However, just remember (in my case – it strangely didn’t seem to affect the other people being filmed so badly) that the camera adds 100, no, 150lbs to every shot…