On the web, video works wonders.  It’s fast-paced, personable, entertaining and informative.  And since production time is always a factor, it helps to have a solid plan in place to make sure you stay on track and under budget.

But if there’s one thing we’ve learned here at Creative Concepts, it’s that our best-laid video production plans often need to be scrapped once the camera starts rolling.

Here are three examples of the ways we’ve adapted our original video ideas to suit a client’s newfound needs — or to accommodate the limits of reality.

“What Do YOU Know About the Children’s Aid Society?”

That was the question we expected to ask people on the streets of New York.  And their answer?

Well… as it turned out, not much.

Although nearly everyone we spoke with had heard of The Children’s Aid Society, most of them weren’t quite sure what the charity actually does.  Despite operating in NYC for over 150 years, we quickly realized the organization was still “under the radar” for most New Yorkers.

When we recognized this disconnect between public impact and public image, we adapted our video’s premise and used our “man-on-the-street” style Q&As to educate the the viewers about the charity’s multitude of programs.

The First Rule of Live Event Planning: Something ALWAYS Goes Wrong

Ruth Ridgeway is a veteran event planner in the New York City market.  As such, she’s unflappable in the face of any challenge — including having her entire event crew videotaped during one of their signature two-day location transformations.

But when the wrong furniture gets delivered and there’s no time to revise her designs, Ruth switches from “management mode” to “problem-solving dynamo” in seconds — and our video capitalizes on her shrewdly-solved conundrum.

Have A Cup of Tea with (Windblown) Wally at Fenway Park

Even when everything goes right, there’s still no way to control the weather.

As proud sponsors of the Boston Red Sox, Bigelow Tea was thrilled to have a chance to shoot a quirky video with Wally the Green Monster.  The idea was to have Cindi Bigelow herself teach Wally how to make a cup of tea.  But the weather refused to cooperate, forcing Cindi and Wally to race through the process before their props blew clear across the field.

The lesson?

No matter what happens, find a way to make the most of every unexpected, inconvenient and downright blustery situation.