Our brilliant Production Assistant, Imogen, talks about her experience joining Sookio in the middle of a pandemic. She shares some of the unexpected joys of working remotely, the challenges of settling in when you’re away from the office and a bunch of tips for new starters working from home.

Before 2020, remote working always seemed like a bit of a luxury to me. A lovely avenue to aim towards, perhaps, but not something I’d be able to achieve without a few years of hard graft ahead. The outbreak of COVID-19 - and the lockdowns and restrictions that it brought - forced many businesses to become portable. And aided by the advancement of technology, remote working is the new norm. But, surprise, surprise! It’s not always as luxurious as I once thought.

As a recent Film graduate, Sookio has been my first real experience of professional video work, and by extension, office work. I was already relatively well acquainted with the Sookio way of working, covertly assisting the Production department at Sookio for a couple of months before the first lockdown.

I joined Sookio remotely as a part-timer in October 2020. Cambridge was in Tier 2, restrictions were a little relaxed, Eat Out to Help Out was still ongoing, and most retail businesses were, for the most part, open. Joining Sookio at that point - ahead of November’s lockdown - meant I could partake in some location filming, which was the last chance we’d get in 2020.

It also means I’ve witnessed transitions back into lockdowns and seen first-hand how Sookio has adapted and evolved video production and continues to provide quality video content for clients in the face of a pandemic. Sookio has relished the challenges that lockdown presented for video production, from location filming to repurposing footage and remote filming.

Other perks that have come from remote working has, funnily enough, been to do with connecting with people. Moving everything online opened up the opportunity to expand our virtual events, and it’s been a brilliant chance to reach and meet more people than ever. With an increased demand for learning tools, we’ve been able to share our marketing expertise on things like Sookio School and run a host of popular workshops and webinars.

It hasn’t been all rosy, though. March of 2020 marks, for most people, the time they had to pack up, bid farewell to their colleagues and set up their workspace from home. Now, we’ve passed the one year anniversary (a grim milestone for many), and many who’ll celebrate one year in their jobs but who are still yet to meet their teams in person or set foot in their office spaces. It can seem a bit alien at times.

My preconceptions of office work were both acutely accurate and marginally different. What did I expect? It’s not the norm to attend meetings from your living room! If you’re just starting in your career or new to a job, it can be a lot to take on board, especially when you’re not familiar with the office space or your new colleague’s tea and coffee preferences.

From getting used to Zoom to learning gif etiquette on Slack, the majority of 2020 has been very disruptive, and now, five months into 2021, not too much has changed. So, here’s a rundown of everything I’ve learnt during my Sookio (remote) journey:

1. Speaking up is difficult but, oh so important!

Starting a new job will inevitably throw up lots of questions, so if you’re unsure of something, ask! It can sometimes be daunting to speak up, especially if you’re new and even more so if you’re a junior member of the team. And it can feel incredibly intimidating when you’re around people who have more experience in the job. While it may be easier to stay quiet, we do have to fight that little bit harder to remain visible, at least for the time being, while we’re working and learning from a distance.

With lots of new platforms to get your head around, it can feel like a bit of a minefield. So, always ask for help if you’re unsure. If you’re a naturally shy person, try to plan one-to-one chats while building your confidence up or making your positive presence felt on channels like Slack or over email.

It might feel more of a nuisance arranging a quick Zoom call than it would be just popping your head around the door, but people are always willing to help and can usually carve out a few minutes if you ask them first.

2. A dedicated workspace goes a long way.

Working from home, especially when you haven’t chosen to, can generate all sorts of issues. For many people living in flats or shared accommodation, a home office space is out of the question. It is still important to try and create a designated working space because it helps mentally prepare you for the working day.

So, if you can, try squeezing yourself onto a desk or a table. You’ll reap the benefits!

It also helps to create work and home space boundaries, which means it’s easier to check out at the end of the day.

3. Dress to impress… yourself if no one else!

It might seem tedious when the longest morning commute (for most of us) is the trip from our bed to the kitchen, but encourage yourself to put that extra bit of effort in when you’re getting ready in the morning. Dress as you would if you were around others; pick out a nice outfit or spritz yourself with some perfume or cologne. It’ll lift your mood, change the way you carry yourself, and increase confidence.

Making yourself feel presentable also helps maintain that workplace mindset. It differentiates the workday from the end of the day, and putting on clothes for the evening (hello, pyjamas!) also helps with feeling like you’ve left work for the day.

Or if that hasn’t convinced you, find a compromise! Pyjama bottoms with a nice top seem to be the unofficial lockdown dress code - but don’t forget to pop your camera off if you need to get up and out of shot. No one needs to see your SpongeBob pj’s!

The unchartered territories of HQ

If there’s one thing that I think we’re all hoping for from this year, it’s that it’ll bring an end to lockdowns.

Whether you’re someone who hasn’t seen your colleagues since last March or like me, you’ve joined the team remotely, I think we’re all ready to welcome the office environment with open arms.

So, donning a mask and with my hand-gel at the ready, here are a few things I’m looking forward to getting stuck into once we’re able to march back into the office:

Human contact: widening my circle of communication is high on the agenda. Meeting colleagues and clients face-to-face without constantly having to see my image on Zoom will be revolutionary.

Having proper workspace: having a desk and space designated to work would be amazing! Yes, video conferencing programs have been a lifeline to us all, but they have meant we’ve been forced to reveal more of our private lives to clients and colleagues than most of us would have liked. Plus, not having to worry about unruly interruptions from family members or housemates will be such a relief. The 30-minute cycle might take some getting used to, though!

Filming on location: I’ve really enjoyed remote video production. It’s opened up a whole world of creativity and boosted my skills and confidence in editing, which I’m keen to carry forward post-lockdown. However, I do miss the hustle and bustle of filming on location. From meeting clients to problem-solving when things inevitably go wrong, there’s something unbeatable about filming on location.

Water cooler chats: whether or not these actually happen, TV makes it look like that’s all that people in an office do and I want in!

Here’s hoping that the rest of this year will bring us ever closer to re-uniting with normality in our private and professional lives. It’ll be interesting to see which bits of remote working we adopt into our normal rhythm of work.

For now, though, we’re still here making noise!

Video production to boost your digital marketing

Whether you’re eager for office life to go back to normal, or are reluctant about working in a shared space, our video production services will cater to all your digital marketing and health and safety needs.

Contact us to hear how we can give your video marketing a lift.