Rough Cut
Claire Gordon: How to Simplify Complex Ideas
Jun 12, 2020
Claire Gordon, executive producer of 'Explained' on Netflix and former senior producer for 'Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,' discusses how Vox and Last Week Tonight simplify complex topics through video. She also explores the challenges and skills required to communicate clearly, as well as the quick production of the first episode of Explained: Coronavirus. The podcast covers topics such as transforming scripts, conducting interviews, and the success of Vox Media in explaining complex ideas.
29:16
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Quick takeaways
- Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the team behind the Explained series on Netflix successfully produced the first episode on the coronavirus in just 2.5 weeks, four times faster than their usual timeline, by utilizing remote collaboration and repurposing existing footage from a previous episode.
- Claire Gordon, the showrunner of Explained, emphasized the importance of simplifying complex ideas and making them understandable to a broad audience, noting that if an audience doesn't understand something, it is the responsibility of the content creator, and highlighted the effectiveness of visuals and animations in enhancing clarity.
Deep dives
The Shift to Remote Workflow and Rapid Production
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the team behind the Explained series on Netflix had to quickly shift to a remote workflow. They managed to finish the first episode in just two and a half weeks, four times faster than their usual turnaround time. Despite the challenges of working remotely, the team collaborated effectively and utilized existing footage from a previous episode on pandemics to make the new episode timely and relevant. The accelerated timeline required careful research and scripting to ensure the episode would not feel dated when released.
