Video Production Process

Pre-Production

Before the cameras roll, the first step to producing your video is proper planning. The key to a problem-free shoot (production) is to make sure you cover all the details in pre-production. The time spent in preparation will determine the success of your shoot. If you’re scrambling around to gather equipment or changing locations at the last minute, it will reflect on screen.

Proper planning will not guarantee a perfectly smooth production, but it will eliminate most of the issues that could degrade your production value.

Here’s a list of items that should be considered in pre-production:

• Write the script or outline talking points
• Storyboard the visual elements
• Review corporate branding requirements
• Schedule the shoot days
• Audition and casting any talent
• Scout and secure locations
• Coordinate any travel arrangements
• Create a shot list and review with director
• Select and coordinate with the crew
• Secure all production equipment
• Cover all legal documents and releases
• Catering any food for long shoot days
• Communicate with the client all details

While all of these details may not be required for some videos, it’s common for us to review each and every item thoroughly to make sure the shoot goes smoothly. For one or two days of production, planning can move quickly. But for longer form videos that require more resources and longer shoot times, pre-production can require more extensive planning.

Production

The day of the shoot has arrived. Hopefully, all of the prep work in pre-production has paid off and everything proceeds seamlessly. Again, great planning makes for a great shoot.

Every production is different in how the shoot days are planned. For narrative stories with actors, sets and larger crews, production tends to move more slowly. For corporate interviews and educational videos, production typically moves much quicker.

Before any cameras roll, there can be a significant amount of setup time:

• Cameras have to be setup and positioned
• Dolly, sliders and jibs need to be built and positioned
• Lights need to be setup and balanced for the scene
• Audio and sound must be prepped for the best capture environment
• Hair and makeup, if needed, takes time
• Actors will often rehearse lines and block out movement
• Interview questions are often reviewed and practiced

Once the cameras start rolling, the director will guide the shoot along, making sure all of the shots are captured or all the interview questions are answered thoroughly. It’s common to have multiple takes for a single scene or interview. In post-production, it’s normal to cut between various takes to capture the best performance or find the most passion or energy in a response.

For each new scene or interview setup, cameras and lights are often repositioned to provide a different look or background. This helps breakup the video with unique shots and angles.

Another type of footage captured during production is B Roll. During an interview, the person may talk about a new product being launched. To inner-cut additional footage that matches the content spoken by the interviewee, B-Roll may be inserted to enhance the story. Often on a corporate shoot, we’ll spend the mornings shooting interviews and the afternoon shooting B Roll.

After the director has captured all of the visual elements needed, the shoot is “wrapped”, and production is over.

Post-Production

After all of the visual elements have been captured, it’s time to start the post-production process. Most people think of this phase of production as editing only, but there are actually many different steps that need to happen in post-production. Here are the most common:

• Transfer and archive footage
• Transcode footage for editing platform
• Review footage and make notes
• Edit the video and create a first cut
• Present first cut edit to client
• Make revisions as needed until you have final cut
• Create any opening, closing or lower third graphics
• Once approved, lock the edit so no more changes can be made
• Color correct the footage to match shots and/or create a style
• Score the video with the appropriate music
• Balance and clean up the captured audio
• Mix the final audio with final music
• Render out the master video

The post-production phase can sometime take the longest time to complete. Revisions, approvals and the creative process can be time-consuming.

Distribution

Once the video is finished, it’s time to share it with the world. There are a variety of ways to distribute your video. Some of these include:

• Broadcast on television
• DVD distribution
• On a USB thumbdrive for computer playback
• Trade shows and marketing presentations
• Computer playback for sales presentations
• Embedded on a company website
• Online streaming through YouTube or Vimeo
• Through social media like Facebook and Twitter

The key to knowing which distribution platform you should use is to understand your target audience. What is the most likely way they would watch your video? What is the call to action in your video? How can they respond?

All of these questions need to be asked so that you can leverage your video’s distribution to reach your audience effectively.