THE VIDEO PRODUCTION PROCESS
As an established industry, the stages of producing a video and the
various roles and tasks which must be performed are well defined.
The process is divided into pre-production, production and post-
production phases.
Pre-production
This is essentially the planning stage, and is where the concept for
the video is developed and preparations for the production are made.
Information gathering and the concept
It may be that you have a clear idea of what your video will contain,
or you may simply have an aim for the production, for example an
advertisement. A video production company can help you develop
your concept. For major advertising videos or campaigns, you
should employ an advertising agency. You may find that the agency
and video production company are one and the same, for example a
viral advertising agency. With a concept or aim, the next task is to
gather all necessary and relevant information about the business,
product or service that is the subject of the video.
Writing
A video production is a major undertaking, and as such needs to be
thoroughly planned. This includes scripting of any dialogue in the
video, and/or storyboarding the different shots. A storyboard is a bit
like a comic strip (of sketches, drawings or photos) that shows what
will happen in the video. The writing stage will naturally lead into a
more detailed plan and schedule of how the video is to be produced.
Talent
If any people are to be included in the video, they must be selected
and booked for the shoot. It may be that this is defined from the
outset (for example, a message from your CEO, or a tutor hosting a
training video), or you may wish to employ actors or „spokesmodels‟.
Bear in mind any costs that this entails, but also that the people on
screen are the face of your video and hence your organisation.
Location selection
Your video could be shot solely in a studio or at your business
premises. Otherwise, selecting the right location is important, as this
provides the setting and backdrop for the video and so is as
important as choosing the right people.
Production
Shooting
Shooting is the recording of the video. Since this is the source of all
original footage, it is vital that it is planned and executed with almost
military precision, particularly as organising carrying out a video
shoot is expensive. Video production companies will of course be
well practised in shooting video, so take care to accommodate them
and bear in mind that they have experience and knowledge about
such things as when in the day to shoot to get the best light. For
example, don‟t assume that, because the sun hasn‟t set yet, you still
have time to shoot. Listen to the professionals, and remember that
even a short video can take many hours or days of shooting.
Voiceover
Voiceover is recorded speech which is to be added to video, i.e. the
speaker is not on screen. Often, voiceovers are recorded in
professional studios, but if you video makes use of a voiceover
artist, they may be able to record their work themselves and send it
on to the production company.
Graphics creation
Anything on screen in a video that isn‟t recorded video is graphics.
This includes captions and titles as well as logos and still photos.
Graphics also includes animation, though if you want a video that is
solely or mostly animated, this must be considered earlier in the
process. Make sure you supply the video production company with
any words or pictures to be included and ensure that your logo is a
high-resolution file. A small image used on your website will not
suffice. Graphics are also a large part of post-production.
Music and sound effects
Sound and music are a key part of the overall video production and
can have a huge effect on how it „feels‟. Imagine Alfred Hitchcock‟s
„Psycho‟ without the music and ask yourself how much suspense
there would be. Depending on your project, you may have music in
mind, or be happy for the production company to source and choose
it for you. Music must be licensed for use in a video, and there are
libraries of music for use in video available for use at reasonable
prices. Well-known recordings, especially current pop songs, will
cost a lot to license. Sometimes sound is recorded together with
video, but often it is created afterwards, particularly for special
effects.
Post-production
While the production phase is concerned with the sourcing and
recording of the raw material for a video, post-production is where it
is all put together to form the finished production.
Digitising
Sound and video must be transferred to computers in order to be
compiled and edited, and this is known as digitising, or sometimes
capturing. Digitising is simply transferring recorded media from one
form of storage to another, and so is not a very creative or interesting process.
Editing
Editing is the stage where all the elements of the video are
combined. The best footage is chosen and combined with transitions
between shots, titles and graphics are added and sound is mixed.
This determines the ultimate look and feel of the video, so you may
wish to be involved in editing. It is also an opportunity to work
around any problems in the recorded material. Since editing is a
very creative process, disagreements are possible, and it can take a
very long time to get right. While your opinion as a paying customer
is important, it is also worth remembering that a professional editor
will have a lot of experience in what is ultimately a combination of
creativity and technical skill.
Output
With editing completed, your finished video can be delivered to you
in one or several formats. If you video is for use on television, the
production company will be able to liaise and advise on a suitable
medium. You may wish to have a DVD version as well. If your video
is to be used on the internet, it must be compressed into a suitable
format.
Check in tomorrow for part 4, where we'll be looking at costs!
This is by far one of the most comprehensive posts I have seen here. Excellent post with great resources!
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