A Breakdown Of The Video Production Process

Video marketing is all the rage right now; videos are a breath of fresh air in a world crammed with information. So you’re interested in creating a video for your business, but where do you start?

We know the process of video production can be intimidating and overwhelming, and this post will guide you through the video production process step by step.

There are three main stages in producing a video:

PRE-PRODUCTION

• Consultation

It begins with a meeting with the client, to find out what are your objectives and purpose of the video, the tone of the video, and your expectations. We’ll then conceptualise the video and provide an initial proposal. If everything is in order, we’ll then commence the process.

• Concept/Research/Scripting/Storyboard

We’ll compose a script for the video, and that will be the blueprint of the video. Next comes the storyboard for the video; we’ll create a storyboard, so you’ll be able to visualise how your video will be shot.  We also conduct our own research at this stage to accurately construct the storyboard and script.

Having said that, not all videos require a script and/or storyboard, and that depends on the nature of the video. For instance, a testimonial video would only require research to craft interview questions.

• Planning and Scheduling

Everything related to filming of the video has to be organised and scheduled. At this stage we will:

• Location scouting/inspection and secure permits if needed
• Props sourcing if needed
• Casting talents if needed
• Organising all equipment
• Drafting call sheets, or a schedule during production

Having a schedule ensures production runs on time and reduces hiccups along the way.

PRODUCTION

This is usually the shortest part in the entire video production process, and that is a result of the tremendous amount of preparation done during the pre-production stage. This may be the shortest part of the process but by no means is it the easiest. Many don’t realise the importance of good lighting, and lighting setup can easily take an hour.

Filming on set

Filming on set

Production can be any where from a day to several weeks, depending on the size of the project. The director will shoot the video according to the storyboard, and the producer will be on-site to make sure filming runs smoothly.

Any voiceover recording required will also be done at this stage.

POST-PRODUCTION

Once all filming has concluded, the post-production process begins. Many people mistakenly think editing is all there is in post-production but it’s actually one of the many steps during this stage.

The post-production process includes:

1. Transferring and Backing Up Raw Footage

We’ll transfer the files to our network-attached storage (NAS) after filming and back up at least two copies. This is probably the most important step at this stage because if we lose the files, we’ll have to reshoot everything.

2. Sorting the footage filmed

This is to make the process of editing easier when we’ve sorted the files according to the location/interviewee/scene etc.

3. Audio/syncing

When we use more than one camera to shoot, we need to make sure the sound from the cameras sync in order for us to edit different camera angles.

4. Assembly Cut

This is a rough cut of the final video, simply gathering the best shots and a few other scenes for the director’s consideration during the director’s cut.

5. Director’s Cut

The director will finalise the video to present to the client for review.

6. Sound Editing

Any voices heard in the video needs to be cleaned up by reducing ambient noise and mastering it to be clearer.

7. Sound Mixing

We normalise the audio with music that’s added to the video, because certain parts of the audio can be too loud/soft for the music.

8. Motion Graphics

This applies to any opening title, supers introducing anyone appearing in the video, subtitles.

9. Denoise Visuals

Certain parts of a shot can look dirty and we need to reduce visible noise and grain in video.

10. Colour Correction and Colour Grading

This is a very tedious process, bringing up the colours to make the scene look vibrant. Industry standard is to film in Log mode, which makes the image flat and desaturated. That makes colour correction and colour grading easier because we’re shooting in “negative”.

Before & After Colour Grading

Before & After Colour Grading

11. Internal Quality Control

We make sure everything any changes requested are done properly, check for spelling mistakes, colour is right.

12. Mastering

We export and render the files at this stage before delivery to the client.

13. Delivery

We deliver the video to the client via Dropbox or other cloud services.

14. Archiving

Once the client confirms there are no further changes, we’ll archive the footage should the client need it in the future.