So, you want to know what video production is? Video production is the process of producing video content. It is similar to filmmaking, but instead of images being recorded on film stock, images are recorded digitally. There are three stages of video production: pre-production, principal photography (production), and postproduction. If you want to know more about video production and what it involves, then keep reading below:
The Basics
Creating amazing video content can be as playful and as simple as a 10 second stop motion video, or it can be as multifaceted and complex as creating a blockbuster movie. While making videos isn’t difficult, making top-quality videos that are well scripted is. This is why so many people choose to work with a video production company instead of trying to create a video themselves. External video production companies are experienced in creating engaging and entertaining stories that help you to connect with your consumers.
However, if you choose to create a video yourself, one thing’s for definite – you’re going to have to understand the video production process.
As mentioned, the three stages of video production are:
- Pre-production – where all the planning and coordination takes place
- Production – when you capture all the elements that will be included in your final video
- Post-production – where you edit the elements and combine them to create the finished product.
Pre-Production
Pre-production is the planning stage of the process. During this part of the process, video producers must work out what resources they need, what type of video they want to produce, and how they’re going to achieve their goals. They have to consider things like:
- What the goal of the project is.
- The timeline of the project.
- How much money they have available to complete the project.
- Whether they need to write a script.
- What props and costumes are required – the type of equipment and props required depends on the type of video being created. You don’t always need to have expensive equipment to create amazing videos.
- The location of the project.
- Looking for actors/talent to star in the production.
In order to identify all the above elements, video producers have to conduct several meetings. The number and type of meetings will vary depending on the size of the project and the team, but here are some of the meetings most video producers hold:
- Fact finding – during this meeting, stakeholders and the production team will discuss the purpose, strategy, and goals of the video. They will also discuss how the video will be used once it is complete.
- Pre-production meeting – in this meeting, video producers will discuss the timeline, talk about characters, and discuss location details. Once this meeting has taken place, the production team will pay a visit to the location to make sure that it’s suitable.
- Prepare for the shoot – video producers will write scripts, discuss interview questions, finalize schedules, and confirm the location of the shoot during this meeting. This will help to ensure that the production runs smoothly.
Production
When all the planning and preparation is complete, video producers get to start doing what they do best – producing amazing films. The production phase is the time when the producers capture all the footage for the video. Some of the things that happen during this stage include:
- Conducting interviews
- Making sure the lighting, sound and video equipment is ready
- Recording voiceovers (if needed for the project)
- Capturing any footage that they need to support the story
Post-Production
The post-production stage is when the video team organize and edit the video. The producer will then review the footage before the editor brings the footage together to form a film. Some of the tasks that are completed during the post-production phase include:
- Music selection
- Transcribing the interviews
- Editing the videos
- Reviewing and approving the footage
- Creating the finished product
- Delivery of the product
The video production team will work hard during each step of the process to make the project come to life. Video production takes a lot of creativity and time to get right, it doesn’t happen overnight. Different production companies have different timelines, but in general it takes between 6 and 8 weeks to complete a short film.
The Next Step
Once a draft copy of a video has been created, it will be sent back to the stakeholder or project manager for:
- Approval – the project manager will need to review the draft. They will check to make sure that their video is suitable and then suggest changes to the production company.
- Final delivery – once the video has been altered to suit the clients needs, it will be exported in its final video format.
Video production is basically the whole process of producing a video. Whether it’s a full-length movie, a short film, a marketing video, music video, television commercial or any other type of film, the specifics may vary slightly, but the process is usually the same.