Video production has never been easier. With the development of smartphone cameras, and external microphones that can plug right into the phone, capturing and editing videos can be done on a single, hand-held device.
But if you want to stand out from the crowd, you’ll need a high-quality video. These productions require some planning and a solid understanding of how video production works to get it right.
Stages of video production
To get a captivating and engaging video, you’ll need to understand the process of video production, including the three stages of production. These are:
1. Pre-production
The first stage of video production is the planning stage. It’s where you create an idea and set the stage for flawless production.
You’ll need to bring together a plan for the production or filming stage. In other words, lay the groundwork to build a great video. A solid pre-production phase will ensure you get the best video production experience.
Some questions to ask yourself during this stage include:
- What are the objectives of the video?
- Why are you making the video?
- Who are you creating this video for?
- What is the message you are trying to communicate?
To develop your goals for the video, use the SMART method. That is goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely.
What is it you want your audience to do after they’ve seen your video? Will there be a link for them to click on? Do you want them to buy your product or service? Whatever the answer is to these questions will be the core message of your video. Build the video around this core message.
The pre-production stage is where all your paperwork will be developed. You’ll refine the script, storyboard, schedule, etc. Plan out your locations, the video equipment you’ll need to get your shots right and find your actors.
One of the key aspects of the pre-production stage is to line everything up for your filming days. That means getting permission to be in the locations and keeping records of any permits you’ve obtained for your production.
2. Production
In the second stage of video production, you’ll spend time getting your shots right and collecting footage for stage three. If you’ve completed stage one, stage two should run smoothly. However, you’ll need to work to ensure everything goes to plan. That means ensuring production sticks to the schedule, and you don’t need extra time and money.
Movie magic is what happens in the production stage, but it is less magic and harder work. Your lighting and equipment crews will need to set up before every scene is filmed. Getting the lighting right can take some time, and you may need to change it several times before a scene is done.
Once a location is set up for filming, you’ll need to work with your actors to get their delivery right. No matter how simple you think a scene is, your video won’t be as effective unless your actors can convince viewers of their feelings.
Remember to shoot a little extra b-roll or footage that you can use in the editing process for cutaways. Some good footage is different angles of your location and setup.
3. Post-production
During the post-production stage, your video will come together to create the final video.
Post-production includes all the editing that you’ll need to do to create your masterpiece. That means cutting clips together, adjusting the colour, mixing in your audio, like any voiceovers, music, and sound effects to enhance your story.
The key to success in post-production is your video editing software. The more capabilities it has, the more professional you can make your video look.
What you want to do is start with a rough cut. Use your storyboard and put all of your best clips down on the timeline in order. Don’t worry about making them fit together perfectly. After you have done this, you can add video transitions to make your clips run together smoothly.
Once you’ve edited your clips, you can start to add graphics, animated text, or special effects. These elements can add some pizzazz to your video. But be professional in your approach and don’t use too many additional elements, or your video will start to look cheesy.
Colouring your video adds to the professional look you’re going for. You can opt to use the auto features of your editing software, or if you’re skilled in this area, use the manual feature. The colouring your use in your videos should be consistent in all the videos you produce.
Finally, add some music to set the emotional tone of your video. You don’t need to have music throughout your video, but some background audio can help your audience stay engaged. Remember to use stock music or audio that comes free with your video editing software. If you use any artist clips, you’ll need to pay royalties.
The last step is to render the video in the format you need it. If your video will be used on social media, you’ll need to render it in Mp4. However, for Instagram, you’ll need to put it into a square aspect ratio.
Marketing your video
Before you start sharing your video, determine the analytics you’ll be measuring to gauge your success. The metrics need to be connected to your goals and objectives for your video project. You may want to measure how many times people watched your video or how long your audience watched. If you’ve asked your audience to click on a link, track how many people click through and how long they stay on the landing page.
Marketing and distributing your finished video may involve many channels. You could be sharing them on social media, asking your audience or influencers to share it, put it on your website or even use it in paid advertising. You’ll likely be using many of these channels to get your message across.
Whatever your marketing plan is, you’ll want to start with high-quality video production. That’s what Dan Rascal does. Contact us and get the ball rolling on your next video production.