Although making a video can be time-consuming, the results are unquestionably worthwhile. The most exciting form of content that consumers now consume is video. Additionally, you will benefit greatly if you can figure out how to produce videos for your company efficiently and long-lastingly.
Three main stages make up the video production process: pre-production, where your strategy and script are laid out; production, when the video is shot; and post-production, when the video is edited and other special effects and music are added. Let’s go through the steps one article at a time.
Also read: 5 Ways How Creative Corporate Videos Benefit Your Business
1. Pre-production
Pre-production is the initial stage of the video production process. Pre-production is the planning stage for your video. You’ll decide what you’ll produce, for whom you’ll produce it, what resources you’ll require to make the film, and how long it will take to produce.
This stage is the longest stage of the video production process because careful planning will guarantee the success of your film.
Set Your Objectives
You must specify this video’s goals before planning. Why do you create it? What are you expecting from it? What will your audience get out of this video, and who are they? Like any other material, a video needs a goal from the outset to steer the project and determine its success.
To construct your objectives, follow the SMART methodology and choose targets that are:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable/practical
- Relevant
- Time-bound
Who Is Your Audience?
A successful video is aware of its audience. You may already have a clear idea of your target audience, including their characteristics and thought processes. If so, explain it clearly.
If not, you should conduct audience research. Find out more about them in addition to their basic info of age, gender, and location. What are the most common problems, questions, and passions with them? What do they have in common? Who are they being influenced by? Interview people, request feedback, and search your social media pages to see who engages with your brand.
Make the extra effort to identify the precise audience for this video, and you’ll have a solid basis for decision-making throughout the video production process.
What Is Your Takeaway Message?
Now that you are aware of the audience for your video, it is time to think about this information, put it together with your goals, and develop your main message.
From what you want your viewers to want to do after watching your video, work backwards. Is it to click a link, buy something from you, or subscribe to your YouTube channel? After watching your video, what is the immediate next action you anticipate they will take? Once you know that, determine what your video’s viewers must see to execute that action. Your main thesis will be this.
Create A Video Strategy
To put every decision you make into perspective over the long term, you must have a video strategy. During this process, you must consider the specifics of your video’s creation. How are you going to stay within your budget and delivery deadline? How will this content be used to maximise its return on investment (ROI)?
For more information, read this article on developing a video strategy.
A sound strategy is essential to the success of your video, but it will evolve over time. It shouldn’t be too stressful to get it perfect the first time. Instead, the objective is to give you a precise framework that you can rely on and enable you to produce videos consistently. This will guarantee that you keep within your budget and that your film has the highest potential to generate a profit now and in the future.
Prepare A Video Production Brief
A production brief summarises the data you’ve gathered up to this point and should act as a road map for the duration of production to keep everyone on course. This document should include information about the objectives, target audience, primary message, budget, and deadline for your video. Include a description of success, such as how a successful ROI for this video will be attained.
Decide On Your Creative Approach
It’s time to start thinking about the video’s content by developing a concept. As you brainstorm the components of your video, such as how they should be presented and what should stand out, draw conclusions from your brief.
Look for ideas from other online videos that have addressed your topic. Look at what your industry competitors have accomplished. And get ideas from any remarkable and impactful videos you’ve seen. Find out what makes them effective.
All the information may be combined into a plan for your video content, which will provide you with the creative direction for your video.
Prepare A Script
Now that you have a plan and a creative strategy, it’s time to write a script. Your script should be highly influenced by your creative process, and the research you do should support the message it conveys.
Consider the actors or presenters you’ll use in advance to read this screenplay. Try to write in their tone and style if you’ve already hired them. To ensure the script is a suitable fit, consider involving them.
Make your script entertaining and natural by choosing language that is simple to grasp and specific to your audience. Try to keep it as short as possible to prevent the video from becoming overly tedious. Additionally, you can incorporate any locations and action concepts you have already plotted into the script.
Create A Storyboard
With the help of storyboards, you can see how your video will be put together and what you’ll need to animate or find footage for. It will assist you in turning your mental concepts into concrete, visually appealing objectives that are tightly related to certain screenplay sections.
Give as much specificity as possible to each photo you are picturing. What topics are required where? How bright is it here? How do you like the framing and colouring? Use screenshots and other visual cues from online movies, videos, and photos as references. Another option is a rudimentary storyboard called a scamp, which outlines the types of shots you need and where to place them.
The level of sophistication of this storyboard will depend on the type of video you’re producing. However, since you are the one
The level of sophistication of this storyboard will depend on the type of video you’re producing. However, since you are the one who created everything, do what pleases you. Having a plan for your shots can ensure you obtain them on game day.
Also read: How to Think of Storytelling Ideas for Your Brand Video
Decide On Filming Locations
If your video is live-action, you’ll need to select locations for the production (as opposed to animation or motion graphics). An office area or a quiet room with a plain background should work for a straightforward video where the talent needs to address the camera. Otherwise, if you intend to shoot outdoors or in specific locations, you must first get permission.
Decide On Your Video Equipment
You’ll probably need a good sounding microphone, a camera and lighting to start shooting. You may need to consider additional lighting, a generator, and a computer to power any monitors you’re using for graphics in the background, depending on where you’re filming. When deciding what equipment you’ll need, be sure to take a look at your shot list and storyboard.
Also read: Tips for capturing clear and engaging sound
Cast your talents
By now, you should be aware of the type of video you’re making and whether or not talent is necessary.
If your video requires a voiceover, consider the personality and tone that will appeal to the audience you are trying to reach. Does someone you know have the right voice for it? Do you possess the necessary tone of voice? Or will you need to hire a third party to do this? There are numerous websites that can provide you with ways to get in touch with independent voiceover actors.
Next, consider how much of your video needs to be displayed (or acted) on screen. Do you know anyone who would be a good fit for these roles, or should a hired actor be cast? If so, you might need to run advertisements and have talent auditions.
Also read: 10 tips for speaking on camera
Schedule Filming
By now your strategy is well-defined. At this point, making a timetable for the shoot day is all left to do. Plan your schedule based on the amount of footage you need to capture, the distance between locations, and the availability of your talent.
Locations, personnel, equipment, skills, talent, attire, cosmetics, and permissions should all be booked in advance. You might want to think about hiring an experienced producer to help manage the shoot if your video is turning out to be a large production that needs many of these components. Otherwise, be sure to come prepared for anything on the big day.
2. Production
The filming of your video is included in the production process. Given that you have a schedule, you should be able to predict with confidence how long this phase will last. Your responsibility as a producer or shareholder is to see that everything proceeds as closely as possible to that schedule.
Usually, a director must be present during this production phase. Depending on your production’s size and complexity, you might have to employ a professional to handle that. Directors play a crucial role in ensuring that your talent delivers the intended performance, that you obtain all the shots you need, that they are framed and lighted appropriately, and that the script and storyboard align.
Also read: Different Roles in the Video Production Team
Set Up The Lighting
Make certain that you have adequate time in advance to light each setup with the help of your crew. You should factor in setup time in your schedule because it will vary depending on the number of locations you’re shooting at and the variety of shots you require.
Also read: Lighting techniques in video production
Set Up The Camera(s)
Your storyboard and the shot list can help you decide the kind of camera setup you’ll need in advance. Setting up the camera could be as easy as using a tripod or as complex as building a crane, depending on how extensive your shot would be. You may film this video with just one camera or hire a professional cinematographer with a sophisticated setup. Make sure you’ve allotted enough time in any case.
Also read:
1. Different types of camera for video production
2. Tips for choosing the right camera for video production
Direct The Actors/talents
The talent’s direction is an essential element in the production phase. How they deliver the screenplay will impact your video’s pace, dynamics, style, and viewer appeal. It is up to you (or your director) to stay focused on your objectives and acquire the performance you require from presenters or actors, even when working with seasoned professionals.
Get The B-roll Footage
Despite adhering to your shot plan and storyboard religiously, make an effort to also shoot B-roll (extra footage to cut away to during the editing process). Anything that strikes your eye and fits the topic of your video can be included in this, such as shots of your location(s) taken from various perspectives or shots of the crew and talent getting ready.
3. Post-production
In post-production, your best takes and shots are combined, everything is edited to the required length, a voiceover is recorded, the movie is coloured, and music and special effects are added.
Edit The Video
Gather your best captures and import them into your video editing programme as the first stage in the editing process.
Remove everything but the most crucial components from each clip to make the process simpler for yourself. Now place them roughly in a timeframe. Sort and arrange the B-roll you have. Following that, start arranging your footage following the storyboard and script.
Also read: 5 Cool Video Editing Tips & Tricks
Record The Voice-over
If your video requires a voiceover, you could have to perform it yourself or hire talent (see the talent section of the pre-production process).
Just like actors in on-screen roles, voice actors require instruction. Ensure your target audience will enjoy them and that the screenplay they provide will help emphasise your main point. Once the voiceover has been recorded and edited, add it to the timeline of your video in your editing programme and sync it with the relevant video.
Also read: Guide on Corporate Video Voice-overs
Add The Special Effects
Your script may come to life even more by using graphics, animation, and animated text to emphasise key ideas and give ideas a visual representation.
For instance, you could use an animated graph to draw attention to an important statistic. You can also demonstrate a product you describe using an animated mockup. You may need a screen recording of you narrating your way through the product website. These effects can elevate your video and provide effects that straightforward cinematography can’t cover.
Colouring
Adding colour to the video can be as simple as utilising Adobe Premiere Pro’s auto-colouring tool or as complex as hiring a professional colourist to edit your film shot per shot. Your goals and financial budget will be deciding factors but remember that using colour in your videos might help reinforce your visual brand. Try to maintain a similar colour scheme throughout any additional videos you decide to produce.
Add Your Music
Good music is the final element that can raise the standard of your video to a new level. It’s not necessary for music to play nonstop throughout every video but background music can fill time, cover up audio glitches, and engage audiences.
Instead of using the same track again, use different tracks to set the mood for different video sections. This makes the viewer feel like they are progressing through the content, which increases completion rates. Ensure your video is long enough to accommodate numerous songs because switching between them too quickly can be distracting.
The soundtrack should also fit the edit’s pace, match the video’s tone and mood, and help convey your main point. Additionally, it must be suitable for your intended audience.
Video Rendering
After you’ve completed your edit, it’s time to export the video in the appropriate format. The most popular format for websites like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube is mp4. If it’s for an Instagram post, be sure it can be cropped into a square or vertical video aspect ratio. The aspect ratio must be vertical if it is intended for a Snapchat or Instagram story.
Set Up Analytics
Find a mechanism to track your video so you can send analytics data into your platform to see how successful it was. Tracking features are included in paid systems like Wistia. Networks like Facebook and YouTube may require independent tracking; instead, you could employ Google Analytics.
The key is to make sure you have a mechanism for determining whether or not your video generated a positive or negative ROI and how well it performed regarding its goals. Measuring aspects like watch times (the duration of viewers’ viewing the video) and click-through rates will help you make substantial changes to how you produce your videos in the future (the number of viewers who clicked on in-video links).
Distribute & Promote The Video
You can utilise paid advertising to reach your target audience, publish your video through an email newsletter or your own YouTube channel, embed it in an article, send it to magazines in your industry, ask influencers to share it, and promote it on social media.
Whatever you choose to do, make sure it is in line with the previously described plan, which strives to efficiently reach your target audience. The goals are to acquire a good ROI and the most value for your money. Avoid overspending on advertising or video marketing if it would put you much over budget and produce little return.
Also read: How Much Would a Corporate Video Cost
Conclusion
Producing a video can be costly. However, if you plan effectively and have a clear strategy in place, you’ll produce a unique product that your audience will be moved to share. Consider hiring professionals to handle some of the jobs if you’re overworked, especially if it requires producing, presenting, shooting, directing, and editing.
Better still, let us do the heavy lifting of creating your video for you. Get in touch with us to learn more!
