Behind the Scenes of Video Production: The Three Stages of Production

Like most business processes, video production is made up of several distinct stages. The three stages of video production are: pre-production, production, and post-production. Breaking video production down into these stages allows the production team to plan, produce, and polish the video. As with any project, skimping on one area can adversely affect the final product. Here’s a quick look at each of these important video production stages.

Pre-Production

Consider pre-production the planning phase. This is the time where the producers and directors create their video production plan, draft a budget, obtain funding, commission a script, cast actors and actresses, scout and line up locations, acquire costumes and props, design, set up and light the set, and create the shooting schedule. Essentially, anything that needs to be coordinated before shooting begins occurs during pre-production. In fact, even some post-production tasks may be handled during pre-production such as hiring an editor or booking editing time in advance.

If you’re a business owner planning a Web video, your input will be needed throughout the pre-production phase. The director will likely consult with you extensively about your target audience, goals and objectives, message, and more.

Video Production

After extensive planning, the video production will ultimately move out of pre-production into production. Think of this phase of the project as the “execution” stage. This is the time where it all comes together: The actors deliver their lines in front of cameras. Having carefully planned every little detail, the production should go smoothly though a few minor setbacks (such as a microphone not working) aren’t unusual. Professional video production companies expect these mishaps and plan for them. For example, during production, a sound engineer will constantly monitor sound levels from each microphone and be prepared to promptly replace any malfunctioning audio equipment.

Production involves an entire crew complete with makeup artists, camera operators, sound engineers, lighting technicians, control room personnel, the floor director, the director, and various assistants. These professionals are dedicated to helping the talent perform to their best abilities and capturing those performances to the highest standards.

Post-Production

At the end of shooting, you’ll likely hear the director tell the crew, “That’s a wrap.” From there, the crew will begin breaking down the set and putting their equipment away. While the performance has been captured in video form, the work isn’t done yet. It’s time for post-production to begin. For the most part, post-production involves editing the raw footage into a polished video ready to be shown to the masses. Graphics, special effects, music, and voiceovers typically take place during post-production editing though some effects may be generated during production in the control room. After the video has been edited and approved, copies will be made and distributed and the video production process finalized.

The next time you consider making a business or marketing video, pay attention to each of these important stages of video production and commit to doing your part in making each stage go as smoothly as possible. You’ll be glad you did!

The Mechanics of Video Spokesperson Production

Adding a video spokesperson to your website requires a basic understanding of the video production process. After all, a video spokesperson needs a script to follow and must be filmed and edited. In general video production is broken down into three stages: pre-production, production, and post-production.

Video Spokesperson Pre-Production Tasks

Think of pre-production as the planning stage of the video production process. During this time, you’ll need to: consider how you’ll use the video spokesperson throughout your website, write the script, cast the virtual spokesmodel, and schedule production.

  • Planning the virtual spokesperson’s role – A successful video spokesperson implementation begins with a plan. Where will your virtual spokesperson appear on your site? What will she talk about? What type of person should play the role? Which demographic will you try to reach?
  • Writing the script – Once you understand the video spokesperson’s role, it’s time to write the script. You’ll use a portion of the script during auditions and then later during filming.
  • Casting the video spokesperson – If you are not planning on being on camera yourself, you’ll need to find an actor to fill the role. Many video production companies have demo reels of local video spokesmodels that you can view or you can hold open auditions.

Video Spokesperson Production Tasks

Once the plans have been made, the script written, and the talent hired, it’s time to move into the production stage of the process.

  • Lighting, staging, and sound – Filming should take place in a video production studio where you’ll have full control over lighting, staging, and sound. Virtual spokesmodels are typically filmed in front of a green screen which is later filtered out of the shot, allowing the video spokesperson to appear as an overlay on your website without distracting backgrounds.
  • Rehearsals – While many video spokespeople will prepare for the shoot on their own time, allow plenty of time before shooting begins to rehearse the script and fine-tune its delivery.
  • Filming the video spokesperson – Finally, cameras roll and filming begins. It may take several takes before everyone is satisfied with the delivery. Even if the video spokesperson delivers a flawless delivery the first time, shoot several additional takes as a backup.

Video Spokesperson Post-Production Tasks

Now that filming is complete, it’s time to head into the editing room to select the best scenes and complete the production. If you’re paying for editing time by the hour, view the videos at your own location and take extensive notes so that you can limit the amount of time spent in the editing bay.

  • Editing the video – You’ll work with a video editor to select the best scenes and piece them together.
  • Overlaying the video onto the website – Once the video spokesperson’s scenes have been selected and edited, the video production company will package the video for your website. On your end, you’ll simply need to copy and paste a line or two of code into your website. Once the code is embedded, your virtual spokesmodel will appear on your website.

Like any video production, adding a virtual spokesperson to your website involves pre-production, production, and post-production tasks. Hiring a reliable, professional video production company ensures your success.