Steps of the Video Production Process
Now that you know the three phases of the
video production process (pre-production, production, and post-production), let’s dive deeper into each.
Pre-Production
The pre-production phase builds the foundation for a successful video. It includes research, planning, and organizing everything that will be needed during the production phase. Not only does pre-production include project management steps like setting the strategy, aligning on goals, and establishing budgets and timelines, it also requires more creative pursuits like script writing, casting, and set design.
Production
The production phase is when the actual video footage is shot. During this phase, videographers capture the raw footage that will be used in post-production.
In addition to shooting footage, the production stage requires setting up the set, sound design, lighting, and video equipment — and breaking it down once the shoot has wrapped. If voiceovers are required, they are also recorded at this stage.
Post-Production
After the footage has been captured, the post-production phase begins. During this stage, the producer and editor work together to review all of the footage, organize it, and begin to cut it down to create the final video.
The video editor will plan and organize the footage, editing together all of the pieces that best tell the story to meet the original brief. They will also include sound, voiceovers,
motion graphics, and any animation required.
Post-production is also when the video is reviewed by the client and any edits are made. Once the video has gone through any necessary rounds of revision, it’s delivered in the correct sizes and formats for use.
Following these three stages of
the video production process is important to ensure the final video meets everyone’s standards and expectations. It helps to ensure that the video timeline is maintained, there are fewer revisions, and that the video can be used for the intended purpose upon delivery.
- Video production process: The video production process is the three-step system used by most videographers, producers, and video production companies. Consisting of pre-production, production, and post-production, it helps to ensure that video production is more streamlined from start to finish.
- Video production timeline: This timeline outlines all of the steps at each stage of the production process and how long they should take. This helps to keep productions on budget and allows them to deliver final videos on time.
- Pre-production: Pre-production is the first stage of the video production process, and it typically includes tasks like budget discussions, location scouting, and casting.
- Production: Production is the second stage of the video production process during which the video footage is captured, along with other elements like B-roll and voiceovers.
- Post-production: Post-production is the third and final stage of the video production process. During this phase, the footage is edited together, music is selected, and any animations, graphics, and other elements are added before the video is finalized.
- A-roll: A-roll is a type of video footage that’s used to create a video. It’s the main footage that features key characters, interviewees, and main moments in the plot that drive storytelling.
- B-roll: Like A-roll, B-roll is a type of video footage. B-roll, however, is additional footage that supplements and supports the main footage.
- Storyboard: Storyboards are a series of illustrations or photos that represent each shot of your video. They also include the script, showcasing what is being said in each shot.
- Color grading: Color grading is a step in the post-production process that allows the footage to be colored to create a certain tone or mood.
- Special effects (SFX): Special effects are techniques like prosthetics, makeup, and pyrotechnics used on-set while shooting a video production. They are meant to simulate the events of the film — like fantastical environments or creatures — but are done so using illusions.
Types of Videos to Consider Producing
Depending on your company, industry, and audience, many different types of video content may help you achieve your marketing goals and
grow your business.
Promotional Videos
Promotional videos, also known as promos, are designed to help increase awareness of a product, service, or
event. They are commonly used to promote upcoming product launches, events like sales or holidays, and new and exciting offers.
Brand Videos
Unlike promo videos, brand videos drive brand awareness. These short videos communicate a company’s mission, vision, and values to the target audience in a compelling and interesting way. Not only do these videos help capture the attention of new potential customers, but they can also help increase brand loyalty among existing customers.
Product Videos & Demos
Product videos are designed to showcase a particular product. Whether a physical item or software product, the videos highlight the unique selling points and benefits. They show how it works, walk viewers through all of the features, and serve as an engaging and entertaining way to make a product really shine.
Explainer Videos
Explainer videos are designed to be educational. These short-form videos can help educate the audience on a particular topic, event, or product. While explainer videos are often used to market products, they can also be used in more tactical ways, like training videos.
For all video types, you can approach the production in a few different ways. Videos can be created using animation and graphics, or with live action, using actors, interviewees, or employees. Videos can also be any combination of the two.
No matter which approach you choose, be sure to keep your target audience and brand pillars in mind. This will help not only to ensure that the final video meets your
marketing objectives, but that it looks and feels on-brand.
- Brand video: A brand video helps drive brand awareness among the target audience by showcasing a company’s vision, mission, and values.
- Corporate video production: Unlike film and movie production, corporate video production is a type of video production specifically conducted for corporations, businesses, and organizations.
- Event video production: Event video production captures video footage of live events. Often, the footage is live-streamed or used after the fact to promote the event.
- B2B video marketing: This type of video marketing is used to create video content promoting B2B businesses.
- Promotional video production: Promotional video production is the practice of capturing footage and editing video content designed to promote an event, product, or business.
- Creative video production: Creative video content requires a script, storyboard, and creative editing. Unlike documentary or live event footage, creative video production is an artistic blend of video, music, and storytelling.
- Marketing video production: This is the production of any video footage used for marketing purposes, including promo, brand, and product videos.
- Social media video production: Social media videos are typically much shorter than other formats. As a result, they require a specific approach to production to help businesses increase engagement on social media platforms.
- Training video production: This type of video production refers to the creation of videos for training purposes. These videos are often a mix of live-action footage, graphics, and animations.
- Product video production: Product video production is the practice of capturing video footage or creating animations that showcase a single product or service.
Expert-Level Video Production Tips & Tricks
Creating masterful videos requires a lot of time, effort, and planning. Be sure to set yourself up for success from day one with these
expert tips and tricks that will help take your video production to the next level:
Always Plan Ahead
While the best films may look effortless, countless hours of planning were likely done before filming. Creating detailed scripts and storyboards and thinking through casting, wardrobe, and sound design in advance will all help to ensure that your video looks professional and polished when it comes time to edit.
Choose Your Location Wisely
When shooting, the location is just as important as the script, actors, and equipment. Before filming, scout the location to ensure that it visually meets your needs — but also check for things like excessive background noise and lighting that could pose problems on shoot day.
Prioritize Soft Light
The quality of light makes a huge difference in your video footage. While shooting, aim for soft, natural sunlight. Direct light can make your video feel harsh but diffused early morning or late afternoon light instead creates a more flattering look.
Don’t Forget About Sound
Music and sound design is an amazing way to enhance your videos. Your music selection will help set the tone for the film and is an easy way to enhance the footage you’ve captured.
Whimsical and cheeky sound design is also a creative way to make social media content more engaging. Consider leveraging trending sounds on platforms like TikTok to help increase engagement.
Capture Multiple Angles
During the production phase, don’t forget to capture your scenes from multiple angles. Whether you are using actors, interviewing an expert, or gathering testimonials, it’s important to have a variety of shots to choose from. This helps keep the final video visually interesting to make it look
more professional, dynamic, and engaging.
Keep Your Editing Simple
Sometimes, less is more. When editing your film, remove any unnecessary shots, minimize noticeable transitions, and keep things simple overall. This
improves your video production and lets the footage really shine.
Use the Rule of Thirds
The rule of thirds is a design principle that helps photographers with composition. It can also be used in videography to create balance. Break your screen into three rows and three columns. You can then use this grid as a guideline when shooting a video. Be sure that objects of interest, like actors or interviewees, are positioned in the middle row.
Consider adopting these techniques in your video production process to upgrade the quality of your video content to create more engaging, dynamic, and entertaining content.
- Test shoot: A test shoot is a practice shoot conducted before filming, often to assess the merits and downsides of a particular location.
- Location scouting: This is the practice of finding a place to shoot your video footage. Location scouting requires assessing the scenery, sound, lighting, and overall aesthetic.
- Soft lighting: This type of lighting is free of harsh shadows. Outside, this is usually found around sunrise and sunset. In studio settings, soft lighting can be achieved using a large, diffused light source.
- Backdrop: Backdrops are placed behind subjects to create a particular background in video footage. They are usually made using large pieces of cloth and can be plain or painted to create a specific scene.
- Rule of thirds: This composition technique uses a 3-by-3 grid, making it simple to capture interesting, well-composed video footage or photographs.
- Focal point: The focal point is the place in which the camera lens focuses. This is the area where the image will be the sharpest.
- Autofocus: This camera feature ensures that your lens adjusts automatically to focus clearly on the main subject in the frame. With most cameras, you can turn this setting on and off as needed.
- Manual focus: Manual focus allows the camera operator to adjust the depth of field of the lens. This brings the image into focus if auto-focus is turned off.
- Gimbal stabilizer: This piece of camera equipment is a handheld support that removes shaky camera movements. Typically, it has three axes—pan, tilt, and roll—so you can easily capture different types of footage.
- Motion graphics: This type of video content is made by animating graphic design elements like text, UI animation, or infographics and logos.
Hiring a Video Production Company
While creating a high-quality video in-house is possible, hiring an experienced
video production company makes the entire process easier. These companies are typically filled with seasoned industry experts who have created dozens of different videos, from full-length films to 30-second
social media clips. This makes them a powerful partner for your brand, allowing you to more effectively create high-quality video that engages your audience and helps you to achieve your marketing goals.
Besides their vast experience, there are a few specific reasons why hiring a video production company is the smart choice.
Access to Technology & Equipment
Professional-quality video production requires a lot of specialized cameras, lighting, audio, and editing equipment and software. While a company can purchase everything to produce a video in-house, it’s an incredibly expensive approach.
Instead, hiring a video production company allows you to not only have access to the experts themselves, but their entire arsenal of high-quality equipment that makes creating a high-definition, high-impact video much simpler.
Added Efficiency
Because video production companies have worked with clients to make hundreds or even thousands of videos, they have the art form down to a science. They have refined every stage of the production process to be as efficient as possible which will help to keep your project both on-time and on-budget.
Tap Into Their Freelance Network
Many video production companies work with a seasoned group of contractors and freelancers depending on their clients’ needs. From producers to photographers to editors, they can mix and match their team from this talented pool to curate the best possible group for any particular project.
While sourcing freelancers on your own is possible, it’s a time-consuming task that doesn’t always work out. Instead of wasting resources and time finding the right team, a video production company can have all of the right people assembled in a short period to get your project started as soon as possible.
The right video production team will bring this — and more — to the table to ensure that your final videos bring your vision to life and allow you to expand your video marketing efforts.
- In-house video production: This is the practice of shooting, editing, and producing video footage using an internal team (instead of hiring a third-party video production company).
- Production budget: This refers to the total amount of money set aside for the video production process. It includes all costs associated with pre-production, production, and post-production.
- Video marketing campaign: This is a type of advertising that uses video to promote a brand or product across different digital channels like social media, email marketing, and website landing pages.
- Marketing for nonprofits: This specialized type of marketing refers to the marketing tactics used to promote non-profit organizations. The goal of nonprofit marketing is similar to for-profit organizations; drive brand awareness, increase engagement, and drive contributions.
- Creative video agency: These businesses are those that specialize in creative video production. They handle all stages of the video production process and work with their clients to deliver video content that meets the outlined objectives.
- Videos with graphics: This refers to videos with motion graphics. These animated graphic elements, like text or logos, can help create more interesting and engaging content.
- Custom video production: Video production companies work with their clients to customize the production process, ensuring that every element is curated to meet the needs of their projects.
- Animated business video: Animated videos are made by making static objects and images move. Cartoons, CGI videos, and stop motion films, for example, are common animation techniques.
- Creative storytelling: Video production companies approach briefs from a creative perspective, telling the story in an unexpected and interesting way. This creative storytelling approach helps create a more visually interesting final video.
- Proof of concept: Proof of concept is the process of testing an idea to demonstrate its effectiveness. A pilot episode of a television series, for example, is a test to ensure that the audience enjoys the story before creating the entire season.
Simplify & Streamline Video Production with Charter & Co.
Video production is an important part of a successful marketing strategy. While video marketing can be time-consuming, expensive, and complicated to execute, it doesn’t have to be.
Bringing on the right video production company partner allows brands to outsource their needs — and receive professional, high-quality, engaging video content in return.
Charter & Co is a full-service video production company that helps bring brand stories to life through video. With a talented team and an extensive network of experienced freelancers, Charter & Co has partnered with over 60 brands across industries to help generate over $35 million in campaign revenue.
Learn more about the Charter & Co team today and get started on your next video marketing project today.