The 3 Stages of Video Production Explained
Everyone is used to the final product of video production which of course is the finished video. But what about the process leading up to the finished video?
What many may not know is there are actually three different video production stages. Generally, these are done in teams who are skilled in each of these so that the finished video can be the best it can be. Curious?
Let’s jump in and take a look at these three stages.
Preproduction
Preproduction is the very first stage of video production and as you can tell by its name happens before you actually make the video. Preproduction is often considered the most fun because in this stage you can let your imagination go wild.
Preproduction encompasses everything from coming up with the ideas to writing the scripts. It generally ends once the script and the planning process has been completed.
Generally speaking, this stage should be the quickest, but this isn’t always necessarily true. The length of preproduction really depends on schedules enforced by your producer and the size of the project. As an example, the movie Coraline spent two years in preproduction, but a video made by you and some friends may only spend a few days in preproduction.
The majority of preproduction will be spent writing and planning. The planning is probably the most important since you want production to go as smoothly and quickly as possible.
Production
The second stage is production. This stage will generally have a set amount of time. This comes from shooting schedules created in preproduction and any notes that are given by your producer.
During production, it’s important that the people working here like the directors, videographers, and actors know what they’re doing so you don’t waste any time. In video production, time wasted is the same thing as money and resources wasted.
While it’s important to follow your preproduction materials like the script, shot lists, and storyboards, it can be limiting to follow them so strictly. Should your director or actor come up with a good idea, if you have the time, be sure to try it out. It’s possible that that change ends up better than what was planned.
Post-Production
Once your video has been shot, it’s time to send the footage to the editing room. Post-production encompasses all things editing. We’re talking about your basic rough cut, dailies (depending on the size of your project), music, and special effects.
How many editors you have working on the video depends on the size of the project. If it’s a general video with not many special effects, it’s most likely you’ll have one editor. This will maintain the vision of the team as well as save the production money.
If your video is heavy with effects and whatnot, then it’s likely you’ll have a small editing team, each person specializing in a different type of editing.
Once your video is done, make sure to watch it. Your editor has spent countless hours working on the video so they may be amiss to slight mistakes. Sitting down with your editor, producer, and director to watch the video before you export and share it will make all the difference.
Video Production at its Simplest
Video production is a long and work-heavy process. But if you have the right people and know all about the three stages of video production, it is tons of fun and doesn’t even feel like work. If you decide it’s not for you, then consider reaching out to a video production service.
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