One of our Core Values at The Video Garage is that we strive to be "Lifelong Learners." Some of our areas of interest include video production, photography, AR/VR, and the continuing evolution of content creation in general. As a way to help folks interested in these areas and as a way for the TVG team to contribute to our creative community, we are building a free resource library:
Our first set of resources, "Demystifying Video Production," is a series of three free informational pieces that include podcast episodes and written content. You are currently reading the first one right now. In real time. At this moment...
This series is designed both for those new to the video production process as well as those already familiar with video production.
Creating a video(s) for your organization, whether it is your first time or if you are a veteran of video production, can sometimes feel a little daunting. Our goal is to help make the process clearer and easier for folks.
This series is designed both for those new to the video production process as well as those already familiar with video production.
By the end of this three-part series, you'll have a better understanding of the production process, get familiar with some of the best practices for a successful production, and learn from some useful and fun stories from The Video Garage.
The Three Phases of Production
There are three primary phases of video production: Pre-Production, Production, and Post-Production. Depending on the type of production (feature film, corporate brand video, television show, news broadcast, multi-camera concert video, YouTube video, or a TikTok) you may have other considerations as well (e.g Development (Creative and Budgetary,) Distribution, Legal, and beyond.)
For our purposes, however, we will focus on Pre-Pro, Production, and Post, as the cool kids say.
Pre-Production
Pre-Production is the planning phase of the process. If you partner with us on a project, it will include a "kickoff call" to go over details of the project with you and your team (where applicable) and our video team.
Over the course of a few meetings, we will craft the creative direction of the video, determine key messaging (where applicable), prepare interview questions, prep interviewees (for projects with an interview component), write an develop scripts, determine the filming locations, as well as the approach we will take to the crew & selecting camera equipment best matched to the needs of the production and the production budget.
In other words, the goal of pre-production is to determine what exactly is needed to create the specific video you have in mind, to solidify the "look and feel" of the video creatively, and to make the entire process as clear and as smooth as possible for everyone involved in the project.
The total amount of time needed for the Pre-Production phase varies from project to project. Factors include the complexity, total run time, and the specific elements needed for the video, I.e. "motion graphics" or animation.
That said, a general rule of thumb is to prepare for 2-4 weeks for pre-production planning. Some projects move much faster. For more complex videos, "narrative" videos ("commercials"), or long form videos, "pre-pro" can often take a 1-2 months.
Pre-production is also a fun opportunity to get to know the video team you're working with, to share your story and passions driving the purpose of the video, and to create a solid and clear plan to bring your video to fruition!
Production
The Production phase encompasses the day(s) that the video footage is captured. This phase also includes the creation of assets such as motion graphics, intro/outro logo "bumpers" at the beginning and end of the video, "lower thirds" names/titles, and so on, to be incorporated into the video.
As with the Pre-Production phase, the Production phase can vary time-wise, depending on the specifics of the project. However, 1-3 days is a good rule of thumb for most corporate video projects. For more complex, "narrative" (pre-written scenes), multiple videos, events, or longer-term projects, extra days can be factored in.
Even production veterans with years of experience still get a kick out of "being on set." Working with a passionate, dedicated crew of folks working together to bring a shared creative vision to reality is a very exciting process, and it's why we do what we do.
Post-Production
Post-Production, (or simply "Post") is often thought of as "the editing phase." During this part of the process, footage is edited, color corrected (more on that later,) audio is mixed and "sound designed"), music is added, and motion graphics and other art assets are incorporated.
The time needed for Post phase of the process can be 1-4 weeks to multiple months. As with the two previous phases, the time needed depends upon the number of videos being edited, the complexity of the videos, total running time of the video, and the client's desired timeline.
We will take a more granular look at the Post process in future posts, (there is a fair amount to cover), but this phase is perhaps the most exciting phase, because it allows you to see each piece of the project come together and you get to see you and your team's hard work pay off!
More Resources
In the coming weeks, we will post written pieces and video/audio podcast interviews with our team that dig deeper into each of the three phases we touched on today.
If you have any questions for The Video Garage team, or if you had any thoughts you'd like to share with us, you can email us via this link.
Thanks for your interest in video, The Video Garage, and of course, "Disco-Move" Thursday!
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About The Video Garage:
The Video Garage is a Boston-based media production company that specializes in high-end, B2B & Educational media production.
We partner with innovative and mission-based clients to realize their visions through professional videography, photography, 3D images, animation, and more.
Our goal is to become your long-term partner, and for every project to represent a pivotal moment in our client's success story.
We work with startups and research labs in the STEM space, small and medium sized businesses across virtually all industries, Fortune 500 companies, and world-class educational institutions in Boston, Cambridge and across the globe.
