The Typical Production Process

Today is it possible to shoot a high quality video at nearly half the price you would pay just 10 years ago. This allows clients to get more bang for their buck! While each video production is significantly different, the following guidelines are the basic production steps in creating a successful project with The Video Editor. Call us concerning your particular project; we will set up a meeting and carefully construct a solution that fits your exact needs and expectations. Until then, take a look at the typical production steps of the video creating process.

1. Client consultation, we discuss intended audience and how to best convey the message points. You or we will begin writing the script.

2. Pre-production planning. This is one of the most important steps in the production process. The shooting schedule is planned; we discuss how the shoot day will happen and when. This pre-planning is where potential pitfalls are averted. Proper planning is were we save customers times and money.

3. Production day-we efficiently shoot all the elements of the production.

4. Post production begins. First we edit a rough cut of the production to show the client how the video is coming together. After approval is given we proceed to the final edit where we polish the project up with the addition of music, titles and other special effects if necessary.

5. We deliver you the final product in the format of your choice. DVD, CD, Web, videotapes or other formats, you name it! Typical completion cycle takes from 14-30 days.


Contact The Video Editor today to get started on your next video project.

Video Planning

Planning for a video is the best investment of your time you can make. If you are appointed to produce a video, ask questions! Ask management, what do they want from a video? Some may want the video to accomplish a specific goal and others may want to accomplish something on a totally different side of the spectrum. Form a consensus of opinion and stick with one objective. Trying to achieve several goals from one video will end up not achieving any clear goal or message.

Next consider what is the best way visually to achieve your objective. What do you want to show, or more importantly what does your customer, client, or viewer want to see? What's in it for them? Answer that question as you design the video and you'll have an effective structure to build on.

I am a big fan of comparing other videos and competitor brochures to see how they approached presenting their video. I might find myself integrating an idea or two from several others. Remember it's all about the client and what they want, so tailor the video towards them.

Tips to Producing Corporate Videos

When planning for a corporate video there are a number of questions to ask yourself before you start the script writing.

1) Who is the intended audience? What do they look like, male, female, age, education etc. How will they receive a video? Perhaps a brochure or a one on one is a better training tool. If you are still convinced that a video is the best way to proceed then ask yourself the next question.
2) What does your audience need to know? People will always ask the question what’s in it for me? So if your audience senses that watching a video and learning from it are important to their job, career, or livelihood; they are vested and will listen and watch intensively. Remember, it is not what you want to say or show in the video but it is really all about the viewer.
3) What format for the video is best for my audience? The format can be constructed in many ways. Interview style, news format, a tour, an overview of reinforcing bullet points and recaps. What is popular these days on the internet is realistic, almost clandestine amateur looking video. Most advertising gurus know this and have actually produced some highly effective amateur looking video; made to look natural like some regular guy shot it, but of course the power of Madison Ave. is behind them.

Once you have answered the above questions and understand the planning phase of a corporate video, the next step involves the scripting phase

4) Now you can move to the scripting phase. I always suggest to my customers to jot down concepts on a blank sheet of paper [Here is an idea for educating bank tellers how to count money: take a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle of it on the right side is where the script or the ideas are written down; on the opposite side is where you would write down what you want to show when those words are being said: a video shot showing teller in front of client counting money.] It is best to quickly write down your ideas, the actual words of the script can come later. Try to get others to contribute ideas and concepts that should be covered in the video.
5) Prioritize those thoughts. simply number in order, then begin the scripting phase. You can do this yourself or you can hire a professional who does this all the time. The difference in the script will be amazing, and could be the difference if the video is effective or not. An option our company suggests is that the client writes the script and then let our wordsmiths clean it up and add the polish needed.
6) Remember every script (video) must have an objective. What do you want to accomplish? In our bank example we want to train tellers the proper way to count money. How will we be able to tell if the video is effective?

Follow these guidelines and you will have the bases of a great video.


Steve Kosch, President The Video Editor, Inc. Newport Beach