We’ve all experienced the power of video at least once — ever cried at a sappy ASPCA commercial? Or laughed out loud at one of T-Mobile’s eye-catching and hilarious Super Bowl ads? (Check it out below!) Video marketing is a powerful tool for businesses, when used right. If your business is thinking about a video marketing project, there are a few things you need to know before you dive in. Here’s everything you need to know from the stages of a video production project, to the amount of time you’ll need to allocate, and much more.
Video production in three steps
There are three main stages of video production: pre-production, production, and post-production.
- Pre-production – This stage is exactly what it sounds like. Before you can even pick up a camera, you need to plan: make schedules, write scripts, scout locations, and create a Statement of Work. Without taking the time to properly plan out your project, you can very easy run over budget or over time constraints. This is arguably the most important stage of a production project.
- Production – Production is the filming stage of your production project. You’ll need to be on location or in a studio and have all of your equipment ready.
- Post-production – After you shoot your video, you’re not done. You still need to edit your footage and market the finished product. This can take a varying amount of time, depending on how well you plan in the first stage.
How to make an impact with video
You can produce an amazing video with incredible imagery and music and it will fall flat if you don’t take the time to create a compelling message. During the pre-production stage, you need to develop a meaningful script and storyline for your video. Be personable, relatable, and honest. While the ASPCA ads may be effective at raising money, you don’t always need to tug at people’s heartstrings to get your message across. We loved the T-Mobile Super Bowl ads because they reflected real life for many of us. Take time when you’re crafting your video message and script.
Video production time requirements
Like anything good in this world, video production takes time. We asked our expert Charlie Howell, how many hours (on average) does it take to edit a 30 second ad spot? To recite his answer verbatim:
This is really difficult to answer. So many factors can affect the time it takes to edit a video. You might have an interview with someone who is experienced talking in front of a camera and they just nail it. Then you wouldn’t have much to edit and you’re done quickly. On the other hand, you might have a video with multiple interviews with multiple cameras and b-roll footage. Then you could easily have hours of footage you’re trying to edit down to 30 seconds, and that can take a very long time.
How well you plan and prepare for your video shoot has a huge impact on how long editing will take.
What tools you’ll need
If you have a limited budget, or if you haven’t invested in any video production tools yet, then these are the three tools you’ll need to create a stunning video:
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- A DSLR camera for shooting the video is key.
- Use a wireless lavalier microphone (rather than relying on the DSLR microphone). This will help ensure your audio is clear, and you can even monitor your audio while you record.
- Use a set of portable LED light panels to help create the level of light your video needs.
You can see these tools in action in one of our videos, where we talk about what it’s like to work with us.
Managing changes and problems
How should you manage unplanned changes or problems? Charlie said:
Unexpected problems always come up with video. There is always something. So, over-preparing for every video shoot is a good idea. Have multiple locations scoped out, extra cameras, batteries, lights, power cords – the more the better. Also, have extra people help out if you can work it into the budget.
Bad weather happens, so it’s best that you have a contingency plan in place in case of a Nor’easter or wind storm. We don’t want to scare you away, but we want you to be prepared for any worst-case scenarios that might pop up.
A great video production team makes the difference
A video is truly only as good as the people involved in the project. Even the most expensive equipment in the world won’t help if you don’t have someone who knows how to use it. In short, you’ll want to plan, plan, and plan some more, craft a compelling message, and involve the right people in your video production project. If you have any questions about your own video project, please contact Raka today!
