3 Corporate Video Production Important Phases
A corporate video will provide a great ROI for your business. But how do you make sure you are getting a high-quality product that will also come in on a proper budget?
Here are three of the most important steps in the corporate video production process that you can’t afford to neglect.
Phase 1 – Research and Development
People often ask us how we create videos. The ways are quite simple – we take the time to get to know our clients, research their brand, and understand what they want to accomplish.
Research begins with meeting clients to determine the overall scope of the video. We consider the client’s message, desired outcomes, their target market, and where that audience will interact with the finished film, on TV, online, via smartphones, or at a conference.
From there we move on to brainstorming. We find a direction for the video that is achievable within budget. We hone their message and identify its essence. This is the beginning of development. We then work out how to visually interpret that idea. We discuss important questions about the production like – How do we tell this story? What elements do we need? Who, what, where, and when will we shoot?
Development is also informed by our knowledge of production costs – what is available at any given time for a proper cost. During this important phase, we determine the style, speed, and tone of the video and also determine the voice-over.
We have seen videos that fail to engage us, for a range of unintended reasons.
Allocating adequate time for research and development will ensure your corporate video has a strong story, a clear message, and an appropriate style (to connect with your audience), and will be achievable within budget.
Phase 2 – Pre-production
When it comes to getting the best out of any project, an emphasis on planning and preparation will always produce a superior video. It will also ensure your production doesn’t go over your budget.
We quote on corporate videos all the time. Unfortunately, many clients only focus on production costs because they are so expensive. Few, however, understand the importance of allocating time and money to pre-production and the money it can save.
Pre-production is where your video goes from being an idea to a plan of action. It is the planning, preparation, and organization that enable production (filming) and post (editing) to run like a well-oiled machine. It also ensures that your crew has time to prepare for the shoot properly and fix potential issues before they become a problem.
During this stage, we plan our shoot, talent (actors), locations, and crew. We secure access and permission to film. We liaise, audition, and visit locations. We troubleshoot. We find solutions to any obstacles we encounter and identify alternative options when we hit a roadblock. Ensuring all avenues are explored and details considered during pre-production minimizes the chances of expensive problems cropping up during filming.
Pre-production is one of the key foundations of a successful video. We rate it so highly we recommend that research, development, and pre-production represent about one-third of your total budget.
Phase 3 – Finishing and Mastering out
This phase is an often-neglected in post-production. During finishing, a quality media production company will invest time in attention to detail that makes your film look and sound outstanding.
Color grading is a bit like Photoshop for video. We tonally balance and give an overall look to the pictures. Audio sweetening and clever sound design take the film to a whole new level of sophistication and quality.
Mastering out is the process by which the video is transcoded. It is output to as many formats as your requirements depending on how the film is to be viewed – broadcast TV, Blu-ray, USB, online, etc.
While finishing and mastering out account for around 5% of the total budget, many clients underestimate the value of this step to their brand. Consequently, they can be left with a video that looks or sounds rough and unfinished – which reflects poorly on their brand. A good video will always be finished beautifully – and the value to your brand cannot be underestimated.
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