There is no shortage of viral or entertaining videos on YouTube, social media, and other online platforms right now. However, do you ever wonder what happens behind the behind-the-scenes of those viral and highly entertaining videos? How are these videos shot and produced?
Well, it all boils down to planning, shooting, and producing the videos. Most people think that this process is all about writing a great script, filming, and editing the videos. While this is a huge part of the entire process, the video wizzes at Spiel say that planning and following the right guide is one of the essential factors of video production. Here are the steps you should follow.
Step 1: Video pre-production
Before you begin filming, you must plan your videos first. This is what is commonly known as video pre-production and the initial stage of video production. It is absolutely important in ensuring smooth and effective video shooting. Indeed, effective planning can save you from issues like running behind a video shooting schedule, forgotten video recording equipment, and avoid mistakes that could ruin your video production process.
One of the essential things you should think about before video pre-production activities is content ideas and the specific target audience. Video production starts with determining the types of video you intend to create and envisioning the end product. Setting your targets for any video means you are mentally prepared to take the necessary steps to make it a success.
Whether this means dedicating enough time towards the entire video project or simply being more organized, successful videos begin with having great content ideas and profiling your target audience. Keep in mind that your target audience will determine the specific content to include in your videos. For example, if you intend to sell sports shoes to NBA players and their fans, you will not start advertising the best flip-flops in the industry. Instead, you will research and provide content that is relevant to NBA players and their fans.
Another part of video pre-production is creating a shooting schedule. It is crucial that you outline a well-thought-out schedule for how the specific day of the shoot should run, particularly if you intend to shoot more videos within the same day. Remember, you will be using that schedule as a checklist as the guideline to ensure all essential scenes or shots are captured and nothing is forgotten.
Be sure to leave enough time for meals and breaks as well. If you have never planned another video shooting session, it is recommended to work with an expert. This is because compiling a shooting plan is an integral part of the entire video production process. Poor planning could mean that important shots or scenes will be left out or improperly short. This could affect the overall outcome of your project.
Lastly, plan how you will distribute your videos. A recent study showed that social video generates approximately 1200 percent more social media shares compared to other forms of content like images and text. Additionally, an impressive 80 percent of internet users can successfully remember a video advert they viewed in the past one month (30 days) or more. These numbers point to one important thing – video content is an excellent way for gaining exposure, but only if digital marketers and other video users have the right plan in place to successfully distribute the videos produced.
Step 2: Actual production
Now that you have a solid plan for your video project, it is time to execute it. This is where you actualized everything you planned for in stage one. On the actual day of video shooting, there are important things you must do to ensure that you capture excellent video footage and audio. Remember, effective production will make your video post-production activities a breeze.
Set up your video recording or shooting equipment. That means you must have an excellent camera and audio recording devices such as a microphone. Failure to have the right equipment in place means you will not shoot your videos successfully. This is a major drawback associated with improper preparation.
It is essential to mention that you don’t need to own expensive camera and lighting equipment to shoot industry-class videos. Instead, you can rent or higher the pieces of equipment you need to shoot high-quality videos. You can also choose to work with reputable video companies in case you want to tap into the expertise. This is also a cost-effective way to get affordable but industry-class videos.
During actual shooting, make sure you capture excellent scenes or video footage. Be sure to follow the schedule or plan you created in phase 1. The success of your videos depends on ensuring that they resonate with your target audience. Note that audio quality is also something you must pay attention to. The characters must be audible enough so that your target audience can hear and understand what’s being said.
Step 3: Post-production
This is the last phase of video production. After planning effectively and executing your plan during video shooting, it is time to perfect your video clips before you share them with your target audience. Putting various video clips together, combining them with audio, and editing them to fit your requirements are some of the important activities involved in video post-production.
Keep in mind that some of the video post-production activities like video editing are technical. Even when you have the best video editing tools, you still need a basic understanding of video content and how to make professional-looking videos. If you have never done this before, it is recommended to collaborate with a videographer or someone who has been shooting and editing videos frequently. This way, you can avoid pitfalls that could derail you are well thought of the video production plan.
Conclusion
Video production is not as challenging as many people think. However, you need an in-depth understanding of the basic principles behind excellent videos. Unless you are absolutely sure that you can create great videos, it is in your best interests to work with a professional. Get in touch today and create amazing content for your brand, check the video production agency in Dubai.