You’ve arrived at your location for a video production shoot. As you open your trunk, you find it empty. No equipment. No notes. No nothing. Panic sets in. Your palms are sweaty. The lyrics of Eminem's Lose Yourself begin to play in your head. An alarm sounds. You wake up in the comfort of your bed. Rejoice! It’s just a bad dream!

I get it. I too have had those anxiety-driven nightmares filled with video fails and production blunders. But with some preparation and planning, you can eliminate those nightmare moments and turn them into Oscar-worthy dreams.

Pre-Production

A magician, a musician or an athlete (this sounds like the start of a joke!) wouldn’t show up to their performance or event without preparation. The same is true for videographers! Pre-production is important to making the production, and ultimately the post-production, run as smoothly as possible. This is arguably the most important step because it creates the blueprint for the success of your video project. Here’s how to start.

1. Brainstorm the type of video you want to make. Is it a testimonial? A short documentary? A hype video? There are obviously many options, but don’t be afraid to throw out other ideas with your collaborators. Will the video require actors? A voiceover? Interviewees? What’s a realistic due date? These are all good logistical questions to ask yourself and your client.
2. Write the script (if you need one). Even if there is no actual “script,” it’s good practice to storyboard or create a shot list to help organize the way you’ll visually tell the story. And if you’ve never been involved in the type of story you’re about to shoot, well, thank heavens for the internet. Watch similar videos on YouTube to see examples of the story you’re trying to tell. It’s a great way to gather inspiration and ideas!
3. If time and money allow, scout your locations! Find the areas that provide the best sound, lighting, or composition for your production. Find some backup areas in case the location needs to move. (Sometimes scouting has to happen on production day. If that’s the case, allow time for it!)
4. Make a list of the equipment you’ll need. You don’t want to arrive on set without an important piece of equipment. That’s the nightmare becoming reality! Create a checklist of all the equipment you will use or may use. And like Santa, check the list twice! Oh, and bring backups, including backup audio, backup cameras and backup batteries. Every now and then, backups will save production, and you’ll look like a complete pro for thinking about it.

To sum up, prep, prep, PREP! The preparation of pre-production will help create an environment for a smooth production.

Production

You arrive on set and open your trunk. All of your equipment and notes are there! You pinch yourself. You’re not dreaming. The show goes on! You’ve arrived prepared. Excellent start! You get all the shots you need, the talent shows up and delivers their lines impeccably, the weather is perfect and you’re done in four measly hours!

If only things lined up so perfectly every time. But if you’ve ever been on a production shoot, you know that no matter how prepared you are, there are always bumps in the road. Bad weather, talent is sick, the location needs to move. Good directors don’t panic. They assess the situation and communicate with others on possible solutions. A constant in life is inconsistency. Flexibility, creativity, teamwork and problem-solving are great antidotes for any panic that could arise from uncontrollable circumstances.

Don’t panic! Think of possible solutions and adjust accordingly.

Post-Production

You’ve wrapped up your video shoot, and it’s on to the final stage of the process:  EDITING! You have 200GB of footage on four different SD cards with audio coming from different sources, graphics and logos that need to be included, plus music beds and files on files on files on files!

SO MANY FILES!

No worries! You have organized all your files into a consistent, well-labeled folder structure so if anyone is looking for certain files, they understand where to find them. If multiple people are working on the same project, consistent and well-labeled folders are especially important.

Pro tip: Create template projects that can be duplicated to maintain folder structures across video series or standalone folders. Most times, you’ll be working with similar types of files. Communicate the organization process with your team so everyone is on the same page — or in this case, the same screen.

Filming a video from start to finish can be a daunting process! With these tips, I hope your nightmares fade into a restful night's sleep. You got this … and if you don’t, the professionals are here to help. Contact us today if you’d like to discuss your video vision.