The Production Process
For clients new to filmmaking the production process can be an intimidating mystery. Where do we start? What’s involved? How much will it cost? It is easy to be daunted by uncertainty and indecision.
A well-crafted video has unique power to engage an audience and convey a message – more succinctly, emotively and effectively than text. With that in mind, here are the absolute basics for those looking to explore the enormous potential that images and sound have to offer.
The Brief
We cannot stress enough the importance of preparation. A good project requires a great deal of thought and planning long before the script is written, let alone cameras start rolling. In the briefing process we’ll suggest that clients ask themselves a number of key questions:
Why are we producing a video? What need is it meeting? What do we regard as a successful outcome from the video?
Who is the target audience? What age group, demographic, and personality type are we trying to reach? What would engage them? What message do we want them to take away with them?
Where will it be shown and distributed? On DVD? The Internet? At a conference? Local, national, international?
What is the anticipated life of the project? A one-off event? A year? Perpetuity? Is longevity important? If so, what aspects of the project might affect its lifespan?
When do we need the video? What’s the deadline?
What duration should the video be? Do we have a captive and interested audience or the fleeting attention span of a web-surfer?
What are the key components of the video? Interviews? Coverage of an event or events? Dramatised sequences? A simple “piece to camera”?
What will the video look and feel like? What emotion do we want it to convey? What images, sounds, music and graphics would hit the mark? What other projects can we use as a reference to describe what we have in mind?
What knowledge specific to our business are we drawing on to create the video, and what information would help the Producer to understand our business and what’s important to us?
If this video is part of a broader strategy, what other materials (concept documents, brochures, graphics, logos, marketing materials) does the video need to merge with? What branding guidelines need to be followed?
What is our budget? Are we making the most of the money we have? (More on budgets below).
Who is in the video? Will we use people from in-house or do we need to engage professional actors?
How hands-on do we want to be and what work has already been done? Is a script underway? What are our expectations of the Producer and what services do we want the Producer to provide?
Who is in charge? To whom is the Producer ultimately responsible for delivery?
Some of these answers will be immediately evident, others may require further exploration. Needless to say, the more clarity that exists at the outset the smoother the process and the more effective the finished product will be.
After the briefing meetings we’ll move on to …
Scripting!
The script is crucial. It forms the basis of all of the work that follows and must encapsulate all of the messages and objectives uncovered in the briefing process outlined above.
The script doesn’t have to be complex – simplicity is almost invariably best – but the key point is clarity. Whether the script includes word-for-word dialogue (in the case of voiceovers and dramatisations) or offers a more general outline of interview topics, the script must tell the story and convey the key messages as clearly and succinctly as possible. It must also have a through-line that links all of the key components and results in a conclusion that meets the stated objective of the project.
The script also outlines all of the images needed to tell the story, which is essential in planning the shoot.
Silvereye Films will work closely with clients in an ongoing back-and-forth process to ensure that the script really captures the essence of what needs to be said, and engages the target audience passionately and enthusiastically.
Pre-Production
The script is ready, the ideas are flowing and everyone’s getting excited about the prospect of seeing it all on-screen. Pre-production is the first stage of getting it there.
Pre-production involves planning both the shoot and the post-production process to ensure that all works together seamlessly. The Producer is responsible for engaging any cast, crew and equipment required and all liaison between client and production staff. The Producer will plan the shooting schedule and organise studios and locations, in conjunction with the client if locations are the client’s own or industry-related premises.
Production
This is the shoot. The production team (depending on the project, this could involve a single camera operator or a full-scale film crew) will visit the day’s location or locations and capture all of the images and sound that the script requires. The Producer will liaise with any client staff who need to be involved, whether on or off-camera, to ensure that the shoot is both an efficient and enjoyable exercise for everybody.
At the end of the shoot, all footage is stored securely and post-production begins …
Post-Production
The footage is “in the can” and the edit commences to assemble the project as dictated by the script. At its most basic this might simply involve “top and tailing” segments of footage with a title and logo ready for immediate export; or there might be extensive crafting and storytelling involved to make the absolute best of the footage. The scope of the edit varies enormously from project to project. Often music and graphics need to be sourced or created to convey the vision that the script conveys. Any footage shot against green-screen will be “keyed” so that the background can be replaced, and any necessary voiceovers will be recorded and inserted into the video.
Once the Producer has assembled the project the client will be invited to view and comment on the video in its current form. It is important to remember that this is a work in progress - some elements, especially graphics and visual effects, may be incomplete or merely rough “hardware renders”, designed to give an idea of timings and content but without any lighting, texture or density. Similarly, the sound is often rough, with uneven levels of music and voice and minimal if any sound effects. At this point the footage also has not been graded (the process of adjusting colour and exposure from shot to shot). Finessing these aspects is best done after the picture edit has been locked off.
Instead, the objective of this first screening is to offer the client an opportunity to shape the story and make any comments on the flow, the feeling and the content. Seeing the video on-screen as opposed to in script form is an eye-opening experience, and can both raise exciting possibilities as well as identify issues that need addressing.
After screening and discussing the video the Producer will return to the edit suite to make the required changes and insert fully-rendered graphics, animations and visual effects as required.
The Producer having made the changes the client will view the video again with a view to locking off the picture so that the sound mix can commence.
In the sound mix all of the levels of music and voice are adjusted for smoothness and clarity, and any necessary sound effects added. The client will view the finished project to sign off completion.
Once the project has been signed off Silvereye Films will encode the finished product into whatever delivery format is required, be it for DVD, the web or some form of big-screen presentation.
A note on budgets:
As can be seen from the above notes, the scope of a project can vary enormously. “How much does a video cost?” is the classic “How long is a piece of string?” question. So, a few comments as a guide:
The major determining factors in the budget are the number of shooting days, the size of the crew required, and the length and scope of post-production. The most efficient ways to shoot a project are to engage the crew for as few shooting days as possible and to make the most of the crew’s presence on the days that they are working – hence the dollar value of effective scheduling. Similarly, complex edits with animated graphics and extensive sound design are more expensive than projects with minimal post-production.
A special comment on duration, as this can be deceptive. To a degree the duration of a project will affect the budget (longer running time often means more shooting days and longer, more involved post-production) but not always. At one extreme is the high-budget thirty-second commercial, at the other is the 8-hour seminar, shot in a single day on a single camera, that has been top-and-tailed for web delivery. So care is required in using the running-time of a video as an estimate of cost.
Silvereye Films will work with clients to maximise the results of any given budget.
A well-crafted video has unique power to engage an audience and convey a message – more succinctly, emotively and effectively than text. With that in mind, here are the absolute basics for those looking to explore the enormous potential that images and sound have to offer.
The Brief
We cannot stress enough the importance of preparation. A good project requires a great deal of thought and planning long before the script is written, let alone cameras start rolling. In the briefing process we’ll suggest that clients ask themselves a number of key questions:
Why are we producing a video? What need is it meeting? What do we regard as a successful outcome from the video?
Who is the target audience? What age group, demographic, and personality type are we trying to reach? What would engage them? What message do we want them to take away with them?
Where will it be shown and distributed? On DVD? The Internet? At a conference? Local, national, international?
What is the anticipated life of the project? A one-off event? A year? Perpetuity? Is longevity important? If so, what aspects of the project might affect its lifespan?
When do we need the video? What’s the deadline?
What duration should the video be? Do we have a captive and interested audience or the fleeting attention span of a web-surfer?
What are the key components of the video? Interviews? Coverage of an event or events? Dramatised sequences? A simple “piece to camera”?
What will the video look and feel like? What emotion do we want it to convey? What images, sounds, music and graphics would hit the mark? What other projects can we use as a reference to describe what we have in mind?
What knowledge specific to our business are we drawing on to create the video, and what information would help the Producer to understand our business and what’s important to us?
If this video is part of a broader strategy, what other materials (concept documents, brochures, graphics, logos, marketing materials) does the video need to merge with? What branding guidelines need to be followed?
What is our budget? Are we making the most of the money we have? (More on budgets below).
Who is in the video? Will we use people from in-house or do we need to engage professional actors?
How hands-on do we want to be and what work has already been done? Is a script underway? What are our expectations of the Producer and what services do we want the Producer to provide?
Who is in charge? To whom is the Producer ultimately responsible for delivery?
Some of these answers will be immediately evident, others may require further exploration. Needless to say, the more clarity that exists at the outset the smoother the process and the more effective the finished product will be.
After the briefing meetings we’ll move on to …
Scripting!
The script is crucial. It forms the basis of all of the work that follows and must encapsulate all of the messages and objectives uncovered in the briefing process outlined above.
The script doesn’t have to be complex – simplicity is almost invariably best – but the key point is clarity. Whether the script includes word-for-word dialogue (in the case of voiceovers and dramatisations) or offers a more general outline of interview topics, the script must tell the story and convey the key messages as clearly and succinctly as possible. It must also have a through-line that links all of the key components and results in a conclusion that meets the stated objective of the project.
The script also outlines all of the images needed to tell the story, which is essential in planning the shoot.
Silvereye Films will work closely with clients in an ongoing back-and-forth process to ensure that the script really captures the essence of what needs to be said, and engages the target audience passionately and enthusiastically.
Pre-Production
The script is ready, the ideas are flowing and everyone’s getting excited about the prospect of seeing it all on-screen. Pre-production is the first stage of getting it there.
Pre-production involves planning both the shoot and the post-production process to ensure that all works together seamlessly. The Producer is responsible for engaging any cast, crew and equipment required and all liaison between client and production staff. The Producer will plan the shooting schedule and organise studios and locations, in conjunction with the client if locations are the client’s own or industry-related premises.
Production
This is the shoot. The production team (depending on the project, this could involve a single camera operator or a full-scale film crew) will visit the day’s location or locations and capture all of the images and sound that the script requires. The Producer will liaise with any client staff who need to be involved, whether on or off-camera, to ensure that the shoot is both an efficient and enjoyable exercise for everybody.
At the end of the shoot, all footage is stored securely and post-production begins …
Post-Production
The footage is “in the can” and the edit commences to assemble the project as dictated by the script. At its most basic this might simply involve “top and tailing” segments of footage with a title and logo ready for immediate export; or there might be extensive crafting and storytelling involved to make the absolute best of the footage. The scope of the edit varies enormously from project to project. Often music and graphics need to be sourced or created to convey the vision that the script conveys. Any footage shot against green-screen will be “keyed” so that the background can be replaced, and any necessary voiceovers will be recorded and inserted into the video.
Once the Producer has assembled the project the client will be invited to view and comment on the video in its current form. It is important to remember that this is a work in progress - some elements, especially graphics and visual effects, may be incomplete or merely rough “hardware renders”, designed to give an idea of timings and content but without any lighting, texture or density. Similarly, the sound is often rough, with uneven levels of music and voice and minimal if any sound effects. At this point the footage also has not been graded (the process of adjusting colour and exposure from shot to shot). Finessing these aspects is best done after the picture edit has been locked off.
Instead, the objective of this first screening is to offer the client an opportunity to shape the story and make any comments on the flow, the feeling and the content. Seeing the video on-screen as opposed to in script form is an eye-opening experience, and can both raise exciting possibilities as well as identify issues that need addressing.
After screening and discussing the video the Producer will return to the edit suite to make the required changes and insert fully-rendered graphics, animations and visual effects as required.
The Producer having made the changes the client will view the video again with a view to locking off the picture so that the sound mix can commence.
In the sound mix all of the levels of music and voice are adjusted for smoothness and clarity, and any necessary sound effects added. The client will view the finished project to sign off completion.
Once the project has been signed off Silvereye Films will encode the finished product into whatever delivery format is required, be it for DVD, the web or some form of big-screen presentation.
A note on budgets:
As can be seen from the above notes, the scope of a project can vary enormously. “How much does a video cost?” is the classic “How long is a piece of string?” question. So, a few comments as a guide:
The major determining factors in the budget are the number of shooting days, the size of the crew required, and the length and scope of post-production. The most efficient ways to shoot a project are to engage the crew for as few shooting days as possible and to make the most of the crew’s presence on the days that they are working – hence the dollar value of effective scheduling. Similarly, complex edits with animated graphics and extensive sound design are more expensive than projects with minimal post-production.
A special comment on duration, as this can be deceptive. To a degree the duration of a project will affect the budget (longer running time often means more shooting days and longer, more involved post-production) but not always. At one extreme is the high-budget thirty-second commercial, at the other is the 8-hour seminar, shot in a single day on a single camera, that has been top-and-tailed for web delivery. So care is required in using the running-time of a video as an estimate of cost.
Silvereye Films will work with clients to maximise the results of any given budget.
