In this next three-part blog we explain the entire (video) production process. We will talk about pre-production, production and post-processing or post-production. First, we teach you everything about the pre-production phase.

The first phase is the most fun one

This first phase of a video or campaign is perhaps the most fun for us. It is fascinating because we can completely lose our creative egg in this. However, it is often underestimated by customers and companies because it involves preparatory work.

In reality, we sometimes have to temper our creative dreams a bit. Companies are not always open to creative elaborations and opt for average end products. It’s the safe option. Or they’ve always done it that way. Such videos or projects can work but is a missed opportunity. In a previous blog post about branding, we talked about standing out from the crowd and the purple cow. Choosing an average solution is like choosing a black spotted cow in the meadow when you could be a purple cow.

But what about pre-production? And more importantly, why spend time on this and not just start filming? The two main things for working with good preparation are smooth progress during the production phase and creating clear expectations for the customer. With the latter we avoid discussions when delivering the videos since the video is actually already fixed before we start recording.

Scripting & Storyboarding

At Fuss we always start with different scripts, depending on how many videos are requested. The script gives a clear course from start to finish. If interviews are requested, these will also be included with questions and possible answers. When the customer asks for extra visual support for the scripts, we convert this into storyboards. Storyboards show the progress in even more detail. We sketch frame by frame to see what needs to be filmed, how long each image lasts and what is being said.

I can hear you thinking, this isn’t really creative, is it? The answer is yes and no. No, because we work with a clear structure. Yes because within this structure we have a lot of freedom and create to bring a story to life.

Size and length matters

Finally, video comes in many shapes and sizes. Plus there are a lot of channels we can post the videos to. In our video content marketing blog we already discussed the importance of tailoring the video to your intended results. Because we have already discussed the strategic wishes with the customer before the pre-production, we know clearly to which target audience we should tailor the video and on which channels it will be posted. This not only ensures clarity in the pre-production phase, but also ensures smooth progress during production and post-processing.

That is suddenly our takeaway message for pre-production. It makes everything else much easier. The extra effort here means less extra costs through iteration and rework at a later stage. 

Our preproduction canvas

Do you also want to start with video for your company but don’t know where to start? Then download our video canvas via this link in which we set you on the way to a flawless preparation. OR plan your non-binding introductory meeting via the link below to discuss your bottlenecks.