You have decided to include videos in your marketing strategy. Before you switch on the cameras and start recording, there are more important things to do and this is called the pre-production process. Pre-production is the stage where most of the works related to the process of creating video are completed. If anything is wrong in the pre-production, it does not harm your video but can break your budget. Here are some pre-production steps that help you save money and time as well.
1. The first thing to think when you decided to create the video is to determine the production type.
2. Also, define your audience and this is the first step in the pre production process.
3. Try understanding the goal of the video project and identify the target reach. Choose the core message that the video is going to deliver.
4. Have a distribution plan for the video.
5. Have a clear picture of what your end product is going to look like.
6. Define the budget of your video content project.
7. Depending on the budget of production and the requirement decide the length of the video.
8. When the length is determined, think about the content type.
9. Jot down all the ideas you have for the script.
10. Write the script.
11. Revise it and finally, lock the script.
12. Use commonly used language for the video scripts. Do not make any false claims.
13. Another important step in pre-production is the storyboarding.
14. See that the intro is very captivating.
15. Include greetings and signing offs.
16. Average attention span of the audience is eight seconds. Use these eight seconds to greet the viewers and introduce yourself.
17. Effective scriptwriting should end with being transparent.
18. Create the storyboard which is the scene by scene breakdown of the video content.
19. Also, make a shot list which is the shot by shot breakdown of scenes.
20. Preparing the storyboard and shot list helps to save time in production.
21. Prepare a shooting schedule.
22. Decide the location.
23. Decide how to or where to shoot a scene or a shot.
24. Keep the equipment ready.
25. Decide the people you will need for the project.
26. Keep all the contact information of the people involved ready.
27. Decide the date and the time.
28. Update the shooting schedule if required.
29. Do not underestimate the time you will need to complete the project, instead, overestimate it and it is good if you could deliver it in advance.
30. Especially if you are creating a video for the first time, give yourself conveniently more time to work.
31. Do not try rushing things.
32. Decide on whether to shoot the video in the studio or on the location based on your budget.
33. If it is in location, keep the transport and other equipment ready.
34. There may be needed to take permissions to film in certain locations.
35. If you are on a low budget choose only few location so that not much resources are wasted traveling from location to location.
36. After deciding the shooting spot, visit it ahead of time.
37. Think of the weather and climate and decide the time of the shooting.
38. After visiting the location, preview the scenes and update the shortlist.
39. Know the equipment you will need such as cameras.
40. If your project is on a low budget, the videographer will decide the equipment you will need.
41. List the equipment you will need for the production and check what all you have in-house.
42. Check whether someone from your organization can act in the video.
43. If required hire professional actors.
44. Another important document to prepare in the pre-production stage is the cal sheet.
45. The call sheet should be able to answer all the basic questions such as who, what, when, why and where.
46. Gather all the crew members and hold table reads.
47. Let every person involved in the video production have the working knowledge of the script.
48. Shot a pre-visualization video.
49. Have a contingency plan though it may not be necessary.
50. Start rolling the camera only after completing all the pre-production process to avoid tension.
Video marketing is here to stay if you are not into it now checking these stats. More than ninety percent of the marketers use this in their campaigns and more than eighty percent of them say that it gives a positive impact on the business.
