Introduction to Pre-Production

VIDEO PRODUCTION

Horacio Jones

CHAPTER 1

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Pre-Production Overview

SECTION 1

Video Production is an amazing and creative en-deavor. It can also be a lot of rewarding fun when you are working with the right group of people. This ibook is geared toward helping you understand what to expect in the pre-production stage of the video production process so you can be prepared and know what to expect

once you have committed to creating a video pro-duction. Along the way, we will show you exam-ples of the concepts described. As the 21st cen-tury begins, video production technology keeps developing and one must keep abreast of new ideas and incorporate slicing-edge technology for each new video creation.

Video Production Process

1. Pre-Production2. Production3. Post-Production4. Distribution

Overview

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CHAPTER 2

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The Pre-Production Process

SECTION 1

In many ways, pre-production is the most important part of the whole production process. In this stage, discussions about the budget, script, creative direction, and equipment are exchanged between the client and the producer. This process is expedited through filling out a “creative brief” which is a questionnaire solic-iting information about the scope of the video production, target market, and the intended distribution of the content. Once the creative brief is filled out, the video producer can begin to acquire the talent necessary within the scope of the budget to pull off a suc-cessful video production. The client should always be engaged in

this process as much as their time permits. The script is the most important part to be focused on at this stage. As the old adage goes “Garbage in, garbage out.” A stellar script that gets everyone excited is an essential building block to the successful video pro-duction. The next most important factor is the talent. It is wise to engage the services of a talent agent who has a pool of experi-enced talent that can perform exceptionally in front of the camera when the director calls “Action!” Clients should be able to see photos, and videos of prospective talents the video producer has preselected for their consideration.

Pre-Production Checklist

1. Budget2. Script3. Storyboard4. Casting5. Location Scouting

Pre-Production

4

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Pre-Production1. Budget - This item often goes hand-in-hand with the script,

after all you can’t write a $50,000 script if you only have $5,000 to spend on your production. For this reason, it is imperative to discuss your budget and expectations with an experienced video producer who can guide you as to which items are most important to relegate the funds to. While there are some places that you can skimp (food, trans-portation, lodging) the majority of video production ex-penses should be used in acquiring top talent that will per-form at a high-level under pressure or time-constraints. This includes the scriptwriter, actors, director, camera op-erators, make-up artists and video editors. Typically a pro-fessional video production starts at no less than $500 but you won’t get much more than a camera operator and edi-tor for a couple of hours. A good budget should take into account all possible expenses for the video production in-cluding travel, legal fees, administrative costs, licensing fees, and of course production & post-production costs. You may have heard the phrases “above-the-line” & “below-the-line” this refers to a distinction between the most influential and creative roles of a film, and the rest of the crew. Generally Actors, Directors, Producers, and Screenwriters are above the line. See the sample budget on the next page to get an idea of the different costs involved.

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Sample Budget The “Line”

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Pre-Production2. Script - Once the budget has been decided upon, the scriptwriter

can begin his work. The ball starts rolling with a conference call between the video producer and writer where the producer ex-plains the vision of the client to the writer. Sometimes the writer may need more information and he will send a questionnaire ask-ing for details about the target market, intended distribution, and product specifications. Additionally a good writer will spend time analyzing the client’s product including their website and their competitor’s websites and ads. Within a couple of days the writer should deliver a professional rough draft to the producer and client in one of several different script formats. Scriptwriters use a particular program to write their scripts such as Final Draft or CeltX. At this stage the client and video producer have the op-portunity to review the script and make corrections or sugges-tions to improve the script. It’s important to be critical at this stage and open to new ideas. Sometimes one may realize that the initial idea isn’t working at it isn’t necessarily the scriptwriter’s fault, the idea just isn’t engaging or isn’t feasible. Often times this leads to more brain storming and eventually a new and bet-ter script is generated. There can be several rounds to these revi-sions before the client approves the script, but it’s important to get the script as perfect as possible before moving on the next step - Storyboarding. These two steps can often overlap because you may need to visualize the script into pictures to grasp the full vision and scope of the production.

Here is a sample Audio/Video Script.

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Pre-Production3. Storyboard - Now that the script has been approved or at

least at an advanced stage of development, it can be visual-ized through the storyboarding process. Traditionally a sto-ryboard is hand drawn by a story board artist into panels representing parts of the script as in this example below:

Not every angle has to be included but just the main ones to give an idea of the action, location, background, and actors involved.

There also other ways to storyboard. For example one can simply do a google search of images/stock photos and use a program like photoshop to create the storyboard. Programs like GoAnimate can also be used to make an animated storyboard complete with move-ment, backgrounds, and computerized voices. Another animated storyboard option is the free program Plotagon. This software al-lows you to choose different angles and characters while you write the script. This is a great way to visualize your script before the ac-tual shoot. Here is a screen shot from a sample script:

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Pre-Production4. Casting - Concurrently with the scriptwriting and storyboarding, you can begin looking for the talent that is going to be involved in your production. The best route to go is to hire a Casting Director or Talent Agency. They have an extensive database of prescreened actors or voice-over artists for the client or video producer to peruse. They should be able to provide head-shots, resumes, and demo reels of the artists demonstrating their skills and versatility. It is wise to choose 2 or 3 people for each role and have them come to a Casting Call. Be sure to provide the actors with the script and storyboard beforehand so they can come prepared to give their best performance. Choose a professional location for the casting call so that everyone feels comfortable. Ideally there should be a waiting area for the actors and a changing room. Be sure to have a video camera (or at least an iPhone) set up on a tripod to record each of the auditions. Don’t worry too much about getting a flawless performance from each actor right now, the main things you are looking for are professionalism, confidence, the appropriate look and likability. Of course if someone comes in and nails it, then you are lucky, but more often than not they won’t and you will need to settle for someone that you can work with and that has the appropriate demeanor for your video production. Once the auditions are done, the client and the video producers should come to mutual decision about who to cast.

5. Location Scouting - This part of the process can be optional depending on your concept. If you are shooting green-screen or white-screen than you can essentially skip this step. If not, then you will have to spend some time finding the best locations for your shoot. Factors to consider are lighting, sound, background and accessibility. Another factor to consider is the absence of obvious signage or logos in the background because these may have to be removed in editing to avoid any copyright infringements. It is also important to gain the proper permissions in order to film at certain locations. If your video production involves a busy street or public area, you will need to coordinate with the city and the police department to block off streets and control the location. This can take a long time so you may wish to hire a Location Manager or Location Scout who will take the script and scour the city (or world) to find the appropriate locations. You can expect a report from the location scout that includes pictures, videos, financial costs, availability of parking, distance to base of operations, lighting and weather conditions. Based on this report the client and video producer can decide which locations are the most appropriate to book for the production. Once the final decisions have been made the process of “Clearing the Location”can begin. This means that someone has to negotiate the fees for renting the location, get the appropriate clearances, notify residents in the area of the upcoming, and any other requirements necessary to procuring the locations. This can be a long process but it is vital to the success of the production.

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Pre-Production ConclusionNow that you know a little more about the pre-production process, you can be more prepared when meeting a video producer to discuss your project. Remember, this is the most critical step to creating a successful and memorable video production. Regardless of the type of video you are making, taking care to create a viable and professional script as well as hiring exceptional on-screen and off-screen talent. These are the keys to success.

Horacio Jones has been a Video Producer, Director, Camera Op-erator and Editor for over 10 years. He has directed several documentaries, short films and numerous corporate and event videos. Currently he is the owner and Executive Producer at www.CinemaViva.com where he oversees the day to day video production and editing tasks necessary to maintain a success-ful video production company.

Philosophy:I strive to offer creative video production and editing services in a timely and efficient man-ner. That's why I think it is bet-ter to spend more time in pre-production to ensure that the plan is solid and considerations like the budget and talent, and personnel are more than adequate to pull off the production without a hitch. Ultimately, it's more economical to do things right the first time. I'm equally comfortable being the leader or being part of a team, I check my ego at the door when I have to perform. Additionally, I maintain a comfortable, yet profes-sional rapport with the client, crew, and cast of each produc-tion in order to promote an atmosphere of excitement, fun, and creativity.

Pre-Production Checklist

1.Budget2.Script3.Storyboard4.Casting5.Location Scouting

About the Author