Pre-production planning is a less abstract and more specific form of planning than the ideation, strategy, and development phase. Here is where story boarding will be done to outline each individual scene — including script writing.

 

Pre-production planning should include every asset that the production needs from top to bottom. This includes equipment rentals, talent, and quotes for all of the items that are going to have to be either rented or purchased. The more detailed the planning is, the less likely the shoot is to go over budget or to not meet deadlines.

 

Before production starts, all of the necessary licenses and permissions should be acquired for any shooting locations. If shooting is happening in public places, it may be necessary to notify the state — this is especially true if shooting may interfere with traffic or the use of public spaces.

Production is the most intense and time-sensitive phase of any video project. A well-managed production needs to function like a well-oiled machine, as every additional day of production is going to incur substantial costs. That being said, there are always issues that can occur during production, such as weather-related issues. Contingency plans may be necessary to ensure that production can still continue.

 

How long production lasts and how complex it is will be based on the type of video being produced. A simple explainer video may be shot in the span of an afternoon, whereas a complete television commercial may need multiple takes over the course of a week. A more involved video may take several weeks to complete, especially if multiple locations and sets are desired.

Post-production is when the shots are actually assembled. In fact, it’s when the production will start to take shape. During post-production, the video and audio will be cleaned up. Any errors that have been made will be corrected, and the scenes that are shot will be placed into their final sequence. Multiple post-production versions of the video may be cut together before the final video is completed.

 

During post-production, effects may be added such as visual effects and narrative audio. If audio such as voice lines weren’t clear in the original shoot, actors may need to return to re-record their lines. This is very common. Other effects such as text, titles, and captions will also be added during this time, and ultimately a final version will be compiled for distribution.