6 Tips to Increase Your Video Production Success

By Lisa Martin

With the advent of digital imaging, video production has become an enormously complex undertaking. Just a few years ago, "producing a video," – for training, informational or promotional purposes – involved fairly well-defined steps. They revolved around budgeting, research, scripting, production, editing, packaging and distribution.

Now, the video images you create or capture may be used in a variety of ways. They may be used in a traditional industrial training video, in Web-based distance learning, interactive CD, as part of the material on an interactive kiosk, or as both still and dynamic images in a multi-media program.

Here are some tips which take into account the wide variety of end products which may result from your "video production."

1. Pre-Production
Pre-production is the most important phase of your production process. And budget is the most important issue. If you do nothing else, do this: Make a firm decision on the amount of your budget, and let your producer know what your budget is. It will save you significant time in the contracting and planning stages and establish a solid basis for your work together.

One of the biggest variables in a video budget is studio vs. location shooting. Depending on your subject matter, location shooting may be essential to the message you are trying to convey. However, going to a location can entail significant costs, which can include travel, lodging, additional insurance, additional crew and additional remote production equipment. Talk with your producer about how to cut costs on location shooting and what your alternatives might be.

Once you have defined a budget or budget range, the objectives of the pre-production are to define your goals, define your audience, create your message, and craft the script that will drive the rest of your production. This script may draw on materials that exist or it can serve as the guiding force in the creation and acquisition of new content.

It will also be helpful to inventory materials you have on hand, noting the format they are in, how long video clips are, and their physical condition. For example, if video clips are underexposed, they will need work to be brought to "broadcast" quality; if photographs are faded or worn, they will need touching up.

Finally, keep your end result in mind. Pre-production is the time to think ahead to the end product, and about all of the ways your final product will be used. And if the final product will have multiple uses, such as video, DVD and web clips, you can achieve significant savings by producing both at the same time, rather than separately.

2. Production
The objective of the production phase is to collect, create, and organize all materials necessary to execute the script and the message. This can involve shooting video, still photography, researching old footage, acquiring stock images or the creation of 2-D and 3-D graphics or animations.

• If existing elements are being used (e.g. archived photos or video footage, existing equipment or supplies), make sure any new elements you create complement and fit in with the existing elements.
• Make sure you're happy with the selection of talent and locations, and plan their use as efficiently as possible. The same goes for every prop, set piece, original photograph, computer graphic or animation you ask the producer to make.
• If you're shooting new video footage, whether in studio or on multiple locations, plan your time, equipment and supplies carefully, so that your production crew and cast are being put to use, not waiting for the arrival of that essential prop or set piece that was ordered at the last minute.
• In all cases, be active in approving and signing off on elements as they are created.

3. Post Production
Post production is the editing phase where all the elements of production (audio, video, graphics & animation) are put together. This is where all the advance planning you did in your pre-production phase begins to pay off. Here are some ways you can save time in the post production phase:

• Be decisive and watch the clock. Your budgeted time in the editing suite will be over before you know it! With today’s sophisticated editing tools, there’s always the temptation to do just a little more. Rein in the impulse and have a clear plan for who needs to sign off and give approval.
• Use special effects judiciously. While many wipes, dissolves, flyaways, etc. are pre-programmed and easily inserted, even the simplest custom programming of effects can be very time consuming and, therefore, costly.
• Be flexible. Take advantage of the digital age. Some of the most magical moments of creativity happen in post production when you're trying to bring a script to life. Allow synergy to happen -- work with your editor to get all the benefits of that unexpected outburst of creativity.

4. Authoring
The objective of the authoring phase is to take all the interrelated materials that have been created for your project and weave them together seamlessly, putting them into a presentation format that allows your audience to interact effortlessly with the content. Although authoring is mapped out in the pre-production phase, as the production comes to life, you may need to make changes.

The guiding principle for authoring is simple: form should follow function. Decide whether your audience is best served by a straightforward, linear presentation, or whether they will learn more from an interactive presentation in which active participation achieves your communication goals.

5. Compression
The compression stage is where your production is transferred to its final delivery format (e.g. CD, DVD, mpeg files for delivery over the Internet, and so on). This is another step where careful planning during pre-production will enhance your final product, ensuring that files are as compact as possible without sacrificing quality. Your producer can advise you on the interaction between your dynamic images (full motion video, animation) and the delivery format.

6. Fulfillment
Fulfillment is the packaging and distribution of the final product. Consider carefully the cost and durability trade-offs between jewel cases, cardboard and plastic sleeves, color vs. black and white labeling, etc. Here are two ways you can save money at the fulfillment stage:

• The video reproduction industry is very competitive. Always ask several reproduction houses for bids. Also, ask specifically about quantity price breaks; you might be able to reduce your per unit cost significantly by ordering a few more copies.
• If your final product includes both a video/CD/DVD and printed materials, such as a training manual, packaging the elements together in one unit can reduce shipping and handling costs.

Careful planning is the key to a successful video production. Plan your budget in advance, think about every detail, make decisions and stick to the plan. The time you spend in advance on conscientious, professional planning will greatly enhance the quality of your final production and bring your project in on time and on budget.

The tips provided here reflect the issues and concerns we encounter most often with our clients. We welcome the opportunity to answer your questions.

Lisa has more than 20 years of professional marketing communications and project management experience. She specializes in developing strategic marketing campaigns for high-technology clients, as well as association-sponsored conferences and trade shows. Lisa has extensive project management experience in Web site design and application development, graphic print design, and video production and is also recognized for her innovative work in Web site development and multimedia presentations. She is a featured speaker at numerous events focusing on the effective use of multimedia and Internet marketing including the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS), Women in Film and Video, National Women's Business Center, and the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority. She sits on the Board of Directors of Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce, NVTC (Northern Virginia Technology Council), Leadership Fairfax and Volunteer Fairfax. In addition, she is a graduate of the 1999 Leadership Fairfax program and the 1999 NVTC Mindshare program.

Lisa graduated from the University of Arizona with a bachelor's degree in Marketing and French and received her MBA from George Washington University in Marketing and International Business.

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