10 Things You Need to Do Before Producing Video Content
Video Process / Production
Today, it is all about the content. People demand a constant stream of engagement that will keep their attention, so it's natural for brands to want to capitalize on that. However, you can't just jump out there with any video expecting traffic and positive reception.
Part of any commercial video production is the planning that comes before you even start to schedule the shoot or map out the shot list. Here are ten tasks you must accomplish during your pre-production phase.
Marketing is all about connecting with your audience. You may have a great product to promote, but it won't do much good if your target audience isn't seeing it. Make sure you understand who you are targeting so that you can cater to their preferences and even location.
Figure out the buying habits and online interests of the ideal buyer for your brand and create your campaign around that.
You need to determine a budget before you can start planning your production. This is something you need to do before you even think of engaging a producer because you will have to find a creative way to stay within that budget.
You can't plan for the best equipment, studio, and deliverables without first figuring out what you can afford. Once you have a general budget formed and you have gotten enough quotes, then you can figure out the acquisition of production and post-production needs.
You have to define the objective of your video. Then, you have to settle on the main message you are trying to communicate with your video. This will guide your treatment, script, and any next steps regarding the creative execution of the video.
A lot of people start shooting videos or b-roll first and then create a script later. This risks being a waste of time and money, as you have no direction. Get a script written and revise it until all parties are happy with it.
Now, you'll want to figure out how you want to execute this visually. This will aid your production team in planning the actual shoot so that it stays as close to your vision as possible.
It will be largely based on your big idea and script, so this will be the big step that moves production forward. Your final product can be vastly different depending on the treatment you settle with.
Once you have your script and treatment in place, it's recommended to create a shot list. This will be a list of every shot you need to get to create the video (with details for camera placement, lighting, etc.). You will also want to establish a shot list for possible re-shoots and revisions, just in case.
Most viewers will decide whether or not to stop watching a video within ten seconds. So, make sure you engage your target audience and establish the message within these initial moments.
It's best to maximize one produced video by optimizing it for different platforms. That means cutting it down for social media and video sharing sites, catering to the best time slots for each. This means having shorter and longer formats depending on where you intend to share it.
Now, you want to have appropriate copies for different social media platforms. This will depend on where you intend to post your videos and if you want to create different versions based on the platform and its requirements. For example, vertical videos usually outperform square and landscape videos on social media platforms, especially when viewers are on mobile devices.
You want to know when you are going to post and how you are going to share it. You want to get the most views, so the times you schedule will be important. It also gives you key reference points for performance analytics.
If you are planning to create a product or company video, these steps should be followed. Once this is established, you can move on to production.
For successful online content, get a video production agency that is well-versed in engaging and effective videos. Work with us at Mustard Productions to get real results!
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