Video Production Process

We know that the production process can seem daunting, which is why we’re here to help. With over 40 years experience working with global and home-grown brands and corporates in Australia, New York and London in all aspects of end-to-end production, photography, PR and media, our team know how to create content that not only looks good but gets results.

From development, scripting, casting, production, filming, animation, to post production, we’re here to guide you through every step of the process. Want to know more? Here’s a basic breakdown of a simple production process.

Pre-production

All great projects start with a conversation, but that’s just the beginning.

Different types of video production require different kinds of planning but these are the basic steps.

Brainstorming ideas and developing goals

We usually work closely with you, the client, at this point to ensure that we're all on the same page.

Research

We go away and hit the books. Every industry has it's own character, language and idiosyncrasies and to tell your story right we need to know it well.

Choosing Subjects and Style

Every story is told differently: we work out who needs to be interviewed and what style of storytelling will work best.

Writing a production plan

This includes specifics on: research, interview subjects, locations, approach/style, budget, crew and equipment required.

Production

The production part of the process is the most fun. This is where all the planning and strategising that was plotted out in pre-production is put to the test.

Lighting Setup

Yes, the old adage "Lights! Camera! Action!" still stands. And for those who have always wondered what a gaffer does: he (or she) sets up the lights. Like audio, this is a highly specialised field that can make or break a production. Be nice to your gaffer! They make you look good.

Camera Setup

This can be as simple as setting up a tripod or as complicated as building a crane for the shot. The cinematographer, who masterminds this aspect also chooses lenses and the framing for each shot.

Direction

A director (also called a producer on a smaller production) is vital in getting the right performance from the talent or subject. This is just as important in a corporate video or a feature film.

Getting B-roll

B-roll is the footage that supplements the main "A-roll" footage. For example, the B-roll footage might show the changing a tyre on a formula one track while the interview subject is talking about their experience of doing it.

Post-Production

It’s during the post-production process where the magic happens.

This is actually one of the most involved parts of the video production process. Post-production typically includes the following:

Editing

When the production stage is completed the raw footage is ingested (re imported into the editing software), sorted and labelled. Then an editor commences the task of fashioning the footage into an almost finished product. They say that it's in the editing that a film is made.

Sound design and mixing

Sound design (sometimes called "Foley" after the sound effects artist Jack Foley) and mixing is a vital part of the post-production process. Good sound is essential to a good video: an audience will forgive substandard visual but they won't forgive bad audio.

Special effects, Graphics and Supers

Super hero movies represent the top end of this. On a smaller scale, this can include light leaks, animated graphics and "supers" or "lower thirds" which are graphic overlays placed in the lower area of the screen (as seen on broadcast television).

Colour Correction and Grading

Colour correction involves bringing all the footage into line in regard to skin tones, highlights and shadow areas. Making the raw footage as natural looking as possible. Colour grading, a more creative process, is used to add atmosphere. See below.

Colour Grading

Colour grading is the icing on the cake when it comes to video post-production. It adds the “wow” factor and turns the flat, raw image into cinematic awesomeness.

Before

This is how the image is captured by the camera. It is flat and unappealing but it gives us the highest dynamic range, the range of which a camera can successfully capture the lightest and darkest areas of an image without losing detail.

After

This is how it can look after colour grading. Colour grading is the enhancement of contrast, color, saturation, detail, black level, and white point. This can be used to imitate different film stocks or period looks.