What We Talk About When We Talk About Pre-Production
What is Pre-production?
Pre-production happens before the cameras start capturing images on set. It’s the planning stage of the work where we figure out how to do what you want us to do.
What goes into pre-production:
The first thing we need is a clear concept to work with. At this stage, nothing is written in stone, but having a very solid direction is key. Pre-production is not the time to come up with the idea, it’s the time to gather all the elements to make the idea happen. Here are some elements of pre-production.
Script writing
What do you want to be said or heard during your video? Sometimes this can be a very specific script, other times it is a loose outline of ideas and topics to cover during an interview. Writing for video production is different from anything else. The style is a little more conversational and condensed. It is important to remember that video is about showing instead of telling. Often, the script supports what the video is showing. Think of the video script as underlining your ideas with a vocal Sharpie.
We can write a script for you, but often working together on it is better. No one knows your business better than you.
Interview outline
If the video will include interviews, forming questions and clear directions in order to lead to natural talking points is important.
It’s important to not sound too “wonky” when making these questions. Unless your audience is very specific, it can get confusing fast. There are times when leaning into industry jargon helps establish value, the general rule of thumb is to use it sparingly.
When a script is finalized, we can build the visuals around it. Each part of the video should have some correlation to the script, otherwise it could confuse viewers.
Mood Board
A mood board is where we put a lot of things up to get the general look and idea of what we’re going for. Color swatches, images, text type, and anything else that is inspiring. Mood boards help ensure we’re all on the same page, figuratively speaking. The mood board is not a binding document, but a visual backbone to everything that comes next. At each step, anyone can refer back to the mood board for visual direction.
Story board
Story boarding is the visual document of the video concept before setting up the camera. This is the layout of the video on paper, much like a comic strip. It’s everyone’s first impression of the video, and the place where the visual concept starts to come alive.
Storyboards don’t need to be works of art, they just need to portray the idea.
Location scouting
Where are we going to make this wonderful video? We’ve worked anywhere between the middle of the woods, busy streets, studios, and hotel suites. All of these locations need to be staged in some way. We look at locations with a few different considerations:
How do the cameras see it?
How will we light it?
Are there any environmental concerns? (Weather, construction, neighbors, power, etc.)
Are there potential sound issues?
The most important concern is if the location supports the video concept. That’s why we take some photos and clips, share and review them, and arrive at a decision as a team.
Set design & Stylists
Set designers and stylists are the people who help a location support the concept. If we’re making a video in someone’s living room, a stylist replaces all the owner’s personal items with more generic items and furnishings that may fit the concept better. Stylists also help choose wardrobe and props and help support the look and color palette of a video. Sometimes set design includes actual construction.
Talent Casting
Who is going to be in front of the camera and whose voice will be narrating the video? Casting often is fraught with superficial variables that really do make the difference. Everything happening in front of the camera is there to help communicate a message. Not all videos need hired actors and actresses, but it’s important to consider and vet who will be the face of the project to the viewers.
Color Grading
Color grading is like housekeeping: no one notices it unless you don’t do it or you do it poorly. The way your video looks color-wise communicates a lot. A few examples to consider: the color palette of Batman: The Dark Knight vs. Top Gun. Batman is cooler, slightly de-saturated, with a slight green tint, giving an ominous and dark feel to the story. Top Gun is warmer and more saturated, which communicates a romantic, heroic feel to the story. These are intended production decisions.
It’s important to have a consistent color grade throughout the production. Consistent color is a subtle and effective way to connect otherwise disparate scenes in a video. Although the final color treatment of a project happens in post-production, determining the palette ahead of time is critical. This can affect set design, props, wardrobe, what time of day we film, filming locations, etc.
Dates and Time
This ties a little into location scouting, especially if we’re working outdoors. Knowing where the sun will be, when and where it rises and sets, and what the weather is like is very important. Scheduling production days can happen anytime during the pre-production phase. Location, time of day, and weather can play important roles in telling the story. Mid-day in the city might be easier to schedule everyone, but maybe sunrise near the coast would fit the brand and concept better. This leads us to considering travel times, access to locations, parking, and other variables that can change throughout a day.
Summary
Collaboration is at the heart of all production. Understanding the pre-production process can make the process easier and less time consuming. A lot of important decisions occur during this part of the process, and it is the time when various ideas achieve clarity before a single video frame is made.
In the words of Louis Pastuer: “Fortune favors the prepared mind.” and that’s what pre-production is all about.