Video Production Explained
By James Hunter, Sat Dec 10th
Video is a powerful marketing medium with the ability tocommunicate concise, precise and controlled information with apositive effect. A well-constructed video fires the imagination,increases the energy level and ensure that all feel part of yourevent. It will engage the emotions, focus the attention andenable each individual to visualise his/her role as part of theteam.
Videos strength lies in its simple ability to transport peopleto locations, illustrate concepts and convey far more than merewords, spoken or printed, ever can. Video is an effective andmemorable way of communicating. Core messages and themes arereinforced using other forms of communication. Video footage hasa long shelf life when used imaginatively in multimedia CD-ROMs,Websites, DVD and CD-Brochure formats.
Video has been revolutionised by the onset of digital shootingand editing. Shooting in broadcast quality used to involvecumbersome and expensive camera equipment, combined withanalogue editing which required the copying of sections andconsequent loss of quality with each successive generation. Theprocess was time consuming, complicated and linear. Moderndigital cameras are capable of shooting in broadcast quality.Editing is now carried out in a non-linear way on desktopcomputers; changes may be made at will, stored and reviewed atany time and in any order. The advantages are similar to thosegained by using a computer word processor over that of amechanical typewriter and carbon copy paper for duplicates. Notonly is digital editing highly flexible, but the medium enablesan ever-expanding range of graphical effects to be applied –without loss of quality or corruption of the original footage.In consequence, the costs associated with making and producing avideo have dropped dramatically. What was once the preserve ofthe large, rich and expansive corporation is now available andaffordable to a much wider market – with the consequentadvantages that this provides to
internal company communicationsand team building along with external advantages in the sellingof products or services to your market place.
The stages required to produce a video vary depending on thestyle and content; generally:
PRE-PRODUCTION involves briefing, research, location finding,administration, booking of facilities and writing a treatmentoutline (video content, description and approach to be adopted).After approval a shooting script including both narration andcamera shots will be written. SHOOTING follows the approved script and involves a camera crewand a director going to location/s to interview participants andshoot footage to illustrate, illuminate and reinforce thescript. If required studio shoots are undertaken wherecontrolled lighting and effects are employed - a productdemonstration, for example is typically shot in this way. POST-PRODUCTION includes recording of guide narration (using anedited script, which may change from the shooting script becauseof interviewee’s comments etc.). Footage is edited to the guidenarration, graphic and video effects generated and music andtitles added. The resulting edit master is then client approvedand amended as necessary. A final “voice over” is then effectedincorporating final changes. The final master tape is completeand ready for duplication. DUPLICATION is the transfer of masters onto the final format –which can be all or any of VHS, Betacam, Laserdisk, Digibeta,DVD, Mpeg, Avi and more. The final product is then packaged andpresented in an appropriate way with print material for labels,inserts and sleeves. About the author:James Hunter works for EdricAudio Visual, one of the foremost videoproduction companies in the UK. |
