With viewers retaining 95% of a message when they watch it in a video, compared to 10% when reading it in text, video is key to any marketing strategy so we want to walk you through the video production process so you know what to expect when working with a production company.
Whether you’re looking to increase brand awareness using social media (social video generates 1200% more shares than text and image content combined) or create a slamming marketing campaign that skyrockets sales, video content is the difference between mediocre and magnificent. So let’s get into the nitty gritty, how do you even make a video?
Getting clear on what you want to achieve with your video content and your overall campaign is essential. Standalone videos are powerful but for maximum effectiveness they need to be part of a cohesive marketing strategy.
The planning and pre-production stage is where you and your marketing team decide on the messaging, the feel, the call to action and every other part of the video. Getting this right at this stage saves time and money later on; do you really want to have to re-edit or reshoot an entire video because you forgot a key piece of information? We vote no!
You’ll also want to think about the delivery method for your video at this stage to ensure the final cut is optimised for whichever method you choose.
With your detailed brief in hand you can then move on to the next step, the thing most people think of when they think about video production, the actual production!
You might be surprised to learn that this is usually the shortest part of the whole process but less surprised that it’s the most expensive!
Depending on the type of video you’re creating, costs can include videographers, directors, actors, travel and food, drone pilots, studio or location among other things. Don’t panic; a great brief helps to keep production costs down as the video production company knows exactly what they need to bring your vision to life.
Looking for a little behind the scenes peek at our own production process?
Everything that comes after Ben shouts “that’s a wrap” is post-production. This is the editing stage where the best shots are chosen and assembled into a rough cut. You can expect to see lots of cuts during this process as your editors work to ensure your message comes across clearly and the video looks just as you imagined.
As you work with your editor, you’ll notice they get to know the style you like and can start to predict which shots you’ll choose, this makes each rough cut quicker and closer to your vision than the last. They will also be able to offer you suggestions for edits that may not have been part of the original brief but that add to the aim of the video, the best video content allows for a little artistic license in post-production.
It’s from this main output that any shorter videos are created for social media, as teasers or as shorter ads once the campaign has kicked off.
Once you’ve given the OK to a final arrangement of clips, any visual effects or other extras can be added. These are the flourishes that add a little extra sex appeal to your video. Once these are confirmed the video is considered “locked,” meaning no more edits will be made to the visuals.
Now all the other things that make your video stand out can be added such as colour grading, music or audio effects and sound levels. You’re so close to seeing the completed version and releasing it out into the world, the excitement is almost unbearable!
The final cut has arrived in your hands, now you just need to introduce it to your audience. Don’t worry, we still get nervous when it’s time for our baby to fly the nest but, if you’ve put in the planning time and worked with an amazing team, there’s really nothing to worry about… apart from ensuring the rest of your marketing materials support and enhance the incredible video you’ve just created.