People remember 95% of what they see in a video. In contrast, they only remember 10% of what they read in text.
So if you’ve been struggling to make sales or build brand recognition with your target audience, then video production can be the perfect solution.
But creating effective videos for your business isn’t as simple as turning on your camera and clicking “upload.” If you don’t know how to create a video the right way, you risk creating an unprofessional brand image that turns away customers forever.
Thankfully, the video production process isn’t so overwhelming once you’re familiar with each step.
So if you’re ready to create marketing materials that have your ideal customers excited to engage with your brand, keep reading. Below is our complete guide to Denver video production.
- The Stages of Denver Video Production
- Stage 1: Strategy and Brainstorming
- Stage 2: Pre-Production
- Stage 3: Production
- Stage 4: Post-Production
- Stage 5: Marketing
- How to Create a Video, Explained
The Stages of Denver Video Production
Most videographers and filmmakers say the video production process has three stages. These are:
- Pre-production
- Production
- Post-production
Pre-production includes all the steps you’ll take to plan your video. Production is the actual filming of the video, while post-production is where all the editing and sound effects take place.
But there are two other crucial steps in the process. These are strategy and marketing.
The strategy stage happens before pre-production. This is where you’ll brainstorm your ideas and video message.
The last stage is marketing, and this happens after post-production. Your marketing plan ensures you’ll distribute your video on the right channels.
Now that we’ve covered what the 5 stages are, let’s go into more detail on the specific components of each.
Stage 1: Strategy and Brainstorming
Without a clear strategy, you could end up planning and creating a video that completely misses your ideal customer’s needs.
While you might be anxious to jump into video creation, you need to spend as much time as possible in the stratification phase. The longer you spend in this stage, the more likely your video will meet your goals.
Idea Development
The first step is to decide on what marketing goal you want your video to achieve. For example, do you want to raise awareness about a new product? Or do you want to showcase your services to a specific demographic?
To create a solid video idea, ask yourself the following questions:
- Who is your target audience?
- What problem are you solving for them?
- What’s the main message you want to communicate?
- What is the video’s tone? What about style?
Notice how each of these questions helps to narrow down your video ideas. Once you know your audience, you can craft a compelling message that resonates with them.
And once you have a clear message, you’ll be able to create a tone and style that suits your video topic as well as your brand.
Remember that even if you’re selling a product, you’re selling a message. For example, Staples doesn’t just sell office supplies. Their company slogan, “that was easy,” shows that they also sell convenience and a stress-free shopping experience.
If you’re an established brand, then you’ll already have a good idea of who your target audience is. But you still want to focus on one pain point so that your video’s message stays clear.
If you’re not sure who your target audience is, create a buyer persona. Then, go on social media and research what types of videos your competition is making.
Take note of which videos (and messages) get the most likes and engagement, and use these as inspiration.
Decide on What Platforms You Will Use
One of the most important elements of pre-planning is deciding which video platform you will use.
You need to know this information at the start because each social media platform has a preferred aspect ratio.
This refers to the ratio of the height of an image compared to its width, and each platform has its own preference. You need to know this before you start filming so you can be sure the video will fit.
Stage 2: Pre-Production
Once you have your video strategy in place, it’s time to move on to the pre-production phase. This is where all the shoot planning and organization happens.
The goal of pre-production is to make sure that everything runs smoothly on the day of the shoot.
Create a Production Brief
Before you move on to writing a script and finding a crew, you need to create a production brief. This is a document that summarizes the essential parts of your video.
You’ll already have identified some of these elements during the brainstorming phase.
Your production brief should include:
- Your target audience
- The goal of the video (e.g., increase sales)
- Video type
- Video platform
- Deadline
- Budget
One of the most important elements of your production brief is to decide on the type of video you’re creating. Will the video cover testimonials from satisfied clients? Or will it explain how to use a new product?
Knowing all the elements in your brief will help you decide on a budget, so make sure to do this step last.
Write the Video Script
Next, you want to write the video script. Even though you’re not creating a feature film, a script is crucial to making sure your video achieves the goals you set.
Remember that you need a specific and detailed video script. An outline won’t cut it because you’ll be wasting time on set. This can cause your production bill to skyrocket.
The video script will be different depending on what type of video you’re creating. For a testimonial video, you don’t want your clients memorizing a script. This can sound robotic and will look fake.
Instead, write down the main points you want your client to say and practice until the client is comfortable. Remember that videos can easily be cut and put together, so your client doesn’t need to say everything perfectly in one take.
For advertisements and corporate videos, remember that storytelling is essential for marketing. So even though you’re not telling a fictional story, you want to use the narrative to communicate your brand’s video’s message.
This means creating characters and believable dialog. You also want to write down each location (e.g., park, office) and describe the action in each part of the video.
If you’re creating a video for social media marketing, you need to consider how long your video can be. For example, Instagram TV videos can be 15 minutes long when uploaded from mobile, and 60 minutes long when uploaded from the web.
But remember that longer videos aren’t always better because you risk losing your audience’s attention.
Decide on Your Cast and Crew
Now that you know what type of video you’re making, it’s time to start thinking about who will be in it.
If it’s a corporate introduction video or a conference video, you’ll have your employee, managers, and/or CEO as the stars. If it’s a testimonial, you’ll have to contact satisfied clients and ask if they would like to be in the video.
If you’re creating an ad or a sales video, you’ll have to hire professional actors. While it’s tempting to skip this step and keep your budget low, remember that bad acting can damage your reputation.
You will have to audition actors or hire a casting director to do this for you.
As for the video crew, think about hiring:
- A director
- A director of photography (DP)
- A Gaffer (assists with lighting)
- An art director
- A hair and makeup artist
- A wardrobe stylist
If you’re hiring the crew yourself, make sure to ask each person if they have their own equipment. This will save you expensive equipment rental costs.
If you hire a video production company, they will have their own professional equipment.
They will also supply all the necessary personnel so you won’t have to hire each person individually. Plus, professional videography services often have a studio where you can film your video.
Create a Storyboard
Your storyboard is a series of photos or drawings that show what will happen in your video shot-by-shot.
The storyboard gives you an idea of what the video will look like when it’s done. This allows you to make immediate changes and save on costly mistakes during filming.
When you’re storyboarding, keep the aspect ratio in mind. The usual aspect ratio of videos is 16:9. which equates to a wide rectangle.
But some social media platforms require square images, like video carousels.
You may also like: Denver Animated Video Production
Find the Right Location
The right location should reflect your video’s message and should be free of excess noise. Don’t forget about weather warnings—if there are any, it’s best to reschedule.
You also want to film locations for B-roll footage. This is supplemental footage that you’ll intercut with the main part of the video. For example, a product video about a new brand of cheese might have b-roll of grazing cows.
If you’re filming indoors, make sure to include studio rental fees in your budget. If you’re filming outdoors, check to see if you need to pay for any filming permits.
Stage 3: Production
Once you have the long process of planning finished, it’s finally time to film the video.
Aside from having the right cast and crew, there are two vital parts to production.
The first is making sure the location is prepped and ready. If you’re filming indoors, reduce any noise as much as possible. If you’re filming outdoors, make sure you’re in a quiet area.
Unplug any noisy appliances and turn off air conditioning so you can get the cleanest sound. You also need to make sure all the props are in place.
Remember that lighting can make or break your video. For best results, try to use natural lighting as much as possible. If it’s sunny outside or the light is harsh, use a diffuser to soften the lighting.
Stage 4: Post-Production
Now that you have your video footage, you can select the best shots, put them together, and add special effects.
Remember that your video editing should reflect your brand and video message as much as the content itself.
An important part of the editing process is color grading. This is where you adjust and enhance the colors of your shots to make the video more impactful.
For example, let’s say your company offers adventure trips for millennials. A video like this could benefit from frequent, dynamic cuts and vibrant colors.
You’ll also want to make sure your audio is clean and clear. If you recorded the audio yourself, you can use noise-canceling software to reduce any background noise.
When it comes to adding music to your video, you can create your own soundtrack or use royalty-free music. You can also opt to pay royalties to use someone else’s music.
If you create your own soundtrack, make sure to keep the tempo in mind. If your video is upbeat, you’ll want a fast-paced song. For a more serious video, choose a slower song.
You can also use voice-over to add narration to your brand videos. This is helpful if you want to explain something in more detail or if you want to add a personal touch.
Stage 5: Marketing
No matter how good your video is, you need to showcase it on the platforms where your ideal customers are most likely to see it.
You can also embed videos into your website or on your “About” page. Another option is to use your new video in paid advertising, such as YouTube ads.
Videos can increase your conversion rate and get you more qualified leads, but don’t panic if you don’t see results right away. Give each strategy some time to work and change it if you don’t see meaningful engagement in a couple of months.
How to Create a Video, Explained
Learning how to create a video can be a daunting task, but if you break it down into these five stages, it becomes much more manageable.
By planning ahead and keeping your target audience in mind, you can create a video that’s both high-quality and on-brand.
And if you’d like professional help with your next brand video, Telideo can help. Our passionate team combines skilled video production with decades of marketing experience.
So if you’re in the greater Denver area, we’d be more than happy to help you. Contact us today for a free consultation.