Before the Shooting or Pre-Production Stage

Before three large stages of video production (pre-production, production, post production) there is a zero stage: the appearance of the idea.

An idea is a mental construction that can be understood, appreciated, preserved, and under the influence of which it is possible to change.

Do you have an idea that deserves to be shared? Go work on it.

Beautifully shot, but without any special content, the video is doomed to become a backdrop somewhere in a cafe. Your customer probably has a lot information to tell his audience, but you don't know it or don't realize. Any person or organization lives his own life. Any experience is unique, and from it you can draw conclusions that are worth telling your audience. You just need to determine what to talk about and how.

To create a video that is really in demand among the audience and effective for a customer, everything needs to be carefully planned.

Firstly, think about the results you want to achieve. Likes and views? No. The goal of 1000 new followers on the channel is too superficial. So what goals a video production can pursue? Here is some of them:

• creating a corporate identity and positioning;
• gaining customer confidence;
• gaining the favor of government, investors and suppliers;
  
• building long-term relationships with the media;
  
• changing of corporate image and creation of prestige and positive reputation of the company;
  
• resolution of misunderstandings;
  
• taking action on adverse publications;
  
• attracting and retaining valuable employees;
  
• promotion of products or services;
  
• creating consumer awareness;
  
• taking action on opportunities and contentious issues;
  
• strengthening the effect of sponsorship events.
  

Now you can start building the plot. Creating and developing an idea is an individual process, but we can give you some tips:

1. Make a brainstorm. Unleash your imagination. Record all options, especially if you plan to shoot a video with someone else.
2. Take away the excess. If you have too many ideas, narrow the list. Mark the most interesting concepts, and then decide which ones you would like to implement.
3. Create a story. When you stop on a specific idea, think about the key elements of the plot - these are the turning points that give the course to your story

Write down what you plan to say in front of the camera. Some authors fix the main issues so as not to forget to touch on them. You can record in more detail by specifying the order of the scenes and the most important cues. To shoot a complex video, write a script with the actor's remarks and directions for the crew.

Stick to your chosen storytelling style. Each author has his own way of speaking, so tell a story in a way that only you and your customer can do. Even if you've never written scripts before, just write it as you see.

For the convenience of creating video content, we suggest you to use the director's script (what is it, what it is for and how to use it, you can read in the previous article "Video production stages: from idea to finished video").

Not only actors, but also crews usually rehearse before starting shooting in studio rooms. During the rehearsal, you can identify and eliminate all problems and shortcomings before moving on to the next stage of production.

It is always necessary to carefully prepare for the shooting. The whole result of the idea depends on how you prepare.

Choose a place to shoot

Looking for the perfect place to shoot? Renting a special studio is a good variant, but an office or a cafe may well come up with your idea.

Authors often shoot videos on the street. For example, if you lead a travel company's channel and talk about travels, most of the material will be captured on the way. In certain cases, you need to find the necessary environment that reflects the atmosphere of the plot.

In any case, when you choose a location for shooting, it is important to consider lighting and acoustics. Make sure your location is safe. When planning to shoot on the street, do not forget to take into account factors such as weather forecasts, the ability and methods of delivering equipment to the shooting location, access to outlets, etc.

You should also remember that for shooting you may need the permission of the owner of the object that you are shooting, or even a passerby who got into the frame. In some countries, there are places where any shooting is prohibited. It can be a courtroom or government building. Therefore, take care of this in advance.

In addition to the place of shooting, you can also choose a memorable visual style for the channel, which will depend on the image of your customer, backgrounds, props and costumes. Think about how everything in the frame will emphasize the brand of a person or organization. To be recognizable, many authors adhere to the same style. When you choose the design for the channel, we suggest to pay your attention to the following aspects:

• Background. Try to choose the background depending on the genre of the video. For example, humorous videos are best shot in bright surroundings. If the channel is dedicated to serious topics, use darker colors or muted tones. To select objects, place them on a contrasting background or unusual surface. Make sure that there are no distracting objects in the background.
  
• Clothing. Clothing can tell a lot about a person, so don't be afraid to experiment.
  
• Brand. It is important that the appearance of the base subject is consistent with the style of the channel. For example, on a travel channel you can appear in everyday clothes, but if you run a banking company channel, it is better to look more official. It is useful to try many options to find your style.

Before starting the filming process, you need to prepare the necessary equipment. If you have not yet picked up equipment for shooting, read customer reviews on online forums, specialized platforms to make a choice.

Before shooting, always check yourself for the following points:

• Check a camera, light and microphone;
• Configure the camera and set the desired resolution (set the maximum);
• Carefully pack and mark the filming equipment for transportation;
  
• Charge the batteries and, if necessary, take the charger;
  
• Take along extra batteries, memory cards, and hard drives.

The stage of preparation for filming is the longest, most time-consuming and painstaking one, but you should not let out of your attention any moments (for example, inaccuracies in the script, not ready requisites, not reserved place for shooting, etc.) Remember, any miscalculation at the pre-production stage will result in large resource losses in the subsequent stages, up to the disruption of filming and closing the project, so always carefully check the readiness for each item before moving on to the production stage!

Creative success!