Business owners who create and produce videos find them to be an excellent way to share their company with potential customers, retain old clients, and increase sales.
The fact is, how your business comes across to consumers dramatically impacts your bottom line, but many don’t realize how much impact video production has on their brand. A well-produced video can make all the difference in your business’s image.
However, before you create the video itself, it’s important to plan what the video will say and how it will be produced to get the most out of your time and money. So follow these ten steps for planning your next video shoot, and you’ll have a successful production every time!
Table of Contents
1) Define Your Goals
Defining your goals is the first step in planning any video production project. Understanding what you want to achieve can create a roadmap for success. Before you start planning your video production, you need to have a clear understanding of what your goals are.
What is the purpose of the video? Who is your target audience? What do you want them to do after watching the video? Once you have a good understanding of your goals, you can start planning your video production.
2) Brainstorm Ideas
Begin by developing a list of what you want your video to accomplish. Some items might be more important than others, so it’s best to prioritize your goals in order of importance before making any final decisions.
Next, consider how much time and resources will be needed for each step and what type of results are expected from that step.
Finally, develop a detailed timeline for accomplishing your objectives, including the estimated length of each phase and when everything should occur. Suppose one thing will take longer than anticipated, plan an alternate course of action so that there isn’t any downtime between phases.
3) Know What Type of Content You’re Going to Produce
Remember: not all videos are created equal; different types of videos are suited for different needs. Determine what type of content would best suit your needs and map out how it fits into your overall goals.
Content should be specific, relevant, and timely. If you don’t know what you want to produce or have no idea where to start, here are some helpful questions:
What type of video do I need? What’s my objective? Who is my audience? What will this video accomplish? When should this video be published? Where will I publish this video (i.e., Facebook, YouTube)? Answering these questions will give the right perspective to get on track.
4) Research Similar Projects
What types of videos have been successful in reaching their goal? Many factors can determine what type of video is most effective. For example, people tend to be more receptive when they know who you are and your message.
How much a person trusts you will also affect how they react to your video; timing matters with any form of media. There’s no use trying to tell people about something they just experienced themselves because chances are they don’t care anymore or haven’t had time to process it yet. Instead, make sure you’re creating content relevant to them at the very moment.
That way, they’ll be more likely to take action on whatever you’re promoting. Other research should include examining competition: Are other projects similar to yours? How well did they do? Why were those particular projects successful? Is there anything you can borrow from those ideas to make your project better?
5) Storyboard Your Success
A storyboard is a great way to visualize your video production before you even start shooting. By storyboarding your video, you can plan each scene and ensure that your final product tells the story you want. Plus, a storyboard can help you stay on budget by helping you plan for props, locations, and other production costs.
6) Define Your Audience
When planning a video production, it’s important to consider your target audience. Defining your audience will help you decide what content to include, what tone to set, and how to market your finished product.
In addition, knowing your audience will help you gauge whether or not your video is successful. If people aren’t watching your videos on social media because they don’t know what to expect from them, you may need to rethink what you’re doing.
However, if people are sharing your videos with their friends and commenting on them positively, then keep doing what you’re doing!
Remember that even if your videos are being shared by others online, they may be doing so without linking back to you. Each video must have an associated URL to track traffic properly.
7) Think About What You Need in Terms of Equipment
Before you start planning your video production, it’s important to think about what equipment you’ll need. This includes everything from cameras and tripods to sound equipment and editing software.
If you’re unsure what you need, reach out to a professional who can help you make a list. Once you know what tools you’ll need, figure out how much they cost. With these two things in mind, it’s time to think about logistics: Who will be on set? What are their roles? Where will this take place?
How long is each day of filming? Do we have enough crew members for filming? How many people should we bring for the audio recording? Everyone needs to work as a team to get the best results possible.
8) Decide on a Production Schedule
The first step in any video production is to sit down and decide on a production schedule. This means figuring out what days and times you will be filming and what days and times you will be editing.
Once you have a schedule, it is important to stick to it as closely as possible. This will help ensure that your video turns out the way you want it to. If you cannot stick to your production schedule, let the people involved know about it so they can adjust their schedules accordingly.
It is also a good idea for each person involved in producing the video to have access to this schedule, whether or not they are shooting footage or editing video clips together.
9) Book Equipment, Crew, and Talent
You can’t make a great video without the right equipment, crew, and talent. That’s why it’s important to book these things in advance. By doing so, you can be sure that you have everything you need to make your video successful.
If you’re not sure how to go about this, take some time to research the process of booking an actor or voiceover artist. Once you find someone who would be perfect for your project, contact them ahead of time to let them know about the project and see if they are available on the desired date.
It’s also good practice to send them any material related to the project, such as script samples or storyboards, so that they can prepare for their audition or meeting with you about their work on the project.
Final Thought
Video production is a process that can be broken down into several distinct stages. By understanding each stage of video production, you can better plan your projects and ensure a successful outcome.
A producer must always have their creative vision in mind but will also need to take into account considerations such as budget constraints and time schedules. Whether planning or executing a project, it’s important to establish these key points before diving in head first.