Plan for a Video Production
An overview of the process, from first conversation to final delivery.
1. Concept Planning / Brainstorming
We hold a conference call to discuss video concepts, script ideas, visuals, design elements, and overall project scope. The goal of this first conversation is simply to get everyone aligned on what the client needs.
This planning meeting typically takes about 30 minutes and works best as a video call. Topics usually include:
• The overall approach to the video
• The subject matter and which scenes should be captured as raw video
• Whether B-roll cameras are needed
• Whether models or voiceover talent will be used
• The filming location's environment, including safety concerns and lighting
• If on-camera interviews are needed: how many, who will be interviewed, and how to contact and coordinate them
Why this matters: every stakeholder with a say in the final video should be involved from the start. When stakeholders are brought in only at the end - a common pattern when an executive delegates the project and then adds input late - it causes delays and drives costs over budget.
2. Pre-Production
Step 1: Preparation
• Create shot lists based on the concept meeting
• Prepare interview questions, if needed
• Decide whether professional audio is needed, whether voiceover will be recorded on filming day or separately, and who the voiceover talent will be
Much of this can be handled by the client, since no one knows the product or service better. I can help fine-tune these details before filming begins.
I also prepare all necessary equipment - camera, lights, media cards, tripod, shoulder pods, stabilizers, sound equipment, and more - well before I arrive onsite.
Voiceover artists: A professional narrator can significantly elevate a video by delivering the message in the right tone and style, and is generally far less expensive than hiring on-camera talent. Many voiceover artists post work samples online, often record from home studios, and can coach clients through a session in real time - typically for a few hundred dollars, depending on script length.
On-camera talent: Some videos call for a host or actors for dramatizations. To save costs, non-speaking on-camera roles can often be filled by employees instead of professional talent.
Step 2: Script and Storyboard Development
I either write the script or review a script the client has already produced.
Why the script matters: the script is the blueprint for the entire production, and the finished video will closely follow it. A more detailed script or storyboard leads to a higher-quality video at a lower overall cost.
I can write the script for clients who are too busy to do it themselves - this means paying me to develop and organize the ideas into a cohesive package. That said, clients are often happiest developing the script themselves, since they know their brand, product, and audience best.
A simple four-part structure works well for marketing videos:
• Meet Bob, he's like you.
• Bob has a problem that makes him feel bad.
• Bob finds a solution and feels good.
• Don't you want to be like Bob?
When a client brings together the key content, I can help shape it into a compelling story that weaves the facts together.
The script often evolves into a storyboard, which lays out the shot list in detail - what's needed for each shot and who's involved. Individual shots typically last just 1–6 seconds.
A well-prepared script also gives the client's team and legal department time to review and approve the plan before filming starts, which helps avoid costly surprises during editing, including reshoots.
Step 3: Script and Storyboard Approval
The client gives final sign-off on the script before filming begins.
3. Video Filming Session (Field Production)
Filming takes place on location and follows the pre-approved script. This is the most visible stage of the process, since I am on-site filming the video.
The number of filming sessions needed is worked out in advance, during the proposal stage, and depends on the project:
• Sometimes everything needed can be captured at a single location in a single day.
• In commercial or industrial settings, there's often significant downtime between scenes, since client production or equipment activity takes priority. Equipment issues, production runs, multiple locations, or interview scheduling can all require additional sessions, adding to both timeline and cost.
During filming, I also capture other raw footage that may be useful to the project.
Additional crew: Most projects only require a single videographer, but larger productions may need extra resources - a second videographer, a commercial lift, sound technicians, a livestream coordinator, a teleprompter operator, models, or hair and makeup.
4. Post-Production
The time I spend in post-production depends on how much raw footage there is and how complex the story is - for example, whether two cameras were used, whether B-roll needs to be woven in throughout, or whether multiple different processes were filmed.
As a rough benchmark, one minute of finished video takes about eight hours of post-production, not including opening titles or closing credits.
Costs can come down when the client reviews the raw footage and marks the minute and second where each edit should begin and end. I then edit the footage to match. This does require the client's full attention - distractions during review tend to introduce errors, which leads to production delays and added costs.
Logging raw video:
• Reviewing all raw footage
• Transcribing sound bites from interviews
• Reviewing notes on sound bites and footage
• Sequencing edits to tell the story
• Selecting and arranging sound bites into a script
Editing:
• Editing the video to match the approved script, notes, or client requests
• Adding pre-approved graphics, music, and narration
• Sending a preview to the client for review
• Making requested changes
• Client review of the rough cut, plus any additional revision rounds
Delivery: Final digital files are delivered to the client.
Overall Timeline
Across all four phases - concept planning, pre-production, filming, and post-production - a single three-minute packaged video isn't something that comes together on a few days' notice.
Concept planning and pre-production are typically spread across several days to a few weeks before filming. During post-production, delays in client feedback add directly to the delivery timeline. When everything proceeds on schedule, a project typically takes about 30 days from start to finish.
Also see Video Production Pricing and How to Reduce Video Production Costs.