A video pre-production style guide
Great media doesn’t just happen.
Sure, technical expertise and years of experience help improve the odds. But even so, there's more to creating great content than showing up with fingers crossed and hoping greatness ensues.
Before a single keystroke is made, before a single word of script is written, before a single piece of equipment is loaded for a shoot, great content begins with a question. A series of questions, really.
Like charcoal roughing out sketchwork on a blank canvas, the answers to these questions begin to form the vision for what that finished piece will eventually be. The artistry comes later, but the groundwork is being laid.
Excellence, at its core, starts with asking the right questions.
Who is the audience for this piece? What is the work's intended purpose? What emotions are we trying to evoke? What’s the best format, the best method for communicating the message? Documentary-style? Scripted voiceover? Direct, to-camera delivery? Dramatic? Comedic? Straightforward and informational? Who are the best people to tell this story? Where is the best location for telling the story? In-studio or on location? Does the piece need to be fast-paced with high-energy? Or slow-rolling and immersive? Do we need to pack light to film on the run? Will we be shooting outdoors and need reflectors and bounce cards or indoors with a lighting kit? Audio? Shotgun mic, Lapel or handheld? Wireless or wired? Tripod, Handheld, Shoulder Mount, Gimbal stabilizer, Dolly track, jib, drone?
There’s more to it, but you get the gist.
There’s more to a great shoot and a great end product than technical expertise or even years of experience.
Preparation is the starting point for excellence. And that preparation starts with asking the right questions.
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