March 25, 2011 \ Geoff Birmingham
Strong pre-production leads to great video

My partner at Reflection Films, Rachel Jellinek, was recently interviewed by Jim Burns,  the CEO of Avitage.  Jim and Rachel talked about several different topics related to video production.  This particular excerpt was on the subject of the challenges related to video production.  A transcription of the clip is also included below.

JB: So what are some of the challenges associated with video projects and producing video?

RJ: First, I think it’s important to say that people often fear video production.  They feel like it’s this overwhelming, intimidating process, and it does not have to be.  But I think that one of the things that we recommend is to really put energy and planning into the pre-production part of the process.

Some of the challenges come up when you don’t do enough of the proper planning.  You’re not going to capture what it is you want and you’re not going to achieve your goal.  So really dedicating the time – and it doesn’t have to be a huge undertaking – but being committed to map out the plan and the vision.  Pay attention to the logistics.

When you are thinking about what messages you want to communicate, think about who are the right people to be communicating those messages.  Not choosing people because you want to reward them in some way, not for political reasons – although we realize politics play a role – but really choosing who is going to best represent you, your company, your message, and who is going to best resonate with the demographic you are trying to reach.

So paying attention and really putting energy and effort into strategizing up front will make you have a better result.