What is Video Production: The Ultimate Guide

What is Video Production?

Video production is the process of creating a video asset. What that video asset is can range from a short marketing spot, like an ad or spot you might see on social media, to a full-length feature film. No matter the size or distribution of the video asset, most video productions follow a similar process, with different people executing different responsibilities. Over the last 200 years, video production has continuously been improved and streamlined into a typical production process you’d see today.

The History of Video Production

The first video production dates back to 1826 when the first black and white picture was taken by Joseph Niepce. A few years later, Joseph Plateau invented the phenakistoscope, the first object that allowed for the simulation of moving images. In the decades that followed, celluloid film was invented and innovators began capturing moving images on the film.

In the nearly 200 years that have passed since that first photograph was taken, video production has come a long way. Films got longer. They moved from black and white to color, from silent to fully synced sound. Film reaches a heyday in the US in the 1920s and 1930s when the average output of feature films exceeds 800 per year. (Today, it’s more likely that about 400 productions are put out in a given year.) From the middle of the 20th century on, different media are explored, like the first music videos and television commercials. Different film formats are invented, such as IMAX, the first of which was released in 1970 in Japan. Film moves to digital and embraces more digital and computer-generated effects. Now, in the modern era, most people have more advanced video production technology available to them on their phones and computers than was ever possible in much of the nearly 200-year history of film production. 

The Process of Video Production

Generally speaking, there are 5 stages of video production that any kind of video asset has to go through, from ideation to completion. These five phases are:

• Strategy and development

  • This is the initial stage, the ideation of the video and what it’s going to be. In this stage, strategies for content and development are fleshed out and defined before pre-production begins.

• Pre-production

  • In pre-production, assets that were defined in the previous stage are developed, including writing a script, creating a storyboard, hiring talent, procuring equipment, scouting locations and every other piece of production that needs to be prepared or accounted for before production begins.

• Production

  • Production is where all of the assets gathered or created in pre-production come together. The crew and cast, if applicable, begin the process of shooting each scene or segment of the video.

• Post-production

  • In post-production, the video assets created in the production process are gathered. Shots and scenes are edited together, audio and video are synced, voiceovers and/or music are added, additional special effects are created and more until the video is a complete finished product.

• Distribution 

  • Distribution is what happens after the video is completed. How will it be shown and shared with audiences? Is it going to be distributed online, shown on TV, released through a film distribution company? Whatever the video and its purpose, this phase is about making sure it’s received by the right audiences.

Most of the work that someone would consider part of the process of video production occurs in the middle three steps, pre-production, production and post-production. The very first and very last steps are sort of extensions of the pre-production and post-production phases.

The Roles in Video Production 

For all of the steps and phases of video production to run smoothly, there are a number of different roles and departments involved, each responsible for ensuring that different tasks or aspects of the video production are completed satisfactorily.

• Producer

  • The producer (usually producers for larger video productions) or production department helps coordinate all the players involved in the video production. This could include production assistants, location scouts, casting directors, even accountants or other financial team members. Depending on the size of the production, producers might be responsible for numerous roles and responsibilities within the production. 

• Direction

  • The director is often thought of as the lead for the production, creative-wise. Whether it’s their creative vision or someone else’s, they’re responsible for making sure it’s achieved. A good director knows how all the pieces and people involved in video production can come together to achieve this vision.

• Art Director

  • The art director or art department controls and coordinates the physical visual aspects of the production. This could include props, makeup, hair, costumes, sets and more. The art director or department works closely with the production designer to make sure their vision is executed well.

• Cinematographer

  • The cinematographer, sometimes referred to as the director of photography, similarly to the art director, is in charge of the visual look of the film. However, the cinematographer is responsible for visual aspects of the film that aren’t tangible, like the art department’s props or costumes. The cinematographer works with the camera and lighting crew to control the color, lighting and framing of the shots in video production. On smaller productions, the role of the cinematographer might be directly carried out by the person responsible for operating the camera.

• Production Designer

  • The production designer oversees the visual look of the production. This includes elements that the art director is responsible for, but also the cinematographer and lighting or camera crews. The production designer’s job is to make sure that all of these different elements come together to create the right cohesive visual look for the video production.

These are just a few of the roles or kinds of roles you might see on video production. Just how many people, and how many different roles, are involved in the production depends on the size, scale and scope of the project. 

The Products of Video Production

The products of video production, as we’ve mentioned, can vary wildly in length, scope, distribution and more. The products of video production could be a commercial, a feature film, a TV show, a music video, a brand video, a digital ad, and much more. 

Even within their respective categories, like a TV commercial or documentary, for example, what one looks like compared to another can span a long and complicated spectrum. The video production process for a TV commercial that airs during the Super Bowl will look very different than one that airs in a small local spot. 

Why is Video Production Important?

Video production, both the process and the final product, are important. The productions themselves would be nothing without the practiced and perfected process that helps every video production come together.

Video productions themselves, whatever form they take, are yet another art form that enriches our lives, like music or literature or visual art. They’re time capsules of human life and history. They show us things we might otherwise never get to see, like the great migration of wildebeest in Africa or life in a remote fishing village in the Arctic circle. They make us laugh, they make us cry, they make us think. They entertain us. They act as a reminder that our worlds are bigger than just ourselves. 

Conclusion

Clearly, attempting to answer the question “what is video production?” can be done in many ways. From the rich history of video production to a day in the life of an average production crew today, there’s much more to explore about what makes video production so complex and worthwhile.

For help with your next video production, contact our team today.