October 25, 2016

So you’ve made the decision to create a business video.

That’s a wise decision.

Research indicates that video marketing is becoming an increasingly effective way to market a business.

Producing an impactful marketing video should be taken very seriously; it is, after all, a direct reflection of your business brand.

You definitely want to put a lot of thought into the message you put out, and you want to work out all the small details of the video shoot in advance so that things go smoothly. This all happens in the pre-production stage of your business video.

After pre-production, you will enter the production phase. This stage is quite rigorous and you want to make sure you are working with a professional video production company that is properly equipped and experienced to pull off a great shoot.

Sometimes, because of the amount of work that goes into pre-production and production, the final stage of producing a video – post-production – gets pushed aside, almost as an afterthought.

This is a huge mistake.

Experienced professional video production companies know how critical the post-production phase is.

Post-production is the final lap of the marathon – it is NOT the time to let up! It is the last stretch, and it is often the most difficult phase – but it is also the most rewarding.

Post-production is where the magic happens.

Post-production involves editing the video footage together, adding effects, titles, music, and mixing the soundtrack.

Finally, all the parts get put together. As they say, the end product is greater than the sum of its parts. It can be exhilarating to finally see all the pieces come together. But it can also be devastating… if you haven’t properly prepared for it.

Making a video commercial is a very pre-meditated process. For video-makers that don’t have the skill and experience, video editing is often the toughest part, mainly because they haven’t planned enough (insufficient pre-production) and they didn’t shoot for the edit (poorly executed production).

You don’t want to leave thinking about post-production to the very end. What you want to do is have the end in mind from the get-go, so that when the time comes to enter the edit suite, you have everything you need to assemble your masterpiece.

Here are 4 keys to guaranteeing a smooth post-production for your business video:

1. Get everything you need before you need it

Because post-production is the last phase of creating a business video, it is also unfortunately often the most rushed phase.

This time crunch sometimes happens because for whatever reason, there are delays in the pre-production and production phases, and then the post-production team has to scramble in order to deliver the product on time.

A professional video production crew knows from experience that the time to start gathering what you need for post-production is well before post-production.

Think of it as sort of a “PRE-post-production.”

Some of the elements you will need to complete post-production need to be underway before the final assembly of the video: such as animation, special effects, and music. These elements takes time to put together.

Communicate your needs to your post-production team well in advance, so that you’re not in a “hurry up and wait” lurch.

2. Prepare to kill your darlings

Post-production is not for the faint of heart.

You have to be prepared to “kill your darlings.”

What this means is, you can’t fall in love with any piece of footage, or an idea that just isn’t working in the edit room.

This is hard to do, especially when you’ve spent a ton of resources to get that footage.

Say, for instance, that you invest in a drone and get a wild and complicated aerial shot for your marketing video. Or you work hard with an actor and it took a lot of takes for him to get his lines right.

But in the edit suite, the shot just doesn’t work in the greater context of the video. Maybe it doesn’t contribute to the overall story or message of the business video. Maybe it ends up on the cutting room floor because the video is running too long.

As an editor, you have to be prepared to say “bye” and let go of all the investment you put into getting that shot.

This is why editors are often not involved in the production phase: so that they don’t get “too close” and it’s easier to “break up” with the footage if they need to, because it’s what’s best for the business video.

Professional video editors have the experience and training to be ruthless (it might even seem cold-blooded) when it comes to making these cut-throat decisions.

In any case, it’s always a good idea to get some fresh eyes on the project at some point. Someone who has no bias and no attachment to the business video might catch a flaw that others can’t.

3. Deliver deliverables

In video production, the “deliverables” is the pile of products your post-production team needs to deliver.

The video they output needs to be in the correct format for the web or for HD television, or for whatever the client needs.

These requirements should not be overlooked, because there are a lot of technical aspects that need to be considered.

4. Backup

Finally, don’t exit post-production without backing everything up!

You’ll never know if you will need to revisit your business video down the road. Maybe you’ll need a re-cut, or want to change the music, or need a different video format.

Don’t let all that work go to waste just because you fail to back up your work!

 

If you are in the Pittsburgh area and looking for a production company to shoot your business video, contact Josh Birt at Josh Birt Media Productions today. We can travel to other states as well.