Video Production
Cell Phones can take great video!
It's true.
You can hire your cousin who has the latest iPhone to create a video for you. You're here because you demand more.
Image quality is important but it's not the only factor in creating a "high-quality and high-value production."
There are other elements to consider that only an experienced professional will understand and implement. Visual story-telling will engage your audience. Dynamic camera movement will keep their interest. Intentional framing and visual design will induce emotions from your viewer.
Sound design is often overlooked but is 50% of the watching experience.
Every project is different and comes with their own set of demands. In order to fulfill your needs we will implement the following procedure:
STEP ONE - THE CONVERSATION
Tell us your vision. Share your goals with us. We want to know what you're trying to accomplish.
Are you trying to sell a product or a service? Are you trying to promote an event? Perhaps you just want to memorialize a dance routine or hidden talent.
STEP TWO - THE CONTRACT
We will draft a formal, legal contract to protect all parties and set clear expectations. All projects, regardless of scope, size and type must have a written and signed contract before moving forward.
It will include (but is not limited to):
- Scope of the Project.
- Anticipated Timeline.
- Expectations of involved parties.
- Payment Schedule.
- Boundaries.
- Anticipated Revisions (see next).
STEP THREE - PRE-PRODUCTION AND PLANNING
The process of filming works best when there is a plan. Here are the things we consider:
- Where is the shooting location and are we allowed to shoot it? Does it require permits or special permissions?
- What will the subject say? Do they need a teleprompter or are they going to "wing it." Note: "Winging it" never works on camera.
- How much equipment is needed? Is there enough space to store/stage the equipment and is there ample time given for the production crew to prepare for it?
- Do we need to hire more people? Will it be skilled labor (camera operators) or physical labor (carrying equipment)?
- What are the lighting conditions? Do we need to supply our own lights?
- Will the filming location cause an echo or have a lot of ambient sound?
- Is there a plan to accommodate for food, restroom usage and breaks?
- What are the things that could go wrong and how do we prepare for it?
- Has the client provided choice in music?
-What is the final outcome and what does it look like (storyboarding comes into play here)?
STEP FOUR - REVISING CONTRACT
Often times, during the planning phase, our clients discover the scope of the project is more demanding than initially anticipated.
A common oversight (because we're located in the DC area), is the cost of permits required to shoot in certain areas like Federal land.
We do our best to anticipate and avoid obstacles but we cannot control every aspect (including weather and family emergencies) and these things are usually discovered in the pre-production phase.
Sometimes our client's vision outgrows their budget and we want to find a happy medium that all parties can agree to before proceeding.
STEP FIVE - ACTUAL PRODUCTION
Ready, Set, Action.
On arrival, the team will first set up their command center (which includes safe storage for their equipment and charging area for batteries.
They will scout the area and take the following into consideration:
- lighting/electricity.
- space (to determine lens choice).
- obstacles (to determine angles).
At least 1-hour should be allotted for setup and 30-minutes for testing.
During this time, the talent/subject should have their own process for hair, makeup and wardrobe. The camera team is not responsible for this.
Once ready, the team will execute the plan created during pre-production.
STEP SIX - FILE MANAGEMENT
Immediately following production, data is offloaded from the cameras/recording devices and copied to external hard drives (and sometimes cloud) for backup.
This process alone can take between 1-3 hours (depending on the scope of the project).
Once data is backed up, files are culled and organized. Culling is process where the director will get rid of objectively unusable footage. The files are organized into folders and named appropriately.
This process can take between 3-5 hours (depending on scope of the project).
STEP SEVEN - POST PRODUCTION
EDITING.
This process will vary from project to project as every clients' needs will have different demands.
Most of the editing time can be cut down with proper planning during pre-production.
The editor will make their own stylistic decisions. Input from the client should be discussed during pre-production or after the draft reviews.
Providing feedback during editing phase can create disruptions of the normal production flow and cause increased production times and costs.
Clients will have a chance for feedback during revision phase.
STEP EIGHT - DRAFT REVIEW
Clients will have a chance to review the edits before the project is finalized.
Clients are encouraged to watch the entire edit and make notes of proposed changes to be submitted at once time.
Proposed changes should be "fair and reasonable."
For instance, a comment such as, "can we have the actor in a different outfit" requires re-shooting and would be deemed an "Unfair and unreasonable request."
Proposed changes should coincide with the initial outcome of what was discussed during pre-production.
STEP NINE - FINAL REVISIONS
The editor will make changes according to the client's proposals. During this process, the client may sit with the editor.
Any additional changes, beyond the initial revisions, and during this process, may induce additional fees.
Once the client approves the changes the project is rendered and final video is submitted to the client.
STEP TEN - SUBMISSION
Videos are traditionally transferred digitally (upload to a cloud drive for download). Clients have up to 3 months to download before the data is deleted from the cloud drive.
The editor is not responsible for maintaining digital storage of the products.
Only the edited files are distributed to the client. Access to the raw, unedited files will carry an additional fee.
Ownership of the footage is shared. Virak Studio reserves the right to use the footage for promotional purposes unless previously discussed. The client may purchase a full-ownership license for exclusivity.