Writing Scripts & Copywriting

Pre-Production
Pre-Production is the process of gathering, organizing, confirming and scheduling all the elements required to successfully complete a production.  Although many tasks take place during the pre-production period, the following are the major tasks.

Production Budgeting:  The producer typically budgets a project based on a breakdown of the shooting script.  This breakdown takes into account such items as the number of actors and shooting days required, the crew size, equipment and facility rentals, and the editing time and personnel required.

Talent Auditions And Bookings:  Arrangements are made for actor auditions, selections, callbacks, and bookings.  Clients become part of the talent selection process, either approving choices or in some cases making choices themselves.

Crew Bookings:  Crews are hired based on producers' or directors' requests.

Equipment Reservations Or Rentals:  Camera, mics, lights, and other equipment are reserved.  While most production companies have much of the equipment in house, seldom used specialty equipment is often rented on a per day basis.

Location And Set Arrangements: This often requires scouting to find locations that met the needs of the video. These locations may consist of office areas or clients' homes.  In other cases, location scouting can be much more involved.  In some instances, it may require designing and building a set in a studio.

Meetings/Rehearsals:  When the shoot  takes place over several days, the producer and/or director may recommend a pre-production meeting with key members of the crew to verify that everyone is on the same page and  ensure a smooth shoot.

Production Scheduling:  A schedule must be created to ensure that the various scenes are recorded in the most economical order considering actors' daily fees, location availability, travel times, equipment rental fees and studio availability.
 

  Production
"Lights, Camera, Action!" 

Production is the shoot itself.  It might take place on location, on a pre-built set, in an studio recording booth, or at a combination of places.  Wherever it takes place, production is the collective talent of the script writing, post production, technicians and artists all assembled for the purpose of capturing the story on film under the supervision of the director.

Depending on the complexity and number of scenes to be shot, production can go on for several days or even weeks.  Although, a simple project with only one location might be shot in a single day.

Technicians buzz about setting up camera(s), lights and microphones, while the director works with the actor(s) to go over the scripts and their delivery.  Once everything is ready, the director shouts "Action" and the scene is shot.  Sometimes the director will see or hear something that he doesn't like (a line is misread, someone misses a cue etc.) and the scene is re-shot until the director is satisfied.  Even if everything seems perfect on the first "take", a second one is usually shot just to be safe and to give the editor some options in post production.

When all sound and picture elements of the script are recorded, production is "wrapped".  The project then moves into post production or editing.
 

  Post Production
Editing is the process of selecting, arranging, and connecting  scenes to make up a complete video production.  A skillful editor, working in concert with the director and the client, knows when to pick up or slow down the pace, cut a scene short or even change the order of clips to help keep the viewer's interest.

Music, sound effects, narrative, voice overs, titles, animation, special effects, digital 3 D effects, and graphics round out the editor's tools needed to bring a project to completion.

Post production is a process that assembles all the pieces into a finished work of art.  It also enhances your video with character, eloquence, coherence, and persuasion.