VIDEO PRODUCTION PROCESS
The video production process is broken into three phases: Pre-Production, Production, and Post-Production. When determining if a video is the right form of media to communicate your message, please keep in mind that each of these phases requires planning and strategy to ensure that the process is effective and efficient. We ask that you request your video project no later than two months before the date you would like to release the final video. All video projects must abide by Texas A&M University brand standards.
PRE-PRODUCTION
Pre-production is the term used to describe the phase of video production before any shooting begins. This is the time where you will determine:
- goals
- messaging
- audience
- project timeline
- scripts
- talent (actors, voice-over talent, etc.)
- shooting locations
- budget
This phase requires the most planning and strategy. An initial meeting with the DSA MarComm creative team will take place during this phase to make sure that we understand your message and to allow the videographers time to help you develop your story. Drafting your video concept and/or drafting a script to bring to the initial meeting can help the videographer understand your concept. If you need help developing a concept and/or script, we can assist you with this part of the process. At this meeting, we will also discuss your requested deadline to determine if it is realistic for us to meet given our workflow at the time. We will also discuss a plan for marketing the video upon its completion. The more preparation that can be done in advance of submitting your video request, the quicker we will be able to move into the production phase.
PRODUCTION
The production phase consists of actually shooting the video and filming any required b-roll. B-roll is supplemental footage used in between the main shots. Sometimes this can all be done on the same day, sometimes it will require multiple shoots depending on your concept.
The videographer will determine the most ideal date and time to shoot and we ask that you help them schedule the talent. All participants must have a Talent Release Form on file prior to the day of shooting. We encourage you to attend the video shoot, but it is not required.
POST-PRODUCTION
After all of the footage has been captured, the project enters the post-production phase. This is the phase in which video editing takes place. Editing includes:
- Reviewing footage
- Creating draft/s
- Receiving approvals from all required parties
- Color correction
- Music selection
- Branding/graphics
- Captioning/Transcription
This process can be the most time consuming and can take a few weeks depending on our workflow at that time. It may take longer depending on the length of a video, or if you are requesting multiple videos.
Once a draft of the video is complete, we will upload it to our video collaboration software called Frame.io. You will receive an email and need to sign up for a free account to view the draft and leave any comments or notes you have. We will provide up to three rounds of changes to the video.
Upon receiving final approval of the video, we will send it off for captioning and transcription to ensure accessibility. Captioning is REQUIRED for all video projects. We utilize a captioning service called Rev.com and your department will be responsible for all costs ($1.25/min.) associated with captioning. Captioning can take up to a few days depending on the length of the video.
