Pre-production

With the script or rundown in hand, you can begin pre-production. During this phase, you define how to turn the blueprint into a final product. The goal of pre-production is to make sure time and resources are used most efficiently during the next two phases, production and post-production. To accomplish that, make lists of items to purchase or rent, personnel who need to be hired or scheduled, equipment needed for shooting and editing, and other elements that are required for the video. For example, the Fabrikam producer needs to make sure the editor has the “Team Building” video and images, in addition to the videotape of the lecture and the slides.

In the Fabrikam training videos, the production style and plan are fairly straightforward. The Media department crew will shoot the lectures the same way they have been shooting lectures and meetings for years.

Things to consider in a production include the following:

• A production plan for how the production, post-production, and distribution will be accomplished. A production plan can be a formal document, or a simple list of action items discussed and agreed upon in a meeting.

  In creating a plan, it may be necessary to visit (or “scout”) the locations you plan to shoot in order to make sure they are appropriate for your needs. In Fabrikam’s case, the lectures will be recorded in a company classroom. The tape will then be captured and edited with other elements into final videos. Then PowerPoint slides will be synchronized in Producer, and a final presentation will be rendered and published to the Training Web site. The final presentation will also include a short quiz. The quiz will use a feedback Web page that, when submitted, will enter information into a Training department student database.

• A list of personnel involved in the videos. The list includes training personnel who will provide information and approve the final presentations, Media department personnel who will produce and edit the presentations, and people who will operate the camera and VTR. For more information about roles in a production, see chapter 18.

• Technical items needed for the production, including the recording equipment (camera, VTR, and so forth), facilities (edit suite), locations (classroom), expendables for shooting and editing (videotape, batteries), and rentals (a truck to haul the equipment).

• Art elements used in the production. The elements that must be obtained or created, including sets, special lighting equipment, props, music, sound design, and effects. In Fabrikam’s case, the Training department must create the PowerPoint slides and quiz Web page.

• A schedule that indicates when production and post-production will take place, and the personnel, technical, and special considerations for each location. Remember to include time for setting up and putting away the equipment and sets, and travel time.

• Budget. Typically, the production phase is the most expensive part of creating a video, because it takes the most time and requires the most personnel and equipment. When putting together a budget, consider all the items in this list, especially personnel, technical, and design. For example, you might schedule four hours to shoot a class, which includes setting up, shooting, putting the equipment away, and traveling. From this, you can calculate the cost of the two contractors and any equipment that must be rented. There also may be special considerations, such as a charge for parking, or paying for meals.

• Any special considerations. This is where a producer must stretch her imagination and attempt to envision every possible facet of the production. Special considerations can include presenters who need to be picked up at the airport, special permits to shoot and park vans, or a VIP’s special needs.

  You may also need legal releases when shooting off-site. If you are shooting employees on your company’s property, permissions may be easy to come by. However, when you plan to include non-employees and locations outside your company in your video, be aware that you may be required to obtain legal releases to do so.

To shoot the training classes, one camera will be used. A lecture can be over an hour in length, so the audio and video must be recorded on a separate videotape recorder (VTR) since the digital Betacam camcorder can hold only enough tape to record up to 30 minutes. A second operator will run the VTR and monitor the recording process. Audio of the lecturer will be recorded using a wireless lavalier microphone.