Production Stages

Successful productions are built through a series of linked stages, each of which helps ensure that the completed project achieves its purpose.

Flow

1: Production Brief

We’ll ask questions to ensure that we have a clear and mutual understanding of the brief. We’ll need to know about the purpose of the production, what audience(s) it is aimed at and what action you want them to take having seen it.

We’ll also discuss and agree outline the production budget and timescale at this stage. Then we’re ready for stage 2.

2: Treatment & Storyboard

A vital part of the production process, the treatment goes further in buttoning down the content and approach of the production.  It will outline scenes to be included and should enable you to almost “run the film” in your imagination before we go out to shoot it. The treatment will often include a “concept map” which helps see how the various components fit together.

We are very happy to work with you in refining the treatment to ensure, for all our sakes, that the production work that follows is purposeful. It’s much more cost effective to spend time on getting the treatment ”right” than to spend hours of production time on content that may end up on the cutting room floor.

The creative treatment is vital, it defines the concept, summarises the story and determines the creative approach of your film. It takes the project from ideas to an agreed plan that defines the content that meets your communication and commercial objectives.

In some productions it is useful to develop a full storyboard representing each shot in graphic and text format. In practice, this isn’t always necessary especially if the treatment is comprehensive.

The treatment will be signed off as our mutual plan for the finished film.

3: Pre-production

This is where the detailed arrangements are made to capture the images and sounds that will appear in your film.

We’ll need to schedule shooting and deal with any number of elements such as location permissions, acting or presenter talent as well as ensure that the necessary equipment and facilities are available. Attention tho detail at this stage increases the likelihood of a smooth production stage.

4: Production

The stage where all the planning pays off. The cameras roll and all the necessary raw footage and sound is captured, as efficiently as possible. If shooting on your premises we aim to minimise disruption, whilst getting all the necessary sots and sounds.

5: Post-production

This is where the alchemy happens, combining images and sound, weaving the component parts into a thread that tells a compelling story.

First we’ll create an “assembly edit” – which will assemble the shots and other content into an initial edit. This can be tweaked and adjusted to a point where we are all happy with the content which will generally conform with the agreed treatment.

Once the assembly edit is signed off, we’ll get to work on the detail of tweaking edit points, adjusting the colour and look of the shots, building in music and sound and balancing up all the component parts. Finally, we’ll add any graphics that you need to to complete the film.

6: Views & approval

Your film will be available in a secure online screening room. You will be invited to make comments, raise questions and suggest any necessary changes. If you’d prefer, we can meet with you to view the film. Either way there will be the opportunity to incorporate any final tweaks and further checking. It is essential that you are entirely happy before signing off the production.

7: Distribute & promote

Finally, we’ll output the finished film to whatever formats you require and we can help you publish it on any of the online platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Vimeo, if required.

8: Archive

The entire production can be securely stored so that should you need to make any subsequent changes, they can be handled quickly and at the lowest possible cost. Of course the archive storage also means that should any elements be required for subsequent productions, they are readily available.

It’s complicated but it doesn’t have to be confusing.

Everything is documented so that we all know what’s happening!

 

production docs