How does the filmmaking process work?

So, you know what videography is and how it can benefit your business, but now you want to find out how it really works? Well, you’re in the right place! 

(Go check out our Complete Guide to Video Marketing if you haven’t already)

The filmmaking process is essentially broken into three stages: Pre-Production, Production, and Post-Production. 

From conceptualisation to creation and editing, the process may vary a bit between styles of content, but the general course of action remains the same, no matter whether it’s a 30-second social media clip or an hour-long documentary. 

To help you learn about each of these phases, we’ve created a quick breakdown in this blog… 

What is video production? 

Video production is much more than a camera crew! It doesn’t just end when the camera stops recording, especially when you want to reach the maximum number of people who may be interested in your product or service. For any video to be successful, it must also be delivered effectively: distributed across the right channels and targeted at the right audience, otherwise there’s a very big chance that it will only reach a handful of potential customers. 

Yes, there are many businesses out there that offer video production services… But do they help you deliver the content correctly too?  

Here at TOMCo. Media, we continue to work with our clients to not only create great video content, but also deliver it effectively across the right channels to ensure that it fulfils its intentions. We’ll work with you from conceptualisation to creation and delivery, tailoring to any style, goal or purpose to achieve real impact and impressive results. Check out our portfolio!

Right, let’s get back to the filmmaking process…

Pre-Production

The first stage is all about planning and preparation - no cameras just yet! 

This is where we learn about your project; defining your target audience and the core message that you want to convey in order to focus and drive the desired action. We’ll then develop a creative concept and strategy that’s aligned with your brand and tailored to your goals and objectives to ensure that the video is designed to achieve them. 

Once we’ve formed the idea, the next step is storyboarding. This is where you’ll be able to visualise the end result by determining the aesthetics, film styles, moods, colours, and audio (music or spoken narrative) to get a clearer picture and a concrete plan in place. 

Another factor to consider is what the size of the final video will be... An aspect ratio of 9:16 is ideal for TikTok or Instagram Reels, but we’d need to plan to film in portrait or shoot with the subject centred for cropping which may alter the process slightly. 

After storyboarding, we’ll then prepare for the filming - scouting and selecting locations, creating and editing the script, choosing the cast/ models (if necessary), as well as considering other factors such as lighting, timing, and weather. For instance, if filming at a venue, are we limited on time and will there be electrical sockets available? If filming up mountains, how much kit can we realistically carry with us? If we’re on a multi-day shoot, will we have power in the evenings to save and back-up footage from the day and recharge batteries? These are just a few questions we need to ask ourselves!

2. Production

Once the crew and any necessary models are chosen, we can whip out our cameras and crack on with the production process. We usually book out a number of days for on-location filming, even if only one is required. This gives us a weather window to capture the content in its best light, quite literally! The following process then varies depending on the location we intend to film at...

If filming with people in an indoor venue, we set the scene - fix the lighting, arrange seating (if necessary), position the cameras, set up the audio… After we’ve fixed microphones for each person, we can then test the audio, do a practice run, and quickly ensure people are happy with their appearance before commencing the filming. 

At this point, it’s then all hands on deck! When shooting, we may do several runs of the shot so that we can capture everything and showcase all the features of the product or service. 

This is particularly true for interviews as it can be a little nerve-wracking for some people on their first try! But don’t worry, we always do our best to make you feel at ease - just remember to be yourself! 

3. Post-Production

Post-production is the icing on the cake! This is where we really make your video come to life. 

After all the video content has been shot, we can begin to work on organising the footage, stitching together scenes, syncing audio with the video, editing, and adding any special effects. 

During this time, we work closely with you to ensure the results you are looking for become a reality. Sometimes, this may involve a few more conversations and a couple of further edits to fine-tune the video to suit your tastes and intentions.

In this stage, we often create even more content by editing a number of shorter video snippets from our footage to create clips that are perfect for social media. Just let us know if this is something you’d want too! 

Learn more about the benefits of video here or chat with our team to find out how video content can work for you!