Pre-production is the most vital stage of production, but it’s often skipped past to get to the really fun part - filming!

Building in time for pre-production is something you’ll thank yourself for later.

Here’s how to get it right.

What are the 3 stages of production?

1. Pre-production – the phase where you plan and prepare for a shoot

1. Production – this is the shooting stage, everything from set-up to packing-down

2. Post-production – piecing it all together in the editing room

 1. Get cracking early

Short videos and ads are demanding because they require a lot of information to be told in a very short amount of time. The earlier you get your production hats on and start planning, the more successful the finished product.

Think about the message you want to convey. Start by jotting down a detailed brief.

Here are 4 key questions to get you started:

1. What is the purpose of the video?

2. Who is your target audience?

3. What is the central message?

4. Where will you be platforming it?

Top tip: Once you’ve got all that down, it’s time to get a digital marketing agency onboard to help fulfil your vision!

2. Target your audience

Reaching your target audience is paramount, particularly for pushing your brand to new heights and ensuring optimum connectivity with customers.

Think seriously about your audience and how you could adapt your idea to suit their needs.

If you’ve got a large amount of information to deliver, using animation may help distribute the messages in a more accessible way. Or perhaps a nice clean talking head would be better suited for your video? Always keep in mind how important distributing your video in an appropriate place is for reaching your audience.

Consider where your video will be living. Short-from videos thrive on social media platforms like:

• YouTube Shorts

• Facebook Stories

• Instagram Reels

Long-form would be better for landing pages, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

Top tip: Add a call to action. For example, you could encourage people to comment below, find out more information, share the post, book training, or follow a link.

3. Use storyboards

Storyboards are an integral way of deconstructing the flow of the story and visualising your shots in the sequence. They’re a definite must-do step to incorporate into your pre-production process.

When it comes to drawing storyboards, you don’t have to be Picasso. If you don’t fancy putting pen to paper, use photography or stock images to create a shot list.

Top tip: Boords is a great website to use to get started.

4. Write a script

If you’re delivering a large chunk of spoken word, it’s imperative to think about using a script.

Scripts not only predetermine the direction of the video but also provide a reference point for creating B-Roll.

Working closely with one of our clients on creating a written script for their video allows room to comb through and source appropriate B-Roll and images.

Scripts make it much easier for clients to prepare for their delivery. They ensure nothing is left out or forgotten, and provide everyone with some much-needed peace of mind that everything is in the can.

They also provide a reference point for the editor when it comes time to subtitle. Rather than taking the slow and laborious route of transcribing videos, having a written script allows the editor to take the words directly from the script and use them in the subtitles.

If you’re unsure about adlibbing from a script, it’s probably worth using a teleprompt as an effective way to control delivery, pace, and performance. Straightforward and easy to use, teleprompters relax the presenters, helping them to deliver their speech without having to remember it off the top of their heads. But schedule a rehearsal beforehand!

Top tip: Parrot app is a really useful site for using teleprompting.

5. Scope out the locations beforehand

Make time to factor in a recce of the locations beforehand. No one wants nasty surprises on the day of filming!

Check the weather forecast, what the acoustics are like, find out where the power sockets are located. Are there any big windows allowing light to flood in? That kind of thing.

There are always going to be external factors that you can’t plan for, like a leaf blower starting up 5 minutes into the production or the sound of traffic lights beeping in the background. But a comprehensive recce gives you a little more control.

Top tip: Familiarising yourself with the location means you’re more equipped to overcome small hiccups and ensure they don’t turn into nail-biting disasters.

6. Remember the onboarding process

Onboarding means meeting with clients, explaining the project, and creating a friendly and approachable rapport with them.

The initial stages of onboarding do require a written brief and a lot of email correspondence to arrange production scheduling, but face-to-face onboarding is really good especially when working with multiple clients on one project.

During our #ComeOnIn campaign with the University of Cambridge Museums, our Head of Production and I worked with 12 venues to create a 1-minute promo shot over 2 days.

Juggling all those venues meant we had to ensure each business was catered to appropriately and fairly represented on screen.

By taking the time to meet with and onboard clients beyond emails, and by visiting each venue individually, we were able to create a smooth and successful shoot that homogenously tied together with each place.

No turning up somewhere unannounced and asking to film. This saves us time because we have a schedule worked out, so we know where we’re meant to be and when.

This makes for more successful video shoots, every time.

Top tip: For when you’re on the hoof, always have a business card handy.

Feeling inspired?

At Sookio, we're specialists in supporting you through the video process, from pre-production, production, to editing - and developing a marketing strategy to ensure it gets seen.

Whether you’re after a marketing video or other digital content, contact Sookio!