1.

The Brief
Having approached a video production company, the first stage is to discuss your brief. During this conversation the production company will put forwards ideas relating to how your corporate video will be styled, structured and presented. At the end of this meeting you should have a good understanding of the processes involved. Ideally, this stage should involve a meeting in person with the production company.

2.

Pre-Production
Having thoroughly discussed your brief, the video production company will submit a scope and budget estimate for your approval. This document will outline the style, structure, and content of your corporate programme including a detailed breakdown of costs. The project will not proceed further until both parties have agreed their terms. Upon agreeing terms a suitable filming schedule will be composed, along with a treatment defining the exact structure of the video.

Click here for what to look for in a project scopes and budget estimate

3.

The Shoot
The shoot is typically the least time consuming aspect of the entire corporate video production process. Before the shoot, a call sheet will be distributed to all parties involved in the filming, including interviewees and presenters. A call time will be detailed on the call sheet specific to each person's role in the production. The purpose of this document is to ensure everybody is in the right place at the right time and has access to key contact details. The shoot itself will be structured around a pre-agreed shot list, detailing all the shots needed for the completion of the programme.

4.

The Edit
The first stage of the editing process is to digitise the carefully selected footage from the shoot into a non-linear editing suite. Once this footage has been digitised, a rough edit can be produced with the inclusion of additional features such as graphics, effects, voiceovers and music. The production company will then produce a copy of the rough edit for its client to review. Upon client approval, the corporate video will undergo a final edit where any changes from the review meeting will be implemented.

5.

Encoding and Duplication
Video encoding enables existing video material to be converted into a variety of high quality formats suitable for viewing on the Internet, standard PCs equipped with CD ROMs and DVD players, and is the final stage of the corporate video production process. During the pre-production stages the production agency will consult with its client regarding the best format on which to encode to. Once the encoding stage is complete, the programme can then be duplicated with some production companies offering a cover design and packaging service, specific to your corporate branding.

Click here for more information about encoding