The following process is a rough guide as to how each production is put together from start to finish. It's a very flexible approach that guarantees not only to get the best comments from the interviewees, but also the best footage in the time allocated:
Pre-production
• Telephone and email communications between the director and client will establish the structure of the shoot and the key points the video needs to communicate. This does not usually require a meeting.
• Contract and invoice for first payment will be sent (33% of the total) prior to confirmation of any filming dates.
• The client sources interviewees and makes arrangements for their participation. Ideally, if the interviews are being filmed in a single location then it’s beneficial for all of these to be done one after the other first thing in the morning. If travelling to the interviewees own premises is required and they are many miles apart, an additional day's filming may be charged if travel time does not permit all of the filming to be done in a single day.
• Once first payment is received, a completion date, shooting schedule and ‘call time’ will then be agreed upon.
Production
• On arrival at the filming location, a brief meeting will take place as well as a walk and talk of the filming locations.
• If the interviewees are to be filmed first, thirty minutes of setup time is required in order to light the first interviewee. Different areas will be required to ensure each interviewee has his or her own unique backdrop. Total time of setup and filming for 3-4 interviews is around 2–3 hours.
• It’s critical that all interviews are conducted in a quiet and private area with no one in attendance at the time of shooting other than the interviewer and interviewee. No questions will have been planned in advance and all interviews will be conducted in an informal impromptu manner. It’s important for those taking part to know that this session will be more of a ‘chat’ than an interview.
• The rest of the day’s shoot will be to film the essential footage of the product, service or premises.
• It’s important to note that no matter how well-planned the schedule may be, flexibility and spontaneity is vital on the day to ensure a successful day’s filming.
• At least one member of staff should be made available during the shoot to assist the director when necessary. Delays during the shoot drastically reduce the number of visuals available for the editing, which ultimately affects the visual impact of the video. Having said that it’s important to clarify that no significant disruption will take place throughout the filming day to affect the smooth running of the client’s business.
Post-production
• Once the shoot is complete - the Wrap! - the producer returns to base and ‘captures’ all of the material from tape directly onto the editing hard drives.
• Stage two invoice is sent (33% of the total) and editing takes place immediately upon payment.
• The final video - the Director's Cut - is uploaded onto a secure area of the producer’s site for approval.
• It is unusual for a client to make any changes, but if changes are required, this is a one-pass process and all changes will be confirmed in writing prior to any re-editing taking place. After changes have been made, any further changes will incur an additional cost.
• The final invoice (34% of the total) will be issued and upon payment, the video will be compressed in Flash and inserted into the client’s site and/or mastered onto a DVD if the additional service has already been agreed upon.
• A YouTube Channel can also be setup and a high definition version of the video uploaded.