Video content has always been a part and parcel of the music sphere, as it helps to visualize the way the singers see their music stories. Back in the day, videos were mainly created by professionals, as video-editing knowledge was a rare treasure, as well as the tech solutions to perform it.
Nowadays everything is different. Video editing can be performed on numerous devices, using the available tools online. Such affordability helps a lot of young talents to make their way to the stage and attract the audience through video-streaming platforms like YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, etc. Let’s explore the main steps to take when creating videos, and essential tools to make it look like a true masterpiece.
Video production is the process of creating a video piece according to a concept and plan. When being just viewers, we often underestimate all the efforts made for a 2-3-minute video, as everything looks pretty simple. However, one short video equals hours of planning, shooting, and then combining all the elements, putting together technical knowledge and a great deal of creativity.
Video production consists of three main stages – pre-production, production, and post-production.
Pre-Production Stage
The pre-production phase is dedicated to the organization and planning of the whole process. It includes a few major things to define:
1. Video goals
Every video aims to reach a particular audience and trigger a certain type of emotion. A clear vision of the goal helps to define all the following stages and influence every aspect of the video.
2. Knowledge
Despite the common misconception, video production does require a great deal of knowledge and understanding of basic functions. Luckily, the global network offers numerous free tutorials, and workshops, which let every beginner learn the fundamentals and more advanced features of video editing.
The most common tools to use are related to the usage of colors, exposure adjustments, sequencing of the episodes, cross-dissolving, etc. Another crucial requirement is related to the size of the video, as every video platform may have different standards, therefore, a resizing function like https://create.vista.com/features/resize-video/, will be the ticket to the social media presence.
Learning the essential elements of editing should be done before the shooting, as it will provide a more extensive vision of the scenes, and you will better understand all the possible combinations and transitions.
3. Timelines
Setting the time frames helps to keep organized, and track the progress. It is important to define the timing for each step and make sure everyone follows the plan.
4. Script
Every video is a story, which lasts up to 3 minutes (if you don’t want to lose the attention of the viewers). The story should follow a logical order, evoke certain emotions, and deliver a specific message. If you are responsible for the whole process of video production, make sure you have a clear vision of the scenes, their transition, the special effects, and the overall flow of the story.
Oftentimes, the changes to the initial script plan can be done on-premise due to the influence of the surroundings.
Production Stage
After all the preparation is finished, it’s time to capture all the scenes required for the story. The production stage is focused on bringing all the ideas and imagination to life, letting the actors and entourage do their jobs. The final result of the production stage is the raw footage, which will later be edited and perfected into a single piece of video.
Post-Production Stage
The post-production phase is when all the magic takes place. The creative vision of the story comes alive with the help of video editors. The key elements of post-production are:
- The rough cut — the most important pieces of the footage are assembled and organized in a logical order. It is a very ‘raw’ vision of the story, just the sequence, without any other add-ons.
- The picture lock — all the shots take their specific place, get ‘locked’, and from now on, there are no more changes to the sequence of the episodes.
- The sound mix — nothing can be worse than a bad sound, as it deteriorates the overall quality of the video. Make sure all the voiceovers are done properly.
- Visual effects — the effects were clearly outlined in the pre-production stage.
- Lower third — all the additional texts, remarks, or subtitles should be added in the lower third of the video.
- Color correlation – the process of changing the color and the light using specific filters, as well as the correlation of the white balance.
- End cards — the cards are used to specify the name of the production studio, giving credits to everyone involved, the brand, a CAT (call-to-action) statement, etc.
The Bottom Line
The video content continues conquering its followers around the world across various industries. When entering the video industry, it is important to understand that the level of competition is high, due to the availability of digital instruments. It is important to possess a great deal of knowledge, and creative vision to come up with ground-breaking ideas and produce videos that will entice the listeners into the world of your music.