A Day in the Life: What Video Production Actually Consists of with Second Sol Studios
A video shoot is where ideas become reality – where the vision you have for your brand’s story takes shape. Of course, your actual video shoot must be as meticulously prepared and planned out as your pre-production process, and that means understanding the unique role that each element of the shoot plays in bringing your concept to life. At Second Sol Studios, we pride ourselves on achieving the key combination of logistical organization and creative freedom in order to execute effective video shoots. Today, we’re giving you a closer look at what video production actually consists of with Second Sol Studios. Let’s go ahead and get started.
The Set-up Process
The set-up process is critical – it sets the stage for every element of your video shoot. Time is of the essence when it comes to setting up, and the best way to maximize it is to make sure that every member of the production team has a clear idea of exactly what their role is in the setup process. From setting up camera angles, to perfectly the appearance of the set, to breaking down one setup and setting up another, it’s our priority to give clear guidelines to every member of the production team. It’s particularly useful to arrive at the set early (or, if possible, an entire day in advance) to get a feel for the space and to practice the set-up process in order to guarantee maximum efficiency. This is particularly true if you’re shooting on location or if you have a large amount of talent coming in.
Filming
So many components must come together in order to make filming go perfectly. Some of these are directly tied to the set-up process (such as how many camera angles will be used and what these angles will be), while others are entirely stylistic and creative (how will the director instruct the talent to interact with each other and the camera, and how will these directions change as the shoot goes on?). The key to a great filming process is to balance out logistical technicalities with creative choices. Great storytelling cannot exist if either of these two components is missing. We firmly believe that planning and attention to detail are essential because they allow for creativity to shine during filming.
Recording Voiceovers
Sound is one of the most important elements to create dynamic, interesting videos, and we encourage our creative teams not to limit themselves to one kind of sound. Music, scripted content, and voiceovers can work together beautifully to create a robust and engaging story. This is why we make sure to plan out exactly what parts of a video will have high-quality voiceover sound and what parts will include different kinds of sound (whether it’s just music, interview-style, or in-scene dialogue). Sounds are every bit as important as visuals in telling a story, and our goal is to leverage both in order to tell yours as beautifully as possible.
Capturing B-Roll
When it comes to creating visual variety in videos, as well as giving them a natural lifestyle appeal, b-roll is non-negotiable. Capturing b-roll is a fantastic idea both creatively and logistically: it’s a fantastic opportunity to bring in different, people, locations, and activities and transform an otherwise one-note video into something dynamic and interesting. On top of that, b-roll is extremely versatile; it can be used in a variety of videos for your brand, making each one just a bit more unique and special. B-roll should always feel natural, easy, and organic: it’s an opportunity for the audience to contextualize themselves into your video, forming a deeper connection with your brand and story than they may have otherwise.
Beautiful Videos Tell a Story Worth Sharing
Production is where the logistical planning behind your video shoot combines with creativity to create the footage that’ll be molded into a stunning story for your brand. If you’d like to learn more about our production process or to discuss collaborating on a video shoot, reach out to us.