Production

Following the detailed preparation of the pre-production, the production process begins and the camera begins to roll. A video may be filmed on location at a particular site or in a studio where a set is built to create a specified backdrop or situation. Where the video is filmed will be influenced by a number of factors including, the target audience, budget, the aim of the video and the availability of a suitable location.

The number of crew members involved in the filming will depend on the complexity, style and type of the video. For example, in order to make a conference video and provide live streaming to a plasma screen, a director, at least two cameramen and a sound man would be needed whereas a self-shooting director may be sufficient for filming a number of straight forward interviews.

The producer is involved throughout all phases of the production process from development to completion of a project and initiates, co-ordinates, supervises and controls aspects such as hiring key personnel, budget management and administration.

The director is responsible for overseeing creative aspects of a video and works closely with the crew and cast. The cast could be made up of professional actors, the public, or members of the organisation who have commissioned the video. The director will approve camera angles, lens effects, lighting, and set design, working from the storyboard created during pre-production.

The camera operator will film the footage under the direction of the director and will work in association with the sound operator who ensures the sound levels are correct at the time of filming. Before filming begins, the lighting personnel will set up equipment to ensure the subject and location is correctly lit and ready for filming.

During interviews, the interviewee is asked questions by either the director or producer. These are later edited so the interviewees answers are concise and free flowing with no apparent intervention by an interviewer.

A music composer may be needed to create a piece of music to accompany the video, alternatively an existing piece of music or song may be used. A professional voice over artist may also be needed to provide a narrative to the video, the voice of a recognisable celebrity may give the video greater appeal.

Special camera techniques

A number of special camera techniques may be used to enhance the video and to give it a particular style or show things which cannot be viewed so clearly with the naked eye. Time lapse for example which will make an event take less time to occur on screen than it did in real life. Time lapse can make a flower open in a matter of seconds rather than hours or the construction of a building or floor of an exhibition compressed into a few seconds. We can also employ slow motion techniques. This can have two applications. Firstly to view detail of an event which cannot be seen clearly in real time, e.g. a bullet passing through an object or secondly to give more graceful movement than would be seen in real time, e.g. an insect walking or a person skiing. To film a bullet passing through an object requires very special cameras capable of shooting 2000 frames per second whereas to give graceful movement to an insect walking requires 50 or 80 frames per second and is achievable with some of the modern digital broadcast cameras.