Our Process

Project Goals

This is the point that you ask is “Why?” What is the reason for this project? What are your communication goals? What point or issue do you hope to communicate or inform the audience about? What is the general message, and supporting issues that you wish the audience to remember after viewing this program? What, to you, would indicate a successful program? Is the overall goal of the program to drive sales or inform the viewer? Is this project to be evaluated? If so how?

Project Definition

Who is your primary target audience?  Internal Employees or External Customers? Venders or Downstream Wholesalers? Age?  Gender? Ethnic Background?  Professions?  Expectations? Is there a secondary audience? Is this project intended to result in Sales? Marketing support? Safety training or process instruction? Corporate Image? PSA? What are the possible uses for this program and how will your program be delivered?  This will dictate the possible formats for distribution, broadcast television, social media, email or hosted on the web. Is this a stand-alone piece or is it apart of a greater program? Will this program ever be used as speaker support or a “direct to viewer” independent program?

Project Creative Concept

This is the aspect of the overall project that asks how is the chosen message and supporting issues going to be presented to the target audience? Is the project going to use a “Theme” to help illustrate the message? The content and the audience determine the visual theme or style. The best theme is broad enough to incorporate various media without imposing stylistic limitations but narrow enough to ensure consistency across screens. What will the “Graphic Look” or “Feel” of the project be? What is the pacing and flow? What is the best “Format” to tell this story, i.e. “Voice-over and B-Roll”, “On-Camera Spokesperson”, “Multiple Interviews edited to tell the story”. This phase of the pre-production usually goes through two-three iterations to find a design that will effectively deliver the theme.  This stage includes visuals guidelines for color palettes, photography, illustrations, interfaces, navigation, and animation routines.  

Project Budget

With the information from the initial client meetings, the producer would now assemble a budget estimate that would take into account all aspects of the production process which include but are not limited to: concept development, program format, graphics creation, script writing, script breakdown, location scouting, talent casting, facility, crew and cast scheduling, and general production coordination, cast, crew, production equipment, props, location, expendables, digital media/video tape/film and all aspects of post-production.

Project Time-Line

Taking the information derived from the “Project Definition” phase, the Producer will then create a schedule for the execution of the project. This timeline will have deliverable milestones and outline client review points. This “Production Schedule” will specify when the phases of the production will be completed and available for client review, as well as when any materials needed for the completion of the program would be due from the client.

Script Creation

The first thing any project needs at pre-production is a script.  The script will dictate all the items that need to be done in the project to complete the presentation.  Sometimes the script, or outline of the script, is written beforehand but modifications will need to be made depending on the cost, style, and objectives’ changes.  From the script, notes and other documents will be created on how to achieve certain situations through the available resources. The director will breakdown the script and create a shooting script, location/set needs and props requirements. The art director will calculate the graphic requirements. The post-production supervisor will note what audio, sound effects and editing demands the project will require.

Research and Element Acquisition

If the script calls for any resources that need to be gathered by the client, then they need to be collected at this phase.  Items like logos, existing video/film footage, client stock photography, fonts, and screenshots will be required to design the concepts.  Existing photographs, illustrations, and graphics are digitized for use in an electronic medium. Electronically generated art as well as digitized art must be prepped for use; number of colors, palettes, resolution, format, and size are addressed.

Storyboards

Once the design style and themes have been selected, storyboards can be created as visual draft.  This helps assures that the client will have an idea of what is to expect both visually and audio wise at key scenes during the program. It is much more cost effective to make changes to the visuals and script at this point based on the clarity of the storyboards.

Client Approval

The client will review all the elements of pre-production.  If some of the elements do not meet expectations, resolve the problems at this stage with revisions before moving into production.  Any unresolved problems that are carried over into the production stage would cause a delay in the project and a rise in costs.

Production Coordination

From the script breakdown, location scouting, talent casting, facility, crew and cast scheduling, and general production coordination, cast, crew, production equipment, props, location, expendables, and film/tape stock are all interviewed, hired, and scheduled.

This is the phase where the plan of the script is executed by capturing the images on Digital Media, Film or Video. This is done at a studio or on location. The producer assembles the crew and cast so that the director may tell the story.

Visual Acquisition

The storyboards are used to determine what new images are needed. The director, Director of Photography, and rest of the production crew work to capture the performance of the cast to tell the story the director has envisioned.

Audio Acquisition

Audio production on location is captured or the recording session(s) is scheduled. The recordings should be the highest quality possible to allow for digitizing and compression. Once it is recorded, edited, and prepared it is ready for inclusion into the project.  Music must be written, performed, or licensed for inclusion.  Synchronization of the audio elements to the visual can happen in tandem to the creation of the visual authoring or after the visuals are complete. Keep copyright, permission, and ownership guidelines in mind.

Graphics Acquisition or Creation

3-D Modeling and Animation if the script calls for it, 3-D artwork is created, rendered, and then prepped for use in the authoring tool. 3-D animations require their own storyboards and schedules.

This is the phase where all the material that was acquired in the production phase is assembles in the “off-line” process. Once the off-line is completed and approved by the client the project is “on-lined”. This is where the final graphics and music is added to complete the project.

Off-Line Editing

“Off-Line editing” starts with digitizing and logging of all the new visual and audio material that you have shot for this program or archive footage, music, or sound effects that you have assembled for the project from other sources or client. All the material is roughly assembled into a program form, along with any graphics that have been quickly rendered for timing tests.

Client Approval

The client will review all the elements of the off-line.  If some of the elements do not meet expectations, resolve the problems at this stage with revisions before moving into the on-line.  Any unresolved problems that are carried over into the on-line stage would cause a delay in the project and a rise in costs.

On-Line Editing

This is where all the final visuals, image color correction, final graphics, music, sound effects and visual transitions are assembled.

Mastering

Mastering can be as simple as uploading video file, or it can be as complex as sending the files to a service that will create a pre-master from which the master is made and prepared for multiple formats to be created for distribution.

Archiving

The original files, including audio, video, and the native software formats, are archived for future upgrades or revisions.  Individual media elements are stored and accessible by the client.