Studio or Location Video Production

At Chris Jones & Associates we work with small crews (camera, audio and producer/director) or large crews with either multiple on-camera professional or amateur talent. We have completed many types of video projects, including:

Managing the Video Production Approval Process

Often the most difficult portion of a video production is the approval process. Perhaps a project is nearly complete, when the legal department says “you can’t say that.” Or the script has been shot and a senior executive objects to the overall premise. The worst case scenario is to have a completed project that is not distributed at all, but instead sits on a shelf.

We hope none of these sorts of events have happened in your case. At Chris Jones & Associates we believe these situations can be avoided if one follows the inverted pyramid approach to the video production process. Whether we are creating a documentary program, a company history or a website, the approval process seems to go smoother when the pyramid is inverted.

Definition of Video Production Roles

Who are these people?

The ‘approvers’ are the program sponsors. This could be the CEO or senior executive, or the head of a department who is funding the project. The approvers have early input and early approval and typically hand-off their approval authority to those who report to them. Occasionally an approver will request a final approval, which should serve as a ‘preview screening’ rather than a content or creative approval.
Key stakeholders are the people who will directly contribute to or benefit from the program. These people have a vested interest in the outcome. In a sales training program, it could be someone from the product development department (someone who develops the product being sold) and a district sales manager. A key stakeholder can also be the internal ‘client’ or the person responsible for shepherding the project to its completion. Another name for this role would be the Executive Producer. Many projects have two or three key stakeholders.
SMEs are the subject matter experts who know the specific details of how things work. They could be engineers, technicians or medical experts.
The producer is the individual who manages the video project from beginning to end. The producer obtains approvals as needed from the executive producers/key stakeholders. Anything budget-related would be the producer’s responsibility.
The scriptwriter researches the topic using the SMEs and other resources, writes a creative treatment and one or two drafts of a script. Scriptwriters often conduct interviews and become the production person most connected to the content.
The director is the individual who manages the creative look and feel of the project. This person would be responsible for activities ranging from casting and location scouting to post-production supervision. The most important role of the director is to the pre-production and production planning and to direct the talent and crew during the shoot.
Editors work with the raw footage, stock footage and graphics to create the finished product in digital form. It works well when the editor or graphic creation team is consulted early for their input prior to production. In some cases the editor is at the shoot to manage the video data files that are being created.

Supplier of Video Services – Give us a shot on your next shoot!

We offer one free brainstorming consultation (on site in MN or via phone or web) to help you define your video production needs and determine potential creative solutions. Please either call us during business office hours at 612-272-0547, or contact us any time day or night via our contact form. We look forward to working with you.