The Power of Pre-Production

Over the course of my career I have seen pre-production both make and break video content. I consistently tell my clients, “1 hour of pre-production saves you 3 hours in post production.”

Pre-production is anything that you do in order to prepare for an upcoming project. This may include creating a script, scouting locations, or even determining a color palette!

Pre-Production in Action

EarthCorps, a Seattle non-profit that specializes in trail restoration and leadership development, reached out to me with a modest budget of $3,000 and high aspirations. They wanted to create a 2-3 minute brand overview video that would explain the magnitude of the organization on top of showcasing what resources they need access to in order to be effective in their mission. Full transparency, this was a fairly small budget for how large the scope of the project was and I know of multiple production companies that wouldn’t have even considered this project because it falls short of their $10,000 minimum threshold. But yes, I did ultimately take on the project because EarthCorps is my dream client; they work to better the environment and they make a genuinely positive impact on the community at large. I told them that we could create something compelling for them as long as they were willing to trust my guidance on how we could be hyper effective with their budget.

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Prior to filming we…

  1. Created a script

  2. Compiled a specific shot list

  3. Gathered photos of crew members in the field

  4. Found music that matched the organization’s aesthetic

  5. Scouted filming locations

  6. Determined outfits

  7. Laid out a clear schedule for filming

Because we were so organized, we were able to capture everything in 4 hours. We knew which lines needed to be said in which locations and we had a specific shot list which outlined the content we needed in order to tell a compelling story. This level of foresight in turn created an incredibly easy editing process because there was a clear vision for the layout of the video. Editing took a mere 5 hours for this piece, which is insanely fast for a project with this many moving pieces.

Check it out!

By being so organized in pre-production, we were able to drastically cut down on time spent filming and editing for the EarthCorps project which ultimately led to a more affordable video solution for the organization.

It’s also worth mentioning that a large factor in the streamlining of this project stems from my experience as a director and team leader. I’ve been creating this type of content for over a decade now and I have a strong sense of what will and won’t work. This is important to acknowledge because I was able to pull from a wealth of production knowledge which helped me make quick but informed decisions on this project, ultimately leading to a very efficient process.

I strive to transparently show how the magical on-screen moments are made. If you want to see more of this content, there are two ways for you to stay in the loop:

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Jacob Christensen