What we do at 7 and 20 Seconds Productions | Film Production & Television Commercials | High Definition 24P

	How it works Filmmaking is our passion and it shows in our productions As a professional video/film production company, we follow a rigorous process to provide the highest standard of quality. When the project is smaller, these steps take less time. However our methodology is your best guaranty of the success of your project. The initial meeting - schedule and content The video script The storyboard - describing the visual content Shoot schedule and shoot list Filming outside your own space Pre-shoot meeting and check The shoot Your input on the shoot day Editing to Rough Cut The soundtrack The rough cut and final cut Duplication and distribution rollout The initial meeting - schedule and content Agreeing to a production schedule and the video content in the intial meeting helps to ensure the future stages go smoothly. We will listen, observe and ask essential questions. Likewise, you will need to involve your own users or internal customers in the meeting. We will have to agree on a detailed schedule for the production, including deadlines for approval of the script and storyboard, pre-production meetings, shoot dates, dates for viewing the rough cut and fine cut, completion and final delivery rollout. We will have to know also how we will find information within your organisation and who we can talk to, what can be seen, etc.. The video script The script is the engine that drives your video. It tells the story and ties the pictures together. Usually the script is mostly words - such as voiceover narration, a Presenter, and dialogue for any actors - with only a sketchy idea of the visual content.It is written is spoken plain english. This is not the same as you would write in a business document. It has a different rhythm, it uses different structures, different words. So, we have to resist the temptation to correct grammar and usage - turning "it's" into "it is", for example. For the script approval process, it is good to have an internal team meeting and at the meeting, to get someone to read the script out loud, line by line, paragraph by paragraph. Amendments can be agreed to on the spot. We are also using this meeting to discuss visual content in more detail - what equipment is to be filmed, how best to demonstrate a product, etc.. The storyboard - describing the visual content The storyboard is the script, plus a full description of the visual content, plus a list of everything that will be required. It's a complete map of the video, a master document that you and the production team can refer to. We call it an industry standard storyboard. The storyboard will also have a list of scenes organised by location - for example scenes 3, 17 and 22 may be in the loading bay - plus details of props, vehicles, costumes etc. A storyboard like this is sometimes called a shooting script. The storyboard will also contain a questionnaire if interviews are involved, plus Guidance Notes for Interviewees. Again it is valuable to have a team meeting to read through and approve the storyboard. It will become your Shoot Planning Meeting Shoot schedule and shoot list Now that you have agreed what the scenes are going to be and where they will be shot, you need to plan a shoot schedule and shoot list. The shoot list, lets everyone - managers, video director, camera crew, performers - know what's happening and when. This is determined by convenience and practicality, not by the order that the scenes will appear in the finished video. We planned for the fact that it takes up to an hour to move a video crew from one location to another, even within the same building, because of the time needed to dismantle, shift, set up and re-light at the new location. In other words, we try to schedule all the scenes in one area in one session. The more time is spent shooting and the less time is spent travelling, then the more footage you'll have for the edit. Planning has to be arranged with the manager or owner of that location, so that the place is clean, tidy and safe, that all the processes are working, staff or cast are appropriately dressed, and there are no distractions like a scheduled fire drill. Filming outside your own space Your film may call for scenes to be shot on locations away from your premises in public. We need to pay special care to legal and safety issues. Many public areas, like shopping centres and car parks, are not public at all, and we will need permits to film there, even if your company is a tenant of the buiding. We deal with film production offices to get appropriate permits. We do a risk assessment for any shooting that might be hazardous - on water or on a road, for example. We are fully insured for public and employer's liability. Pre-shoot meeting and check To make sure everything runs smoothly, a final meeting between stakeholders of the shoot locations will firm up all arrangements. We will walk through the locations so that we can see that everything is ready including details such as power needed for the lighting or places for the actors, where they can change, where they can sit and rehearse when they're not needed for a scene. we will also review arrangements about access, parking, safety, onsite transport , refreshments, security and in certain cases; also overnight storage of equipment if it's a multi-day shoot. The shoot The shoot is the most demanding part of the video production process. It is disruptive and it's time consuming. Shooting can seem to take a long time and many attempts to get a particular shot. The director and cameraman will be working to get the most interesting and convincing result that the editor can use. There is no point in compromising for the sake of convenience; the end result will be disappointing. The minimum crew will consist of the director and camera operator and a sound technician. This is fine for many shots, particularly outside, but there is obviously a limit to what can be done in a day if only the camera operator is moving the equipment, setting up lights, etc. To get productivity up, the crew may include an assistant, a gaffer, a grip, steadicam operator, or other specialist. If you also have a presenter and a cast of actors or interviewees on site then using additional crew becomes more essential. But on many occasions an experienced three person crew, with a helper supplied by you, can do the job well, and this will cost you less without compromising quality. Your input on the shoot day On shoot day, in general we ask to not interfere with the director's decisions. However if an actor is not doing something the way your company (or your audience) would expect it to be done, say so. If there's something in the shot that's not right for technical, safety or PR reasons, tell the director at once. We expect that there should always be someone from your team to watch the shoot. It is very costly to change the wording of an actor's script once they have earned it, to talk during shots, have your cell phone on, to let staff bang doors or walk through shots, gawking at the camera. Once shot, your corporate video production moves into the Editing & Post Production phase. Editing to Rough Cut The editor's first job is to evaluate the takes, which means look at all the footage shot and decide what is useful, and what is not. This takes longer than people might think, as evaluating is the process by which the editor becomes familiar with the footage and becomes absorbed into the project. Usually a editor will evaluate footage as Excellent, Acceptable and Unacceptable, mark it as such, and save it in "bins", ready for editing process. If the shoot has captured a lot of unscripted material, such as interviews or conference debates, it may save time and money if you evaluate the takes to see which part you want to use. The editor can then put these together in the most effective and interesting way. The soundtrack The soundtrack for your film may require additional voiceover and music to complement the sound recorded during the shoot. Voiceover narration may have been done on location by the presenter, if you had one. More often it is recorded by a professional voiceover artist in a recording studio. It is a good idea to record the voiceover only when the script is finally approved, to save the cost of recording changes. We make sure that the voice you use is compatible with the message and audience you are trying to reach. Music can be used in intros for increased impact and as background throughout the video. The rough cut and final cut Once editing is complete, the film will be shown to you as a Rough Cut. Today, most Rough Cuts are very close to the final finished job as the storyboard will have been widely approved, the footage shot to plan, and everything else agreed in advance. At the Rough Cut viewing, you will suggest amendments, though again if all has gone to plan, none of these amends will be major. Once you have agreed any changes, a Final Cut will take place, incorporating your suggestions. The Final Cut is the final product. You should expect to pay extra if you ask for changes after this step. This means you need to get approval from all your stakeholders at the Rough Cut stage and not wait until you have the finished product. Duplication and distribution rollout Duplication is the final stage before you can distribute your film. How you decide the delivery mix for your video will depend where it's going. DVD is now the most widely available medium. For DVD or CD, runs of 500 or more will see the price dropping dramatically as the duplication process is different. Translating your video into a Foreign Language will add relatively little cost wise, but will dramatically increase it's impact overseas.