As a Content Creator at Bolster, Ed Gurr, has been using his experience on set to help refine pre-production processes for clients. He unpacks the importance of it and offers a few tips of his own below.
The Situation
Picture this; you’ve received some raw footage from a freelance videographer. You’re scrubbing through those MOVs, looking to find that perfect key shot for the final version.
It could be a moment from the CEO’s speech neatly summarising the client’s brand messaging? A sweeping wide shot of the client’s brand activation at the event? The ever-client-pleasing product close-up? Even a glorious drone shot? Alas, there’s nothing there that captures what you’re looking for.
If you’ve ever found yourself in this position, it’s okay, we’ve all been there! And we’re here to help you use pre-production to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
The set-up
When you’re working with a freelance videographer, it’s important to be as prescriptive as possible early on. While you trust any videographer you work with to the best of their abilities, ultimately, your client is going to have very specific ideas in mind. It’s your responsibility to pass these onto other members of your (extended) team.
A freelance videographer probably won’t know that your client prefers at least a 50/50 share of product shots. Or that the subjects in the frame can’t be wearing competitor clothing brands.
It might sound obvious, but thorough pre-production is crucial to ensuring your videographer captures everything you need. Remember, they’re coming in with fresh eyes and little to no context. That’s where the brief comes in.
The brief
It’s best to imagine you’re briefing a videographer to shoot your wedding (seriously, hear me out here). Anyone you hire is probably not going to know the intricacies of your family. They probably won’t know that during the groom’s parents are near-guaranteed to tear up during the speeches or that the bride has insane moves on the d-floor — that is unless you tell them beforehand.
Now it might be a stretch to compare a branded awareness piece to one of the happiest days of your life. But, trust me, it’s this level of forethought that will undoubtedly benefit the output.
So, to help you on your brief, here are some hot tips to keep in mind:
Visualise
Firstly, visualise the final edit in your head.
- Will it open with brand signage?
- How many product close-up shots do you foresee there being?
Doing this will help inform your shot list and allow you to be as detailed as possible (eg. slow motion, tight shot of beer pouring from tap).
Compile
- Compile your shot list, along with other accompanying materials (eg. schedule, key contacts) into a neat, professional execution deck.
- Ensure it’s ‘freelancer facing’ by culling the irrelevant internal stuff (eg. rollout timeline, budget breakdowns).
- Include some visual references in there (this is an important one). Do some research on YouTube and Vimeo to pull some content you like. Explain what you like about these videos and why the videographer should replicate them.
Communicate
Finally, communicate with your videographer. It’s not enough to shoot through an email with your execution plan. Call them the day before the shoot to take them through it. Treat them as if they were a key stakeholder in the business. Remember, they want to do the best job they can in the hope you’ll use them for future projects. They’ll appreciate the detail and effort you’ve put in.
It’s great to give your freelancer some creative license, but don’t put the ball entirely in their court. If you put the work in during these initial stages, it’ll help them to help you, live happily ever after.
Ed Gurr is a Digital Content Creator at Bolster.
