The stages of video production: what happens in each and what you need to do as a client

The three stages, and why some people count five

If you search on Google, you'll see some talk of three stages and others of five. They're both right, because it's the same film told in more or less detail.

The three-stage version is the classic one: pre-production, production and post-production. The five-stage one adds one at the start, development, where the idea is born and it's decided whether the project goes ahead, and another at the end, distribution, where it's decided where it gets published and how it becomes known. In film, these two are enormous and last months or years. In a company video, the first can be a conversation and the last a post on LinkedIn.

We're telling you all this from the point of view of someone about to commission a video, because what schools teach, very well, is meant for people who want to work in the field. What matters here is something else: what happens in each stage, how long it takes and what's expected of you.

The rule repeated most in our trade is that projects are won before the shoot. The more that gets decided in the first stage, the cheaper and calmer everything else is. Changing your mind in pre-production costs a conversation. The same change on a shoot costs a day. And in post-production, many times, it can no longer be done.

Let's go stage by stage, with cases from projects we've done and that you can see on our website.

Pre-production: where everything gets decided

This is the stage you see least and the one that weighs most. It begins with an idea, a need or a brief, and it ends when everyone knows what's going to happen on shoot day, hour by hour.

First the concept and script get set: what's being told, to whom and in what tone. If the project calls for it, there's also a visual document with references, a shot list and a storyboard. Then the practical side gets organized: technical crew, casting if needed, locations and permits, wardrobe and makeup, music rights, schedule, budget and shooting plan.

How long does it take? It depends on what's being made. For a simple corporate video, a few days can be enough. For a campaign with several spaces, several weeks. An extreme case of ours is Jaray, a fashion film we shot in Granada: the long concept process covered everything from visual narrative to sound, and nearly all of what you later see was decided there.

Another example is the music video for Capinàs. That piece needed a set designed and built in our studio and a puppet created from scratch to act as the band's antagonist. You can't improvise a puppet on shoot day.

And your role as a client in this stage is the most important of all: explain clearly what you need, decide who approves, get access and permits at your company, warn the people who'll appear and review the script thoroughly. If a technical detail isn't correct or someone at the company has to sign off, this is the moment to find out.

Production: the shoot

This is the stage everyone imagines: cameras, lights and people shouting "action". It's usually the shortest and most expensive per hour, which is why you arrive at it with everything thought through.

A shoot day starts with setting up lights and sound and ends with backing up the footage. In between, the crew follows a very specific plan: what gets shot, in what order and how much time there is for each thing. The order isn't usually the script's, but whatever makes most sense for the light, the spaces and the people. A shoot in a factory, for example, tends to be organized around shifts.

Who's on a shoot? It depends on the size. On small ones, a director, someone handling the camera and sometimes the light too, and someone on sound. On big ones there's direction, production, a director of photography, assistants, electricians, sound, art, makeup and wardrobe, among others. More people doesn't mean more quality: a small, well-chosen crew gets into an office without stopping work.

And a frequent question: does the client have to come? It's highly recommended for someone from the company with decision-making power to be there. It helps to settle doubts on the spot, such as whether a figure is right or a space can be shown, and avoids having to repeat something. On a shoot with people from your team, it also really helps them stay calm. There's more detail in how to prepare for a corporate video shoot.

You can also save a lot if the shoot is planned to give you several pieces rather than one. We explain it in one shoot, a month of content.

Post-production: where the piece takes shape

When the lights go off, about half of the work is still left. Post-production follows a similar order on almost every project.

First the edit: the material gets organized and the story is built, sometimes very different from what was imagined. Then, once the edit is approved, comes the finishing: color, so everything has one intention and looks good; sound, with voice cleanup, music and effects; and whatever graphics, captions and animation are needed. If it carries subtitles, versions in other languages or formats for each platform, those come at the end.

The taste of whoever does it really shows here. With Carla Collado, for "Coraje", the music video combines live action, 3D and digital compositing, and much of what you see was created in this stage. On a podcast like Aladetres, on the other hand, the key is something else: giving long conversations pace and keeping the same level on every episode, week after week.

And what do you do here? Review. It's best for one person to gather all the comments, with the minute and second of each change, rather than five people sending separate emails. Review the biggest things first, structure and message, because there's no point adjusting a caption in a scene that may get cut.

Also pay attention to how many rounds of changes the agreement includes, and when each part gets approved: once color is approved, it isn't a good idea to change the edit again, because work gets repeated.

What comes next: distribution and what tends to be forgotten

A finished video saved in a folder is no use to anyone, and you see more cases like that than you'd think. The last stage, what film calls distribution, means publishing well and making the most of what's been made when you're a company.

Before starting the project, it's worth knowing where it'll be seen, because that changes a lot from the beginning. If it's for a trade show stand, it won't have sound. If it's for Instagram, it has to work vertically and without a voice in the first few seconds. If it gets projected at an event, it needs a different resolution and mix. And if it goes on the website, it should be hosted and compressed properly so it doesn't slow the site down.

Google also asks what types of audiovisual work exist. People usually mention film, television, advertising, corporate video and content for social or platforms, as well as music videos, documentaries and podcasts. The process is the same; what changes is the size and where more hours go. A music video spends a lot of time on the idea and post-production, while a company video usually focuses it on the script and interviews.

Then comes what hardly anyone plans for: measuring and reusing. Do people watch to the end? Which parts can we get clips from? What has gone out of date and could be updated in a few months?

One last practical tip, so you can sleep soundly: ask for the final files in a good-quality format, as well as the version for social. And clear up how long the raw footage is kept and what rights you have over the music and images.

What these stages look like when you do them with us

We work in this same order, whether it's a short interview or a campaign. What we've learned over years of projects is that a client cares less about what the stages are called than about knowing what they have to do at each moment. So before starting, we tell you which decisions fall to you and when.

Albert Murillo, our creative director, comes from directing short films and music videos, and he follows projects from the idea to the last adjustment. The shoot and edit teams work together in-house, so the edit is taken into account from the moment the shoot is being prepared. We have our own studio in Viladecans, about twenty minutes from Barcelona, and we also get around the city and beyond: we shot Jaray in Granada and La Bunker on the streets of Barcelona.

With Qilimanjaro, a quantum computing company in Barcelona, we've repeated these stages on more than fifteen videos, and each project builds on what we already know about their company and their team.

If you have a video in mind and don't know how long it needs or where to start, tell us about it. See how we work as a video production company in Barcelona and book a free diagnosis. On a video call we go over your idea and tell you which stages will take you longest and what you need to prepare. If you're in a hurry, we'll also tell you frankly what can be done in your timeframe.

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