Inside Tips for Website Video Production: A How-to Guide

Website Video Production Guide for Creating Professional Content

Video marketing is now essential to any business’s marketing strategy. Modern-day consumers expect the brands that they follow to provide video content. It’s no wonder that consumers have this expectation considering the average internet user spends 70% of their time online watching videos. 

Marketers are reaping the benefits of this trend. 80% of marketers report that video has a direct impact on increased sales. However, this means that video content marketing is a competitive landscape. Every business needs to find a way to stand out to their target audience with their web video production.

Let’s go over  the video production process and provide website video production tips that will help your company stand out online.

Website Video Production Steps

The process of video production follows 3 main phases; pre-production, production, and post-production. Each phase includes a few steps that help ensure creators produce a high quality video. This video production guide will break down each phase into an easy to follow step by step process.

Pre-Production

The first phase in the process of video production is pre-production. This is the longest phase of your production process for a good reason. Careful planning is necessary if you want to produce a successful video.

1. Planning

Step one is to set specific goals for your video. Is the purpose of this video project to increase brand awareness? Generate website traffic? To keep repeat customers engaged? 

The video’s purpose determines what type of video you need. For example, if you need to educate customers about a new product, you should produce explainer videos. If this is a video production for website traffic generation, you should make sure it contributes to your website strategy.

During this step, you also need to define your audience and decide how the video will be distributed. Use search engine analytics data to determine your ideal persona and how they will consume your content.

Website video production can cost anywhere from almost free to thousands of dollars. So, it is important to set a realistic budget for your project. Production software tools and labor aren’t the only costs. You may also need to consider travel expenses, location, or equipment rental if necessary. 

2. Scripting

Once all the logistics are sorted out, it’s time to write the script. Keep your primary audience in mind during the writing process and be considerate to your team’s budget constraints. 

Online videos need to be concise. It can be challenging to cover everything in a short amount of time. Stick to the main message and don’t get too creative with the story to keep your word count down. Don’t forget to end your script with an enticing CTA just like you would in text-based web copy.

In most cases, creating a video script is a collaborative effort. Thorough proofreading and editing is necessary to ensure the script has a cohesive voice.

3. Storyboarding

A storyboard is an outline of the visual shots that will match your script. It maps out the visual elements of your video in the way that your script maps out the voiceover. Your storyboard could be made of photos, rough sketches, or graphics.

Adding notes to each shot on the storyboard helps the production team a lot. These notes could include lines from the script or sound effects that will be added. Notes give the production team a clear idea of what to do on set which will help save time on editing. 

Production 

The production phase is what most people imagine when they hear the words “video production.” This is when on-location video shoots, voice acting/narration, and animation occurs. Some businesses choose to outsource this phase to a video production company while others use in-house resources.

This phase does not include multiple steps. However, there is a checklist you can follow to help you produce engaging corporate videos without hiccups.

• Make sure every participant signs a consent form
• Establish a shooting schedule so everyone knows where they need to be and when
• Give appropriate wardrobe guidelines to everyone who will be on camera ahead of time (e.g. no logos)
• Always do more than one take per shot
• Try to use the 3-point lighting system as much as you can
• Help your editor notice the end of each scene. You may not have a clapboard on hand, but you can produce the same effect by clapping your hands after each scene
• Make sure the video’s visual elements match your branded web design

Post-Production

The post-production phase can also be time-consuming. Brand managers, creative directors, and legal advisors may need to give their seal of approval before you can distribute the video. Video production for the web may also require approval from cybersecurity and SEO experts.

Editors and creators should keep the approval board in mind. Taking the time to carefully edit and strategically plan the video’s distribution will decrease roadblocks. 

1. Editing

An editor must read the video’s script and consolidate your raw footage. They will use their best judgment to trim and re-order the footage. This will help create a more cohesive story and will require multiple rounds before they reach the ideal result.

Once the shots are cleaned and organized, the next step is to add sound. Sound may include narration, background music, or effects. The editor may also need to remove unwanted background noise. 

Editors for online video productions need to worry about a wider range of formats than traditional film editors. Various social media platforms have different sizing guidelines and mobile device considerations are vital. For this reason, exporting and compressing video files need to be part of your editing schedule. 

Be aware that compression can decrease your video’s quality, so choose a compression method that prevents this issue.

2. Distribution

There is little point to your video if your audience doesn’t see it. You will want to add your produced video to your website, but it shouldn’t be the only place you upload it. YouTube is the second largest search engine after Google so creating a YouTube channel is a great way to nurture new potential customers.

Your brand manager may have a list of online platforms that cater to your audience. You don’t need to add your video everywhere if it doesn’t suit your target demographic. For example, you may not bother with TikTok if your video is intended for older adults.

Want More Web Video Production Tips?

Pixelcarve’s video production services can help you take your marketing strategy to the next level. Our team of seasoned experts in video production for website and social media marketing will be with you for every phase of video production. 

Whether you need:

• Consultation for your planning process
• Expert scriptwriters and storyboarders
• A professional film or animation crew
• Meticulous editors with experience in video production, web design, and SEO marketing
• Advice on the latest online trends to inform your distribution strategy

Contact us to kickstart your next project.