Video Production

Comprehensive guide for professional video production across all platforms.

Production Phases

The 3 Phases

Pre-Production

Script Format

SCENE 1 - INT. OFFICE - DAY

Wide shot of open office space. ALEX (30s) sits at desk.

ALEX
(looking at screen)
This is where the magic happens.

CUT TO: Close-up of computer screen showing code.

NARRATOR (V.O.)
In today's tutorial, we'll cover...

Shot List Template

Storyboard Elements

┌─────────────────────────┐
│    [Rough sketch]       │
│                         │
│    ┌───┐               │
│    │ O │  ←Subject      │
│    └─┬─┘               │
│      │                  │
├─────────────────────────┤
│ Shot: Medium close-up   │
│ Action: Subject speaks  │
│ Audio: Dialogue + music │
│ Duration: 5 seconds     │
│ Notes: Eye-level angle  │
└─────────────────────────┘

Camera Fundamentals

Shot Types

FRAMING:
┌─────────────┐     ┌─────────────┐     ┌─────────────┐
│             │     │    ┌───┐    │     │   ┌─────┐   │
│   ┌───┐     │     │    │ O │    │     │   │  O  │   │
│   │ O │     │     │    └─┬─┘    │     │   │  │  │   │
│   └─┬─┘     │     │     ─┼─     │     │   └──┬──┘   │
│   ──┼──     │     │      │      │     │      │      │
│    /│\      │     │     / \     │     └─────────────┘
│   / │ \     │     │    /   \    │
│  /  │  \    │     └─────────────┘     CLOSE-UP (CU)
│ /   │   \   │
└─────────────┘     MEDIUM (MS)
WIDE/FULL (WS)

EXTREME CLOSE-UP (ECU): Eyes, details only
MEDIUM CLOSE-UP (MCU): Head and shoulders
OVER-THE-SHOULDER (OTS): Person from behind another
TWO-SHOT: Two subjects in frame

Camera Movements

The Exposure Triangle

                    EXPOSURE
                       │
        ┌──────────────┼──────────────┐
        │              │              │
        ▼              ▼              ▼
   ┌─────────┐   ┌─────────┐   ┌─────────┐
   │  ISO    │   │Aperture │   │ Shutter │
   │ 100-12800│   │ f/1.4-22│   │ 1/30-   │
   │         │   │         │   │  1/8000 │
   └────┬────┘   └────┬────┘   └────┬────┘
        │             │             │
   Sensitivity   Depth of      Motion
   (noise)       Field         blur

Video Settings

Lighting

Three-Point Lighting

              KEY LIGHT
                 │
                 │  (45° angle)
                 │
                 ▼
    ┌────────────────────────┐
    │                        │
FILL │          👤          │ BACK LIGHT
LIGHT│       Subject         │ (rim/hair)
    │                        │
    └────────────────────────┘
                 │
                 │
              CAMERA

Lighting Styles

Color Temperature

Kelvin Scale:
1800K  ████████░░░░░░░░  Candlelight (warm)
2700K  ██████████░░░░░░  Tungsten bulb
3200K  ███████████░░░░░  Halogen
4000K  ████████████░░░░  Moonlight
5600K  ██████████████░░  Daylight (neutral)
6500K  ███████████████░  Overcast
10000K ████████████████  Blue sky (cool)

Audio

Recording Guidelines

Microphone Types

Audio Checklist

• Record room tone (30 seconds minimum)
• Check levels before recording
• Monitor with headphones
• Backup audio recording
• Sync audio/video with clap

Post-Production

Editing Workflow

1. INGEST
   └─→ Import footage, create proxies if needed

2. ORGANIZE
   └─→ Label clips, create bins/folders, log selects

3. ROUGH CUT
   └─→ Assemble story structure, timing

4. FINE CUT
   └─→ Tighten edits, pacing refinement

5. PICTURE LOCK
   └─→ No more timeline changes

6. COLOR
   └─→ Correction, grading, look development

7. AUDIO MIX
   └─→ Levels, EQ, compression, spatial

8. TITLES/GFX
   └─→ Lower thirds, motion graphics

9. EXPORT
   └─→ Final render, quality check

Editing Software

Essential Cuts

Color

Color Workflow

1. CORRECTION (Primary)
   - Fix exposure, white balance
   - Balance shots in scene
   - Create neutral baseline

2. MATCHING
   - Match shots within scenes
   - Consistent skin tones
   - Scene-to-scene continuity

3. GRADING (Secondary)
   - Creative look development
   - Selective adjustments
   - Style application

Color Scopes

LUTs (Look-Up Tables)

Types:
- Technical LUT: Log to Rec.709 conversion
- Creative LUT: Stylistic look (film emulation)
- Calibration LUT: Monitor/display correction

Application Order:
1. Input LUT (log conversion)
2. Primary correction
3. Secondary grading
4. Creative LUT
5. Output LUT (delivery spec)

Motion Graphics

Animation Principles

Common Motion Patterns

/* Easing functions */
ease-in:      slow → fast
ease-out:     fast → slow
ease-in-out:  slow → fast → slow
linear:       constant speed

/* Standard durations */
Quick:   150-200ms (micro-interactions)
Normal:  300-400ms (standard transitions)
Slow:    500-800ms (emphasis, reveals)

Title Safe Zones

┌────────────────────────────────┐
│  ┌──────────────────────────┐  │
│  │  ┌────────────────────┐  │  │
│  │  │                    │  │  │
│  │  │    TITLE SAFE      │  │  │
│  │  │       (80%)        │  │  │
│  │  │                    │  │  │
│  │  └────────────────────┘  │  │
│  │       ACTION SAFE        │  │
│  │          (90%)           │  │
│  └──────────────────────────┘  │
│         FULL FRAME (100%)      │
└────────────────────────────────┘

Export & Delivery

Platform Specifications

Export Settings (H.264)

Web Delivery:
- Codec: H.264
- Container: MP4
- Bitrate: 10-20 Mbps (1080p), 35-68 Mbps (4K)
- Audio: AAC, 320 kbps
- Sample rate: 48 kHz

Archive/Master:
- Codec: ProRes 422 or DNxHD
- Container: MOV
- Audio: Uncompressed PCM

Best Practices

DO:

• Plan before you shoot
• Record more footage than needed
• Use manual focus when possible
• Monitor audio with headphones
• Shoot for the edit
• Keep organized project files
• Back up everything (3-2-1 rule)
• Color correct before grading

DON'T:

• Overuse transitions
• Rely on "fix it in post"
• Forget b-roll coverage
• Ignore audio quality
• Over-sharpen in post
• Export at wrong aspect ratio
• Skip the rough cut phase
• Delete original footage

Quality Checklist

Pre-Export

• Timeline resolution matches delivery spec
• No black frames or gaps
• Audio levels normalized (-14 LUFS for streaming)
• All graphics within safe zones
• Color consistent across scenes
• Exports without errors

Final Review

• Watch full export beginning to end
• Check on multiple devices/screens
• Verify audio sync throughout
• Confirm captions/subtitles accuracy
• File size appropriate for platform