Video Production Case Study - Community Restorative Centre (CRC)
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In general, our video production process follows the same cycle, for productions ranging from small and quick to large and complex. Every project needs planning, production and post production work. The difference is in the time and resources spent at each stage.
The case study below illustrates the steps in our video production process, using the case of a production for the Community Restorative Centre (CRC), which provides support for family and friends of people going through the justice system. Note that the entirety of the process below can occur in 24 hours for a tiny project, to 500+ hours for a complex project. |
Justice Maze - a summary video for CRC. See component videos at the bottom of this page.
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PRE-PRODUCTION STAGES - it's time to plan!
Stage 1: Client Brief
The initial stage is where we meet with the client to receive a briefing on all aspects of what they would like from the video production. The briefing can be both written and oral. In the case of CRC, an extensive written brief was submitted, supplemented by considerable discussions to ensure we were clear on the structure of the project |
Stage 2: Research
Research could be anywhere from half an hour for a very small job, to 10 days for a complex project. For CRC, research included talking with a range of justice system experts, interviewing CRC workers, family members of those in jail, lawyers, corrective services staff and others, in addition to reading up on the subject. |
Stage 3: Skeleton
The skeleton gives the outline of the script, giving an overview of what is planned. This is then checked with the client to ensure we are on the same page, and adjustments can be made at this early stage, saving time and money later. |
Stage 4: Treatment & 1st Draft Script
The Treatment gives the detailed ingredients of what needs to be in the video, without the structure. The script then puts the components into a scene-by-scene structure. To develop the CRC drama, we held a series of workshops with CRC workers, ex-prisoners, ex-police, and a lawyer. Role playing the stories helped develop both the dialogue and actions. |
Stage 5: Client Consultation and Feedback
While client consultation is part of every stage in our productions, this is a key time for feedback and input. For CRC, consultation was extensive and a range of script adjustments were made. |
Stage 6: Second Draft Script and Sign-Off
This stage finalises the script, and get's sign-off from the client that they are happy with the script and ready to move into production. |
PRODUCTION STAGES - lights, camera....
Stage 7: Production preparation
This can be a short or long process, depending on complexity. For CRC, it involved establishing locations including a courtroom and prison; casting of actors and holding rehearsals (which in turn refine the script and dialogue). Note that we work within applied budget constraints - for CRC some non-professional actors were used. |
Stage 8: Production
Production involves a crew carrying out directing, filming, lighting, sound recording, and all aspects of production. It can involve actors, props, locations and more. Production may occur over half a day, or over many days. Ideally, a client representative will be present as much as possible, to ensure the production reflects what the client wants. For CRC, we had a four person crew (Director, Camera, Sound Recordist, Production Assistant). |
POST-PRODUCTION STAGES - to the edit room....
Stage 9: Sound Edit
This is a labor-intensive process where everything that has been filmed that included sound content is edited down to the point where we believe we have all the sound/content needed to make the video. We will regularly check with the client, and will require client sign-off for the sound edit. |
Stage 10: Rough Cut
From the finalised sound edit, pacing, music and visuals are combined, to created a much richer video, and we can start to see more clearly how the final video will look. Again, we will seek client sign-off before moving on. |
Stage 11: Final Polished Video
After the rough cut, a range of final polishing is added to the video - color correction, sound and visual effects, titles, subtitles if needed. The final video should then be signed-off. |
Stage 12: Distribution
The video can then be uploaded to the web, copied on to multiple DVDs including with designed labels, or distributed in any other manner that the client wishes. You may wish to engage our web services as part of your project. With much of the design for a web site having been covered in the video project, this can make production of a site faster and more cost effective than you may think. |
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CRC - COMPONENT VIDEOS
Justice Maze: 1. The Arrest
Justice Maze: 3. Prison
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Justice Maze: 2. Going to Court
Justice Maze: 4. Family Finances
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