Omni's quick guide to the video production process

There are lots of different components involved in making a film. The video production process takes time, creativity and technical knowledge to get it just right.

Sometimes we hear from potential new clients who haven’t commissioned a film before and aren’t 100% sure how it all works. We’re happy to go through our production process and although every production is unique and has many variables, there are five key steps.

The Brief
Often we’ll receive a brief from a client explaining their production requirements such as what type of film it is (commercial / recruitment film / training), the target audience, any straplines that are already in place and the budget, as well as any initial thoughts and ideas for concepts.

Creative Development
This is where we start working on ideas, scripts and concepts ready to present to the client. This process can go through many cycles before the final concept. Every idea presented is accompanied by a ballpark budget to ensure that what we’re suggesting is feasible.

Pre-Production
Once the concept is agreed and signed off by the client, we start to bring the concept to life. We’ll source the Director and DOP, cast, location, wardrobe and art direction, all of which will be presented to the client for approval. We get to work on planning every aspect of the shoot such as booking crew, organising set dressing and decoration, hiring camera kit and lighting equipment, as well as scheduling the shoot days to ensure we have enough time to film everything we need.

Shoot
The shoot is where everything and everyone finally comes together. During the shoot the client will be given a monitor to watch everything we film and each shot will be checked before we move on. It’s especially important during this part of the process to have the client available to give feedback and ensure every element of the shoot is just right.

Post-Production
We then go into post-production and throughout this process the client will be set the latest revisions and updates, before the final version is presented for ultimate sign off. The first stage is the offline edit, where the best takes are selected and the story is pieced together to create a rough cut of the film. Next is the online edit where any special effects are added in, followed by the colour grade where the final look of the film is perfected.

The film will then be ready to serve its purpose, whether that’s for TV broadcast, online content or for internal use.