Who’s Involved in the Video Making Process

If you want to make a video or film that looks professional and conveys a sound message, you need to assemble the right team for the job.

At Otto Studios, our video production Adelaide teams have extensive experience with projects of all sizes, and we can assemble a team to fit your objectives.

In this article, we look at the broad range of roles involved in larger video productions, but rest assured that there’s no one-size-fits-all team when it comes to video production. The team needs to match the objectives and constraints of the project.

Writers and Storyboard Artists

The writing team is responsible for crafting a story or video concept from beginning to end, while the storyboard team’s job is to plot that progression visually.

Whether you’re making a short film or a small information clip, a successful video has to have a script, and the writers are the ones who make it. That script informs the actors of what to say and when to say it and keeps them from misspeaking and fumbling the message.

Storyboard artists serve a similar purpose but help guide the rest of the production team. They illustrate how scenes play out, including where the actors stand, what angle the cameras film them at, and occasionally the backdrop.

Producers

The producer’s job is to listen to the big-picture goals and ideas from the writers and storyboard artists and assemble the team that brings them to life. That team typically includes all of the roles listed below and often more depending on the project’s size.

Producers also stay on through the entire process to ensure their team creates a successful video.  If the video production process hits too many roadblocks, the producer can bring in additional team members or replace ill-fitting ones.

Director

The director oversees the production phase of the video-making process and guides the cast and crew on how to complete their roles. If any aspect of the filming is off, whether it’s a line delivery from an actor or misplaced lighting from the technicians, the director will catch it and suggest changes.

The director also helps establish the production schedule and keep everything on time.

Assistant Director

Directors watch over every phase of production, which is no easy task. Because of that high demand, many work with assistant directors who make the central director’s life easier.

The assistant director also helps with the production schedule and ensures everyone arrives to set on time. They monitor the script and storyboard to ensure the cast and crew film every scene and hit every line when they’re supposed to.

Director of Photography

The director of photography serves a similar role to the principal director but oversees the camera crew and their work rather than the entire production team. They scan every element of the set and scene and determine the best locations for each camera and their ideal settings.

Additionally, the director of photography works closely with the lighting team during the video-making process to ensure each shot receives proper illumination.

Camera Crew

The camera crew monitors the action during the scene through the camera and makes the director of photography’s visions come to life. Each camera has at least one camera operator, and whoever stands behind the lens is responsible for shifting, zooming, and refocusing the video as necessary.

Audio Engineers

Audio engineers record sound during the video-making process and monitor audio levels to ensure everything sounds clear during filming. They record most of their sound on-set for the majority of productions, but many oversee narration and voiceover work as well.

On restricted budgets or small projects, the director of photography will often step into the audio engineer’s role. However, having a dedicated audio team that monitors volume and sound quality can ensure a smooth video-making process. Not only will they make your video sound its best, but they can also interrupt takes with poor audio and save the team’s time.

 

Lighting Team

First-time video producers often overlook the lighting team, but they are a vital part of the video-making process. In fact, lighting is so important and intricate that lighting teams often have a hierarchy of roles to ensure every scene looks its best.

Director

Like the director of photography, the lighting director oversees all staff members on the lighting crew. They work directly with the director of photography and the other partners of the lighting team to place the equipment properly.

Gaffer

The gaffer is the lead electrician on a lighting team. While the lighting director plans where the lighting will go, the gaffer adjusts the settings and angles to ensure the scene is ready to shoot.

Key Grip

The key grip assembles the lights and puts them in their appropriate spots. Typically, key grips work with the gaffer to bring the lighting director’s vision to life.

Editor

Despite not coming on until the end, the person editing the video is a massive part of the process. While the team members listed above create the clips, it’s the editor’s job to ensure those clips look good and come together to build a cohesive video.

Conclusion

We hope that gives you a good overview of the diverse set of roles involved in creating a video or film. If you’d like to start assembling a team for your own video production, don’t hesitate to contact us.