Pre and post video production

Jan 9

Welcome to the first of several posts I’ll make as part of the video lessons series in which I’ll break down what I’ve learned as someone who has produced hundreds of videos.

Why I’m qualified to talk about this:

I’ve been both the creator making content for myself and for clients as well as the strategist helping build a plan with a team.
In the early days of VEED, I was responsible for helping hire the first creators for our video team for our YouTube channel which, at the time of writing this, drives 40,000 to 50,000 organic visits which result in over 200+ monthly paid signups.
I also planned, recorded, edited, and published every single piece of our Instagram content which achieved a 9% engagement rate (9X higher than all our competitors).

Now that the accreditation on this topic is out of the way, let me be clear on what this post is not 😜

A dishonest over-simplification of something that’s tough to master
A huge list of equipment and software you should buy
A collection of advice I never practice

Dominating video means mastering a diverse set of skills. This mastery is a product of time, practice, and perseverance. Unfortunately—telling people how things will be difficult is not what gets engagement because added friction equals more drop-offs.

If you don’t create a strong foundation that welcomes failure, initially looking and sounding awkward, and a consistent video creation practice then a $150 to $5,000 investment on a video setup alone will never improve your video results.

Even when you get pretty good at video you might still feel butterflies in your stomach with the occasional imposter syndrome flare-up. I say this not to be a pessimist but because most people new to video hold themselves to unrealistically high standards set by people who don’t know what they’re writing about and people who care more about you clicking on their affiliate links than being candid with you about what really matters at the core of every great video.

Practice makes progress.

And if you’re still here and believe in putting in the work to master video I have a collection of video content tips I live by for you steal from me and improve upon.

P.S. If you’re reading and wondering why I’m not on video these days it’s because I just had a baby and I’m tired lol.

Alright, lets start our first lesson with a step-by-step on the video pre and post-production process.

Phase I: Planning

Ever make a video and then realize it would’ve been soooo much better if you had thought of doing (insert thing you wish you’d done) before?

It doesn’t matter if you record video content on a shitty webcam or a $2,000 camera. Knowing what to talk about isn't even the biggest concern if this isn't addressed.

Structure and delivery are the most important things to obsess over.

It's not just about what you'll say but:

👉 When will you say it?

👉 How long will you take to say it?

👉 How will editing support the retention of your message?

This is why research and learning how to write better are, in my opinion, the two of the most important skills every content creator should focus on regardless of which content format they gravitate towards.

Before I make a video there's always a degree of light to heavy planning (depending on the content format’s complexity and estimated video duration).

Step 1: Defining the build of your content

When I dig into a topic I'm interested in, I find answers to these questions:

Is there proven demand ?
Can I bring my own original angle?
What are people already searching and asking?
On average, how long are the videos already published?
What's working and not working for others? Any patterns?
What did competitors miss that might give me a different angle to make this better?
Besides the meat of the video–what do good thumbnails look like? Captions and descriptions?

This helps you create a research document with insights that will help you tackle the right topics as effectively as you can.

And if you’re updating an older video I would add in one more question: What’s working for others that my existing video on this topic is missing or not doing well?

**Recommended Read:**

How VEED’s YouTube channel grew with SEO and great content

Read

Step 2: Outlining lessons

Not all videos are outlined the same. Shorter videos tend to follow a looser structure. I prefer making bullet points on a sticky note for these noting what I want to touch on rather than script word for word.

Longer videos are more complex so I'll make a g-doc with talking points, needed footage, and planning for edits. A google doc template keeps my longer videos structured. More later on how to keep your speech natural even if you’re reading a script.

To make a template of your own you can create a table with two columns:

The things you’ll say and do

Editing notes for your talking points (b-roll, suggested edits, sound effects)

⏱️ For videos under 60 seconds:

I like making bullet points on a sticky note to remind me of the order I want to touch on things. Although these shorter videos still require some research, I find if I over plan a short video I overthink things that aren't thaaat important.

Generally, I like to keep shorter videos down to a simpler process and use them for testing topics with the potential for a deep dive.

⏳ For videos longer than one minute:
Here's what I do to create an outline.

This brings me to...

Step 3: How will edits support your message delivery and viewer retention?

It's easier to record a winning video when you've thought about how you'll approach the way editing will support your video’s ideas before you hit record.

Keep in mind, not every video needs to go "all-out" in terms of the edits.

An Instagram story might benefit from some simple zooming in/out with your camera as you state key points you want to emphasize and the placement of poll or question stickers
A YouTube video will tend to be more complex with edits such as sound effects, animations, voiceovers, video-on-video overlays, etc
Hours of video course content can be broken down into 3 to 5 minute-long YouTube-esque segments with simple overlays of referenced material.

Look at your outline and think about what would enhance your video?

Think of it in terms of how can audio, text, effects, or b-roll footage support your visual and auditory storytelling?

Just like in writing you edit out the fluff, think of what you could add or subtract from a video to make it as short or as long as it needs to be effective.

If it doesn't make the video easier to watch and better then don't do it. You don’t want an overedited video that feels like an overdecorated Christmas tree.

Step 4: Recording

In this step we’re going to talk about equipment, software, and your home (or office) setup.

Q: What kind of equipment should you buy?

I'm a firm believer that the majority of people planning to incorporate video misplace their focus on gear. You can buy the most high-end stuff but if you lack the principles of a strong foundation the $2,000+ camera can't help you.

I've always kind of hated the obsession with buying these things (unless you're a video production or media company) so I won't dig too much into this.

In fact, in the first year or so of running the YouTube channel at VEED our #1 video for about 2 years was shot with a basic webcam. That's evidence sometimes people often overcomplicate and overproduce content when they just need to get on with making their first few videos.

But if you do care for these things and have the money for helpful basics then you can't go wrong with getting yourself:

A camera (or any smartphone with a good camera)
Single-point lighting setup (can be light from a window or a ring light)
A sturdy tripod (I highly suggest not going cheap on these as I always found myself replacing cheap $15 tripods)
A clip-on microphone
A video editing tool you’re comfortable with

You just reaaaally don't need to go all-out spending-wise on these to get started.

Good content principles, your phone's camera, a generic brand clip-on mic, and natural lighting will take you further than a big upfront investment in gear. Obsess over the things that can be built not bought and you will future-proof yourself with valuable skills that'll serve you in the long run.

For those of you who do want to go all out, here are two blog posts I worked on with our video team covering what you need to know:

Update Coming Soon:
How to record and use AI for easier post-production.

Step 5: Editing

Thanks to your planning and outline, you’ll find editing will be faster, clearer, and involve less time-consuming guesswork.

The tool you use to edit is not magic.

People tend to focus on what the best tool is from a general consensus rather than:

Understand what each tool can do
Be honest with themselves about how much of a time investment they want to put into learning a potentially advanced professional-grade software

For example, if you want to…

Make great video and not invest too much time into learning a complex tool like Adobe Premiere and After Effects then VEED is best for you. With VEED you don't have to be an expert to make great video content.

Be a professional YouTuber with access to more advanced creative control over your edits, audio, animations, and color grading then Adobe’s suite of tools is best.

Edit the occasional video for free while on the go then built-in editing tools within social platforms are best for you.

Explore The Video Lessons Series

Video pre and post-production process
Pattern interrupt
Creating and validating ideas
Sounding like a natural
“Hacks” for easier edits
How VEED’s YouTube Channel Grew (in the early days)

Video Lessons Series

Diana Briceno