Making a video

When creating my music video I need to be aware of how to produce it, and the different responsibilities each member of the creative team has. However, in the case I will be taking care of all aspects of production. There are four stages to making a video.

1. The Brief  - This should state the purpose, intention and limitations (budget and time frame) of the video as it will assist the creative team in the production of the video. It should also include details of the target audience and how long the video is going to be. In my case, the brief is to produce a music video and two ancillary texts. The purpose of the video is to assist the track and reinforce the lyrics through visual imagery. The intention is to entertain my target audience and encourage them to listen to the track by showing my own visual representation of the lyrics. My limitations are that I have no budget except my own money, and that I have to produce it and have a final finished product before March 2014.
2. Pre-Production - The preproduction stage is the planning which is the stage I am at now. This involves organising certain elements which will assist me in the production of my music video. These are: the script (which are the lyrics of the track), the scene breakdown, the storyboard, a shot list, casting, locations, equipment hire, catering and transport.
3. Production - This is the length of time when the video is shot. Depending on the scale of the project this could take anything from days up to a year. It is vital that all stages of pre-production are complete before attempting to produce the video as the outcomes of the pre-productions stage will assist the creative team in putting together the video. 
4. Post-Production - This is where all of the elements of production are combined in order to create an offline edit (which is the rough cut) and a final online edit. During this stage the sound technician looks at the sound mix of the final edit and adjusts any sound which is either too quiet or too loud.

When making any video there is always a creative team behind the scenes, each member has different responsibilities which they are in charge of in each of the four stages. 

Director

The director directs the performance of the cast and crew. They are always on location instructing the creative team of what they need to do. They have creative control of the production of the video and always have the final say on the audio and how the film is put together. 

Producer

The producer is in charge of the creative team. They devise shooting schedules and make sure each part of the film is shot on time and on schedule. The producer manages the film's budget and timeline (what needs to be done and when). 

Executive Producer

They assist the producer in managing the timeline and the films budget. They also assist in managing the creative team and they take care of any issues which arise in the making of the film. 

Production Manager

The production manager makes sure that the filming runs smoothly and is in charge of day to day co-ordination of production. They take care of the people involved, gathering and hiring the necessary equipment (such as cameras, tripods etc.), facilities, catering and they are heavily involved in post-production. 

Writer

The writer manages and develops the idea or the concept of the film and writes the script. 

Storyboard Artist

The storyboard artist works with the director and producer to produce a visual representation of the script. They try to draw out a rough image of the film shot by shot, they will also state what type of shot it is and what is going on in that particular scene. The storyboard that they produce assists the director in filming the actual video. 

Camera Operator & Lighting Director

The camera operator uses the cameras and works with the lighting director when shooting the video. They shoot the different scenes and shots which make up the video. The lighting director manages the visual effects and is in charge of a lighting grid or a set of free-standing lights. 

Sound Technician

The sound technician make sure that any dialogue and any other sounds are recorded properly. When creating my own music video I will not need to fulfill this role as the sound is purely the track which is played alongside the visual imagery. However, if I was going to include some dialogue and temporarily stop the music to reinforce the story within the narrative of my music video, I would need to consider doing this. 

Editor

The editor cuts down the footage to a suitable length for the finished product. They will also add any other components, such as any special effects, extra graphics, sound etc. They work alongside the director to create the desired finished video. 

Talent

These are the actors or actresses who are seen in front of the camera.