In this article, we're going to tell you in detail about the stages of creating movies, TV series, and commercials. There are a lot of myths and pitfalls around this process that you may not even know about. So let's get started.

Appeal and first meeting

It is an important stage because it is the first contact with the client.  We answer the following questions for ourselves:

• Who is our client?
• What does he want to convey to the audience?
• Can we fully satisfy his wishes?
• Does he have a budget in mind?
• How does he measure the success of the project?

It's better to approach the first interview carefully, as a budget drain and failure to fulfill the task is the worst thing that can happen in our niche.

Briefing and details

At this stage, the team dives deep into the task and imagines the future product.  We clarify all the details to avoid any future faux pas. Spoiler alert is almost impossible, because it's hard to predict everything, each job is a separate story with different people and goals.  In our case, we need to be able to handle unforeseen situations well. But as you know, a clear understanding of the problem is 50% of its correct solution. Therefore, we approach this stage extremely scrupulously and responsibly.

Pre-production

Based on the brief, a script is created, a reading is organized, locations or set construction is sought and approved, actors and costumes are approved, and a storyboard is drawn (for an advertisement or a music video).  There may be adjustments from the production client, and this may even change the budget upwards. Therefore, it is better to budget a percentage for “force majeure” (risks) in advance, and they happen very often.

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Realization

A significant moment that everyone has been waiting for.  Top professionals gather in one place for one purpose - to create a quality product.  It's better for the client and the agency (client's representative) to be present on the set (for commercials) so that in case of edits, they can make them immediately. The finished video cannot be re-shooted without cost, and the client should understand this.

During our work on the set, we turn into a small family from different departments, where everyone clearly does their job, understanding in advance what we are shooting and how we are shooting.

This is because we approached the preparation responsibly and thus simplified our lives.

Let's have a look

You should never show the client raw footage, because they will most likely want to have a sneak peek at the result after the shoot, and they will definitely have edits and suggestions. You need to explain to the client that there is one more stage before the video is shown - post-production. It is as important and complex as the shooting day. The client should be patient and wait a bit. Making edits to the unfinished material entails a broken work and loss of the creative concept. And this is a disaster.

Post-production

At this stage, we collect the footage and turn it into a full-fledged masterpiece.  This includes post-production:

• editing of the footage;
• voice acting (voice + music + sound design);
• color correction;
• VFX effects (what you used to call computer graphics).

We compare this stage to “combing your hair” before a long-awaited date, you can't do it without it!

Demonstration (in an ideal world)

This moment should not be taken lightly, because the client needs to feel that so much effort and resources have been spent. Be creative: invite them to the movie theater, buy them popcorn, and enjoy the movie with them. Sounds like a cool idea, right? After all, the main goal of a video is to convey the emotions and thoughts that were laid down in the video concept. After watching the video, it's important to ask what emotions the video evoked in him or her. Listen to comments and suggestions for improvement. And remember that you shouldn't ask the client if they like it. Beauty is a very subjective thing and it is not a solution to the problem that is inherent in the context.

We hope you were interested in learning more about our work. In the future, we plan to tell you more about the team and our company. It will be exciting to follow the news!

~ Daria D.

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