So where do I start?

So you've decided that having a video on your website (or online) is the way to go. It's a great start. But what's the process like? Is it difficult?

What I'm going to do is take you through the typical process involved in producing an online video commercial. This is just a guide to the process, without any sales pitch, just the practicalities of time and effort.

First of all, here are the most commonly asked questions:

How long does it take?

The short answer is that often a video can be produced for you in under two weeks. Most of this is involved in the editing process, but there three main steps to the production process – scripting, shooting and editing.

• Scripting

  If your video features a voice-over and soundtrack (the vast majority of them do), this will need to be scripted. Often this occurs before shooting, and provides a guide in terms of what we will be shot and how the video will run. I will conduct an initial brief with you about what you'd like to have featured in your video. This brief can be as simple as a 15-20 minute chat on the phone, or it can be a longer discussion at your premises. A draft script will be produced and sent to you over the next 2-3 working days. Amendments may be made based on your feedback and then the final approved version can be booked in for recording. I provide voice-over talent as part of the service – you don't need to supply this. TURNAROUND TIME: 3-4 working days.

• Shooting

  If it involves on-location filming at your premises or place(s) of work, I will usually be required to be shooting for about 4 hours. Most of the examples you may have seen in the portfolio section of this website had a shooting period of this time, though in some cases in can be longer. But generally speaking, the main period of shooting is between 4-6 hours, dependent on particular requirements. TURNAROUND TIME: 4-6 hours (variable, depending on project)

• Editing

  The editing time can be variable, depending on the complexity of the project, but generally I will produce a completed edit of your video in about 2-5 working days. As soon as an edit is produced, the video is uploaded to a demo server and a link is emailed to you. This way you can view the video and offer feedback and suggestions for amendments before it goes live to your online audience. TURNAROUND TIME: 2-5 working days.

As soon as you are happy with the completed product, the video can be implemented on your website(s) and/or online social and video network. There are a variety of ways this can be done, and in terms of your website, it can be somewhat dependent on how your present website is managed or maintained. Being skilled in web development, I can directly access and modify the code on your site to integrate the video (given I have an access password etc.), or I can liaise and pass on this information to your current web developers who can do this job. While I do offer to help integrate your video into your existing site, please note that, in the event that your existing web developers demand payment for doing the job themselves, then I am not liable for these costs. This hasn't happened to me yet, but I am aware of the experience certain businesses have with their web design companies – namely that they are expected to fork out money for any modification to their website, no matter how minor.

So, all in all, you can expect to have a video commercial ready to go within 2 weeks from first contact. Obviously sometimes, in cases of emergency, I can fast-track the process and have it delivered within a couple of days if necessary.

What do I need to provide?

Clients can tend to have different levels of input into the process, from those that are highly involved and want to oversee every part of the process, to those who offer nothing apart from a green light for me to go in and do the job. If you look at my gallery of example videos, you may be surprised at which ones offered involvement and which ones didn't, as much of the time I can craft a perfectly good video commercial from very little client input indeed. But of course it always makes the job easier to have client suggestions and, when it comes to shooting, for the client to have made arrangements whereby the right processes or products can be filmed on the day.

Generally speaking, much of the time you don't need to organize anything extraordinary when it comes to shooting – the natural day-to-day processes of your business should come through fine. In some cases it may mean doing a quick "mock-up" of a particular process at work, but this generally doesn't take much out of you and your employees time. I try to minimize any disruption to your normal business on the day and you should find the process very smooth and stress-free.

From there the process for you is simple. It is simply a process of watching the video and providing feedback. I would estimate that 90-95% of the time the first edit I produce for the client hits the nail on the head and the client approves the video straight away. Of the remainder, probably only a few shots here and there are modified, though in a small minority of cases the editing changes are more extensive.

A question sometimes asked is about changes to the video in the future. Perhaps in a year's time you've changed premises, changed your product line or want to emphasize a new aspect of your business. Can you change your existing video to reflect this? The answer is "yes, of course". Naturally there may be costs involved, depending on the level of the changes needed (e.g. extra shooting, amount of editing required, changes to soundtrack etc.), but anything is possible.

Another item of interest is that often clients don't just want a video – they want professional photography as well. The beauty of this is that the process can simply be blended together, and I can perform both duties on site during the same time. Some companies are purely product based, and want to highlight that rather than any process or service. In such cases I'll often take high-resolution product shots with a stills camera, sometimes in the order of hundreds of different products. For the video, I'll simply take the pick of the bunch of these products and animate these photographs later for the video, or combine these animated photographs with video. By packaging the process of photography and video together, you get the benefit of cost saving.

Hopefully this guide has shed a little light on the process of producing an online video commercial for your business. It's not at all difficult, doesn't take months to produce and won't take up much of your time. And you'll have a product you can re-purpose for years to come, whether you want to use it online, use it as part of a corporate DVD, industry expo video or even as part of a TV or cinema commercial.

Whatever your requirement, you can rest a little easier knowing that the process is pretty straightforward, and usually doesn't mean anything in the way of intensive boardroom discussions or endless design meetings. Most of my clients have actually found the process of having a video commercial made for their business interesting and fun. And it seems that a lot of employess get a kick out of watching themselves on video later, pretending to be busy at work! If you have any other questions or just want to get started, don't hestitate to contact me.