Video Production
Comprehensive guide for professional video production across all platforms.
Production Phases
The 3 Phases
| Phase | Activities | Deliverables | | ------------------- | ---------------------------------- | --------------------------- | | Pre-Production | Planning, scripting, storyboarding | Script, shot list, schedule | | Production | Filming, recording | Raw footage, audio | | Post-Production | Editing, VFX, color, sound | Final deliverable |
Pre-Production
Script Format
SCENE 1 - INT. OFFICE - DAY
Wide shot of open office space. ALEX (30s) sits at desk.
ALEX
(looking at screen)
This is where the magic happens.
CUT TO: Close-up of computer screen showing code.
NARRATOR (V.O.)
In today's tutorial, we'll cover...
Shot List Template
| # | Scene | Shot Type | Description | Duration | Notes | | --- | ----- | -------------- | ------------------- | -------- | ---------------- | | 1 | Intro | Wide | Office establishing | 3s | Natural lighting | | 2 | Intro | Close-up | Subject face | 5s | Eye contact | | 3 | Demo | Screen capture | Code editor | 30s | 1080p60 |
Storyboard Elements
┌─────────────────────────┐
│ [Rough sketch] │
│ │
│ ┌───┐ │
│ │ O │ ←Subject │
│ └─┬─┘ │
│ │ │
├─────────────────────────┤
│ Shot: Medium close-up │
│ Action: Subject speaks │
│ Audio: Dialogue + music │
│ Duration: 5 seconds │
│ Notes: Eye-level angle │
└─────────────────────────┘
Camera Fundamentals
Shot Types
FRAMING:
┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐
│ │ │ ┌───┐ │ │ ┌─────┐ │
│ ┌───┐ │ │ │ O │ │ │ │ O │ │
│ │ O │ │ │ └─┬─┘ │ │ │ │ │ │
│ └─┬─┘ │ │ ─┼─ │ │ └──┬──┘ │
│ ──┼── │ │ │ │ │ │ │
│ /│\ │ │ / \ │ └─────────────┘
│ / │ \ │ │ / \ │
│ / │ \ │ └─────────────┘ CLOSE-UP (CU)
│ / │ \ │
└─────────────┘ MEDIUM (MS)
WIDE/FULL (WS)
EXTREME CLOSE-UP (ECU): Eyes, details only
MEDIUM CLOSE-UP (MCU): Head and shoulders
OVER-THE-SHOULDER (OTS): Person from behind another
TWO-SHOT: Two subjects in frame
Camera Movements
| Movement | Description | Effect | | ------------- | ------------------- | --------------------- | | Pan | Horizontal rotation | Reveal, follow action | | Tilt | Vertical rotation | Reveal height, power | | Dolly | Move toward/away | Intimacy, reveal | | Truck | Move left/right | Follow alongside | | Crane | Vertical elevation | Epic, establishing | | Zoom | Focal length change | Focus attention | | Handheld | Natural movement | Documentary feel | | Steadicam | Smooth handheld | Following shots |
The Exposure Triangle
EXPOSURE
│
┌──────────────┼──────────────┐
│ │ │
▼ ▼ ▼
┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐
│ ISO │ │Aperture │ │ Shutter │
│ 100-12800│ │ f/1.4-22│ │ 1/30- │
│ │ │ │ │ 1/8000 │
└────┬────┘ └────┬────┘ └────┬────┘
│ │ │
Sensitivity Depth of Motion
(noise) Field blur
Video Settings
| Setting | Standard | Notes | | ----------------- | -------------------- | -------------------------- | | Resolution | 1080p, 4K | Match delivery target | | Frame Rate | 24, 30, 60 fps | 24=film, 30=TV, 60=smooth | | Shutter Speed | 1/2x frame rate | 180° rule (1/48 for 24fps) | | ISO | As low as possible | Higher = more noise | | Bit Rate | 50-400 Mbps | Higher = better quality | | Codec | H.264, H.265, ProRes | ProRes for editing |
Lighting
Three-Point Lighting
KEY LIGHT
│
│ (45° angle)
│
▼
┌────────────────────────┐
│ │
FILL │ 👤 │ BACK LIGHT
LIGHT│ Subject │ (rim/hair)
│ │
└────────────────────────┘
│
│
CAMERA
| Light | Purpose | Intensity | | -------- | ------------------ | -------------- | | Key | Main illumination | 100% reference | | Fill | Soften shadows | 50-75% of key | | Back | Separation from BG | Variable |
Lighting Styles
| Style | Key:Fill Ratio | Mood | | ------------ | -------------- | ------------------ | | High key | 1:1 to 2:1 | Bright, optimistic | | Medium | 3:1 to 4:1 | Natural, neutral | | Low key | 8:1+ | Dramatic, moody |
Color Temperature
Kelvin Scale:
1800K ████████░░░░░░░░ Candlelight (warm)
2700K ██████████░░░░░░ Tungsten bulb
3200K ███████████░░░░░ Halogen
4000K ████████████░░░░ Moonlight
5600K ██████████████░░ Daylight (neutral)
6500K ███████████████░ Overcast
10000K ████████████████ Blue sky (cool)
Audio
Recording Guidelines
| Element | Target Level | Notes | | --------------- | ------------- | ----------------- | | Dialogue | -12 to -6 dB | Peak at -6 dB max | | Music | -18 to -12 dB | Under dialogue | | SFX | Variable | Support the story | | Noise floor | Below -60 dB | Record room tone |
Microphone Types
| Type | Best For | Pattern | | ------------- | -------------------- | --------------- | | Lavalier | Interviews, dialogue | Omnidirectional | | Shotgun | Film, documentary | Super-cardioid | | Condenser | Voiceover, studio | Cardioid | | Dynamic | Loud sources | Cardioid |
Audio Checklist
- [ ] Record room tone (30 seconds minimum)
- [ ] Check levels before recording
- [ ] Monitor with headphones
- [ ] Backup audio recording
- [ ] Sync audio/video with clap
Post-Production
Editing Workflow
1. INGEST
└─→ Import footage, create proxies if needed
2. ORGANIZE
└─→ Label clips, create bins/folders, log selects
3. ROUGH CUT
└─→ Assemble story structure, timing
4. FINE CUT
└─→ Tighten edits, pacing refinement
5. PICTURE LOCK
└─→ No more timeline changes
6. COLOR
└─→ Correction, grading, look development
7. AUDIO MIX
└─→ Levels, EQ, compression, spatial
8. TITLES/GFX
└─→ Lower thirds, motion graphics
9. EXPORT
└─→ Final render, quality check
Editing Software
| Software | Best For | Platform | | ----------------------- | ------------------------ | --------------- | | DaVinci Resolve | Color grading, full edit | All (Free tier) | | Adobe Premiere | Industry standard | All | | Final Cut Pro | Mac ecosystem | macOS | | Avid Media Composer | Broadcast, film | All | | iMovie | Beginners | macOS/iOS | | CapCut | Social media | Mobile/Desktop |
Essential Cuts
| Cut | Description | Use | | ------------- | --------------------- | ------------------------- | | Hard cut | Instant transition | Standard, dialogue | | J-cut | Audio leads video | Natural dialogue flow | | L-cut | Video leads audio | Reaction shots | | Jump cut | Same angle, time skip | Pacing, style | | Match cut | Visual similarity | Transitions, meaning | | Cutaway | Insert shot | Context, time compression |
Color
Color Workflow
1. CORRECTION (Primary)
- Fix exposure, white balance
- Balance shots in scene
- Create neutral baseline
2. MATCHING
- Match shots within scenes
- Consistent skin tones
- Scene-to-scene continuity
3. GRADING (Secondary)
- Creative look development
- Selective adjustments
- Style application
Color Scopes
| Scope | Shows | Use | | --------------- | --------------------- | ---------------------- | | Waveform | Luminance levels | Exposure, contrast | | Vectorscope | Hue, saturation | Skin tones, color cast | | Histogram | Tonal distribution | Clipping, balance | | Parade | RGB channels separate | Color balance |
LUTs (Look-Up Tables)
Types:
- Technical LUT: Log to Rec.709 conversion
- Creative LUT: Stylistic look (film emulation)
- Calibration LUT: Monitor/display correction
Application Order:
1. Input LUT (log conversion)
2. Primary correction
3. Secondary grading
4. Creative LUT
5. Output LUT (delivery spec)
Motion Graphics
Animation Principles
| Principle | Application | | -------------------- | --------------------------------- | | Easing | Smooth starts/stops (ease in/out) | | Anticipation | Setup before action | | Follow-through | Motion continues after stop | | Secondary action | Supporting movements | | Timing | Speed conveys weight/mood | | Staging | Clear presentation |
Common Motion Patterns
/* Easing functions */
ease-in: slow → fast
ease-out: fast → slow
ease-in-out: slow → fast → slow
linear: constant speed
/* Standard durations */
Quick: 150-200ms (micro-interactions)
Normal: 300-400ms (standard transitions)
Slow: 500-800ms (emphasis, reveals)
Title Safe Zones
┌────────────────────────────────┐
│ ┌──────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ ┌────────────────────┐ │ │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│ │ │ TITLE SAFE │ │ │
│ │ │ (80%) │ │ │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│ │ └────────────────────┘ │ │
│ │ ACTION SAFE │ │
│ │ (90%) │ │
│ └──────────────────────────┘ │
│ FULL FRAME (100%) │
└────────────────────────────────┘
Export & Delivery
Platform Specifications
| Platform | Resolution | Frame Rate | Format | | ------------------- | ---------- | ------------ | ------------ | | YouTube | 1080p/4K | 24-60 fps | H.264/H.265 | | Instagram Feed | 1080×1080 | 30 fps | H.264 | | Instagram Reels | 1080×1920 | 30 fps | H.264 | | TikTok | 1080×1920 | 30 fps | H.264 | | Twitter | 1280×720+ | 30-60 fps | H.264 | | LinkedIn | 1920×1080 | 30 fps | H.264 | | Broadcast | 1080i/p | 29.97/25 fps | ProRes/DNxHD |
Export Settings (H.264)
Web Delivery:
- Codec: H.264
- Container: MP4
- Bitrate: 10-20 Mbps (1080p), 35-68 Mbps (4K)
- Audio: AAC, 320 kbps
- Sample rate: 48 kHz
Archive/Master:
- Codec: ProRes 422 or DNxHD
- Container: MOV
- Audio: Uncompressed PCM
Best Practices
DO:
- Plan before you shoot
- Record more footage than needed
- Use manual focus when possible
- Monitor audio with headphones
- Shoot for the edit
- Keep organized project files
- Back up everything (3-2-1 rule)
- Color correct before grading
DON'T:
- Overuse transitions
- Rely on "fix it in post"
- Forget b-roll coverage
- Ignore audio quality
- Over-sharpen in post
- Export at wrong aspect ratio
- Skip the rough cut phase
- Delete original footage
Quality Checklist
Pre-Export
- [ ] Timeline resolution matches delivery spec
- [ ] No black frames or gaps
- [ ] Audio levels normalized (-14 LUFS for streaming)
- [ ] All graphics within safe zones
- [ ] Color consistent across scenes
- [ ] Exports without errors
Final Review
- [ ] Watch full export beginning to end
- [ ] Check on multiple devices/screens
- [ ] Verify audio sync throughout
- [ ] Confirm captions/subtitles accuracy
- [ ] File size appropriate for platform