When Does a Video Need Planning?

The first thing to say here is that planning is not fun for the majority of us. It’s the mundane side of video that is so often swept aside and left to deal with at a later date.

The second thing to say is, it is definitely possible to over-plan. Having a solid understanding of what the work will entail prior to any filming is essential, but also allowing room for flexibility is important too. For example, if you have compiled a set filming schedule you will more than likely find that this will alter on several occasions on the day of filming. Being overly precise with shots can be a problem too if time isn’t on your side. Having great footage is always the goal but spending half an hour trying to get one shot right when you have another fifty to film isn’t practical.

For me, although I do like to plan, I try to keep things as free-flowing as possible which allows for a more natural piece. The main thing I want to be clear on are the deliverables – how many videos, what form will they take etc. I want both myself and the client to be absolutely certain of what is being done for them.

With the work we do at FOSTER Studios, almost all of our work is created in a way which is very much like a documentary. From the outside looking in, our work is seen as promotional or commercial, which for the client it primarily is. However, when working with businesses we essentially film things as we see them which effectively turns our videos into mini-documentaries. When filming in this way, you don’t want to plan too much. You want to be able to capture those raw moments that only occur in real life and can’t be rehearsed. 

On the flip side, if you want to achieve a certain look, you would absolutely want to plan thoroughly for this with storyboards, shot lists etc. A good example would be if you were making a product video – you want to have a good idea in your head of what that video will look like before you’ve even done any filming. The same can be said for informational videos – you have to make sure you’re capturing the key features that need to be seen in that video in order for it to make sense.

All in all, you can plan as much or as little as you see fit depending on the situation. Not all video productions call for extreme amounts of planning, whereas others definitely do need to be clearly thought out in order to achieve their goals.