- name
- video-production
- description
- Professional video production from planning to delivery. Use when creating video content, editing workflows, motion graphics, or optimizing video for different platforms.
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
