Hello ,

Happy holidays no matter where you are or what you celebrate! I hope you enjoy this joyous season and are creating memories, sharing time with friends and family, and spreading love and cheer. 

In the spirit of the holidays, I have a few tips for setting the perfect scene for your digital or video productions— 

Setting the Perfect Scene

First, let’s talk about production and one of the most important factors for quality video productions, and that is, setting the scene. 

Your production plan may depend on the setup/location you have in mind and other location-based factors pertinent to how you do things. 

1. Will you be shooting your videos from a single consistent space or while on the fly— changing locations and conditions often? 
2. Will you be indoors or outdoors? 
3. Are you planning to shoot in natural light (daytime or night?), or with artificial light? I use this one or this desk lamp.
4. What other lighting sources (fluorescent, background, window, etc.) are available on your set/location? 
5. Is there a color flavor you want to portray in your videos? 
6. Do you want to include a background theme, use special props, a green-screen or include branding for your business?

Along with these settings details, the type of videos you want to make also impacts your production process and equipment needs. 

For example, a second camera to capture an overhead view of a workspace or countertop may be necessary if you are demonstrating something. Whether you’ll be sitting or standing, still or moving, on camera or off, all play a part in equipment and staging decisions for your video productions.

You may want to create a style guide, or at least an outline, to uncover the details that pertain to your videos. Pre-production work may arise as you determine what you want to include/do in your videos. For instance, introductions and outros for consistent programming are often pre-created. 

Perhaps you’ll want a special show name and memorable tagline for your video presentations, per your strategy. Then you need accompanying visuals, promotional materials, and other design elements to properly enact that winning strategy and amplify your memorable show name/tagline.  

Studio Checklist 

Thinking ahead about the scene you want to create makes implementing your video strategy and plan easier, not to mention more coordinated and cohesive.  

Here is a list for a quick audit to help you define how you’ll want to design your setup and prepare the perfect location for production:

• Select Indoor vs. Outdoor Production Site
• Identify a Stable Location vs. a Variable location
• Plan for Backdrop/Greenscreen vs. Natural Background
• Check Available Lighting vs. Lighting Needs for Best Results
• Test the Room/Studio or Space Acoustics; Correct as Needed for Sound Quality 
• Select a Theme, Color Scheme, Brand Design, etc. to Establish the “Character” of a Production
• Define/Prepare a Wardrobe, Extra Props, Visuals, B-roll Footage, and other Assets for Your Videos

Once you review and determine answers in the seven areas listed above, you can begin to build your space and plan for all the details pertinent to the space, or scene, you want to create for your productions. 

In most cases, consistency is key to helping make your videos recognizable and your brand memorable to people, so you may want to create reusable assets and design a specific set or feel for your studio space.

Other work to complete ahead of time includes preparing for production by testing factors that apply to your answers above. For example, do you need to take extra measures to reduce noise in your recording space? Do you need to test or add more lighting to the area? What kind of gear and equipment do you need to optimize your space? 

Intentional Scene Setting 

Thinking ahead and preparing for your video productions means bringing quality and consistency to your digital projects. Taking an intentional approach also allows you to increase production quality by giving you a chance for a pre-production review, repeatable action checklists, and testing suggestions to use. It’s all about the style and tone you want to create in your videos! 

Still, you want to portray professionalism and connect videos to business goals. You need to get noticed and stay memorable. Being yourself and letting your personality shine is also essential. 

Hit reply and let me know what you think or if you have any feedback to share!

I wish you the best of the season with warm wishes for the coming year. 

With holiday wishes,

~ Ms. Ileane 

I'd love to connect with you on social media too! 

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