On Youtube, I’ve noticed something interesting. It’s really no surprise, but quote-unquote “production gurus” are a dime-a-dozen. It’s the camera, it’s the microphone, it’s the gear review, and I’m guilty of it in my previous videos.
It’s easy to talk about this stuff, because production techniques are well-documented, relatively constant, and easily attainable. Think about it. For the last 50 years, there have been technological advancements in video/film, but the basic production concepts and practices haven’t really changed. You have a camera, lights, and a microphone to capture light and sound. Think about that.
Production is really boiled down to that simplicity: capturing light and sound.
Well, if that’s “production” what is “producing?” Great question. In my opinion, producing is developing content and making conscious decisions on how it’s presented.
On Youtube, you don’t see a lot of producers explaining their craft. Usually, this is something learned in college classes or on the jobs at TV stations or production houses. When I was in school, there was a female student friend of mine who said she wanted to be a producer. Looking back, the professor took her seriously, but questioned why she wanted to do it. At one point, he said “anyone can produce.” Maybe that’s true, anyone CAN produce…there’s evidence of that everywhere. But, it takes a special person that can produce WELL.
When I’m producing anything (big or small), I try to focus all my attention on two things: the story/message and the elements.
The story is really about what you want the viewer to take away from the video. That’s key – you have to stay in the viewer’s perspective. A lot of beginners have trouble grasping that. Honestly, it really takes time and experience to watch and think about your content from the viewer’s perspective, because you’re focused on so many other things, but view’s perspective is THE MOST important.
So, number one is the story/message. What is number two? The elements.
Elements are like the pieces of the puzzle that you use to tell your story. So many stories are essentially the same, but the way stories are told is what can make them exciting, compelling, or memorable. What are examples of elements? One could be a show host or narrator. That’s an element that will dictate if your story is told in first person, third person, or some other form.
Another element could be a “nugget.” A “nugget” may be an interesting fact, statistic, number, background info – something that gives your story context or background. You can use nuggets to help the viewer better understand your message or emphasize certain points that help tell the story. For example, if you were doing a documentary on The Titanic, nuggets would be when the ship was built, how much it cost to build, how many passengers were on board.
One way you can present nuggets or other important details is visually through graphics. Graphics can be map, pictures, illustrations, text boxes. These are elements that help supplement the visual story.
Graphics are very effective when they’re paired with other elements. If you have a host, use a graphic to tell their name, title, and location. If you have a nugget, use a graphic to emphasize or visualize it. If you watch local news, you’ll see all kinds of graphics. Think about it, you may say maps, pictures, captions, bullet points, anything and everything that helps give viewers a visual cue to better understand the story.
Let’s pause for a second. Now you’ve learned about production and producing, but how do they connect? How do you turn a producer’s thought into part of a production? The answer is “editing.”
Editing is the bridge between production and producing. Editing can be something you do in software to piece a show together, or it can be live-switching during a broadcast. Editing can be the choice to omit something, add something, or embellish a part of the story with music and graphics.
Editing can set the tone, it sets the pace – which is the perceived speed of the viewing experience. Have you ever watched a 2 minute video that felt like a 10 minute video? Or have you watched a three hour movie that felt like a fast-moving roller coaster?
That’s pacing and it’s something that so many beginners struggle with controlling. A lot of beginning producers and editors try to “fill time” to make something a certain length. Or maybe the opposite. Maybe you filmed an hour long event and you don’t how to present it in a 10 minute form. Pacing can be so simple, yet so complex to control, that we’ll have to talk about it in another video.
You can see good producing anywhere. Maybe it’s long-form like TV shows, movies, live events. Or perhaps it’s short-form like commercials, music videos, or social media content.
Next time you watch a video, think about how it’s produced. If you can master the basics of production and producing, you’ll stand out and you’ll be unstoppable. If you want to be successful and have lots of opportunities, focus on both. You can do it.