Welcome to world of pre-production! All the work you put into this stage will ensure your show is a success. It's mission-critical work—and the more you figure out before you start recording, the better it'll be for your budget and your business.

Michelle Khouri

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CEO & Founder

Nate Nichols

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Creative Director

Jeff Ayers

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Digital Media & Broadcasting Manager

Colin Rosenblum & Samir Chaudry

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Co-Creators

Dave Mizzoni

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Actor & Producer 

Dana Saint & Dan Riordan

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Partners

Adam Lisagor & Claude Zeins

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Sandwich

Chris Lavigne

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Head of Production

trevor

How to Set Yourself up for a Successful Video Shoot

behind the camera production screen

Pre-Production Process for Show Business

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Deleted Scenes

Pre-Production


NARRATOR: Well, you've made it this far. Your company has greenlit your idea. And you're about to make a show. But this next part is really, really--

ADAM LISAGOR: Really.

CLAUDE ZEINS: Really.

KIBI ANDERSON: Really.

BOTH: Really. Really.

MICHELLE KHOURI: Re-he-heally.

DANA SAINT: No, really. Really.

JACKSON COOK: --really important.

GRAHAM BURNS: Took the words right out of my mouth.

NARRATOR: Welcome to pre-production.

CLAUDE ZEINS: Hell, yeah.

ADAM LISAGOR: Heck, yeah.

CLAUDE ZEINS: Heck, yeah, pre-production Whoo. Pre-pro.

ADAM LISAGOR: Oh god.

MICHELLE KHOURI: Pre-production ends up being the North Star for the entirety of your production.

NARRATOR: That's Michelle Khouri from FRQNCY Media in Atlanta.

MICHELLE KHOURI: All of the work that you put into pre-production ends up shaping your show before you even record.

NATE NICHOLS: We map out every detail from storyboards to style to casting to color to the roles and faces and places, because all of it builds the aesthetic and the experience for your final cuts.

JEFF AYERS: You want to have a good skeleton of what is going to be the final product. Everything is going to change once the cameras start rolling, and the mics are on. But pre-production is going to ensure that you have the best foot forward before that happens.

NARRATOR: Production days can get expensive and are notorious for going longer than expected. So the more you figure out before you start recording, the better it'll be on your wallet and your team.

SAMIR CHAUDRY: We don't even think about turning on a camera until we have a title, a thumbnail, and a fully written-out concept. We will not touch a camera until that happens.

NARRATOR: Let's break it down. Pre-production consists of asking, what are you doing? Who are you doing it with? Where is it happening? And when is it all going down?

Let's start with the what.

KRISTEN BRYANT: What's your budget?

SYDNEY RUTMAN: What's the deadline?

ADAM DAY: What kind of permits do you need to shoot in a particular location?

SYDNEY RUTMAN: What gear do you need?

KRISTEN BRYANT: What's an episode going to feel like?

ADAM DAY: What's the set look like? Something like this?

NARRATOR: Got it. Now, what about the who?

ADAM DAY: Who needs to sign release forms?

SYDNEY RUTMAN: Who knows how to use the camera?

KRISTEN BRYANT: Who's the guest?

ADAM DAY: Who on your team is going to book the guests?

KRISTEN BRYANT: Who's coming if the guest cancels?

SYDNEY RUTMAN: Who's hosting? I'm not hosting.

NARRATOR: OK, now what about the where?

KRISTEN BRYANT: Where are we filming?

SYDNEY RUTMAN: Where can we park?

ADAM DAY: Where in your office has the quietest sound?

SYDNEY RUTMAN: Where's the next location?

KRISTEN BRYANT: Where is that sound coming from? [CREAKING] Creaky ceilings.

NARRATOR: And finally, when?

KRISTEN BRYANT: When does the crew arrive?

SYDNEY RUTMAN: When should the talent arrive?

ADAM DAY: When does production need to end so that you hit your deadline?

KRISTEN BRYANT: When's the launch?

SYDNEY RUTMAN: When is lunch getting here?

KRISTEN BRYANT: How many of these things you'll have to do and how much time you'll spend in pre-production, will vary from project to project. But this is mission-critical stuff here. So don't skip out on it. It is not a suggestion.

DAVE MIZZONI: Pre-production is the worst. [LAUGHS] No, I'm kidding. I'm kidding. You're laying all the pieces out. It's like that measure twice, cut once situation. It's like measure twice. Measure it five times. This is the time to eliminate any snafu that could make you go, oh, we forgot blank.

DANA SAINT: [MUTED] love pre-production.

DAN RIORDAN: It's good.

DANA SAINT: Yeah, I do.

NARRATOR: OK. Dan and Dana from Gnarly Bay sure do love pre-production.

DANA SAINT: I think pre-production is, without a doubt, the most valuable and important part of the process. It's the only way to alleviate stress on your actual shoot day. It allows you to actually, A, have fun, and B, be creative. So we put a lot of time into pre-production and try to literally answer every unknown answer, every question days before we ever pick up a camera.

CLAUDE ZEINS: In an ideal world, everyone shows up on production day, and no one has a question. They all just do their thing, and everything goes smoothly, which you'll soon find out never happens.

ADAM LISAGOR: [LAUGHS]

CHRIS LAVIGNE: The last thing you want is for a location to not work out or to lose a shoot day because you weren't sold on your script.

NARRATOR: That's Chris Lavigne, head of production here at Wistia.

CHRIS LAVIGNE: Needing to re-shoot is not fun. So do yourself a favor. Make a checklist. Check it twice before you start rolling so that your production days are smooth sailing.

JACKSON COOK: It's also a good time to get everybody on the same page. It's sort of the last chance you have before you go into production to make sure that your stakeholders all know the deal, and they know what's going on.

ADAM LISAGOR: If they are part of that process leading up to the shoot, then they're going to be in a better position and a better emotional place in order to say, I like it, and I approve of it, and I approve this message. [LAUGHS]

NARRATOR: In the next few videos, we'll take a closer look at the different parts of pre-production. Get ready for some advice about scripting, casting, and determining the look and feel for your show. But for now, don't get caught off guard. Make sure you set aside time for pre-production.

CHRIS LAVIGNE: There are lots of unknowns in any production. But it basically comes down to this-- the more you plan ahead, the better your show is going to be in the end. So buckle up, because you are in pre-production, my friend.

