If you know what you want from your video (the answers to the big questions), pre-production is when your production team will create a plan to help you achieve these outcomes. If some answers are unclear, don't worry—the team should be adept at helping address gaps and proposing powerful creative approaches.

At this time, you will need to make important decisions about your video project management:

• Who needs to be involved in the project, providing input?
• Who will have authority to sign off, approving the work’s direction?
• How many production meetings do you anticipate, and at what points?

The production team will prepare documents to help frame your project and ensure everyone is on the same page about how the shoot will come together. These may include:

• Timeline or schedule
• Storyboards
• Initial visual treatments (sketches or mockups)
• An outline
• A treatment
• A script
• Location scouting and/or photos
• Casting headshots
• A running budget (key!)

A few important tips, as you begin to plan the production phase:

• Show up on time.
• Know what you’ll be shooting.
• Have a backup plan. For example, what will you do if a scheduled interviewee doesn’t show, or it rains during an outdoor shoot? Without a plan, these snags can run up additional costs and delay schedules.

Next week: production takes off!