Pre-Production Planning Articles

• Budgeting
• Casting
• Crew
• Sets and Props

• Wild Things: Shooting in the Wild
  December, 2008
  by Chris Pyle
  Shooting in the wild changes how videographers would normally capture events. You have to slow down, take your time... and wait... and wait some more... and…
• Directing: Set Time Management
  June, 2008
  by Robert G. Nulph, Ph.D
  Dashing out the door with camcorder in hand, but no plan, can cost you. Time is money. In video production, this is perhaps more true than in any other…
• Producing Your Own Vidcast for Video Sharing Part One - Planning
  March, 2007
  by Brian Peterson
  Video Sharing with the World. A guide to posting your video online.
• How to Edit Videos Like the Pros: Beyond the Basics.
  August, 2006
  by Bill Davis
  How to Edit Videos Part 2: What makes the difference between basic editing and actual professional editing?
• Making Cents
  August, 2006
  by Bill Berg-Hillinger
  Turn time and tape into treasure.
• Director's Chair: Who's in Charge Here?
  February, 2006
  by Jim Stinson
  You don't need puffy pants and a megaphone to be an assertive, successful director. But you do need to take control.
• Recording Special Events
  January, 2006
  by Randal K. West
  Shoot it right the first time for a lifetime of memories.
• Basic Training: Gearing Up for Battle
  December, 2005
  by Michael Reff
  Before you grab your gear and hop on your trusty steed, you need advance preparation to successfully ride off into battle.
• 5 Steps to Great Video Production
  October, 2005
  by Randal K. West
  Every successful shoot starts with a good plan.
• Video Production Tips
  October, 2005
  by Jim Stinson
  Many of the little things that you learn from from a lifetime of planning, directing, editing and producing videos can easily be applied to life as a whole.
• 48 Hour Film Challenge
  August, 2005
  by Tad Rose
  If you haven't heard, there's a new video contest coming to a town near you. It's called the 48-Hour Film Project.
• Edit The Plan: Part 3 of Production Planning
  June, 2005
  by Jim Stinson
  Planning for post-production will re-focus your vision of the program you want and then help you create it with the material you've got.
• Movie and Video Production Planning Part 2
  May, 2005
  by Jim Stinson
  Part 2 of a 3 part series on movie and video production planning.
• Kindergarten Yearbook Videos
  September, 2004
  by George F. Young
  A little planning, your expertise and your camera can turn into a career or at least a little cash when you create a video yearbook.
• Church Video: Lights, Camera, Worship
  June, 2004
  by Bill Mauger
  You'll never walk alone: a pragmatic guide to worship video from those who have gone before.
• Communication: The Foundation of Production
  November, 2003
  by Randal K. West
  The most important thing a director has to do is communicate.
• Shooting for the Final Edit
  November, 2003
  by Brian Pogue
  If you plan to edit your videos, you should shoot them differently.
• Computer Editing: Shooting for a Specific Audience
  July, 2003
  by Bill Davis
  Tailor your shows for the people who will watch them.
• Secrets of Video Training: We Betray the Instructional Designer's Guild
  July, 2003
  by Jim Stinson
  Developing a training video is a straightforward process--if you know the techniques of professional instructional designers.
• Stealth Directing: Getting the Most out of Real People
  June, 2003
  by Michael Joseph Kelley
  When directing amateurs, you use different techniques than when working with pros.
• Home Video Hints: Production Planning: Taking Your Act on the Road
  February, 2003
  by Jim Stinson
  Cover the essentials for smooth shooting.
• Budgeting Time
  December, 2001
  by William Ronat
  How long will it take? Calculate your time investment before you start with these planning tips.
• Directing: Storyboarding
  February, 2009
  by Robert G. Nulph, Ph.D
  Similar to a plot map used by archeologists, a storyboard is the best way to illustrate staging positions and camera angles for talent and crew. Remember the…
• Home Video Hints: Shoot to Show
  June, 2004
  by Michael Fitzer
  Tips for in-camera editing.
• Tutorial - DIY Crane
  November, 2008
  by Jennifer O'Rourke & Brian Peterson
  Moving shots using a jib or crane provide an added dimension to any video, allowing the camera to sweep from a high establishing shot as it follows the action…
• Tutorial - DIY Jibs
  November, 2008
  by Jennifer O'Rourke & Tom Benford
  Moving shots using a jib or crane provide an added dimension to any video, allowing the camera to sweep from a high establishing shot as it follows the action…
• Directing: Decoding the Video Crew
  February, 2008
  by Robert G. Nulph, Ph.D.
  As a one-man-band, you wear many hats, but when your production gets bigger, you have to share the load. But who ya gonna call? Get ready for the name game, it'…
• Director's Chair: Planning Your Shoot
  December, 2007
  by Hal Robertson
  There is an old saying in the business world that goes, "Poor prior planning leads to particularly poor programs." This is especially true in the video…
• How to Make a Movie: Low Budget, Big Bang
  September, 2007
  by Kyle Cassidy
  One of the most exciting things that has happened to moviemaking lately is that consumer products have approached the level of professional gear.
• Multicam Shooting
  July, 2007
  by Robert G. Nulph, Ph.D.
  Whether it's shooting a wedding, baseball game, church service or two-person interview, shooting it with more than one camera can be a time-saving and very…