a plan for success: Why Great Videos Are Won Before You Even Pick Up a Camera
a plan for success: Why Great Videos Are Won Before You Even Pick Up a Camera
In video production there is a popular myth that the magic happens in the edit. Sure, post can save a wobbly shot and polish a story, but the real win happens long before anyone touches a camera. Pre-production is where the project either takes off smoothly or veers into chaos. And if you’ve ever been on a shoot where no one knows what the next shot is, you already know which side you’d rather be on.
Pre-production is where the idea actually becomes a thing. It’s the phase where you shape the concept, figure out what you’re trying to say, and turn vague briefs into something with structure. This is the time to ask all the annoying but essential questions. Who is the audience? What’s the tone? What do we want people to feel? It’s also where storyboards and shot plans come in, which stop you from getting halfway through a shoot and realising the edit will make no sense.
It’s also where you sort out the real-world stuff that can make or break a filming day. Locations, cast, crew, kit, schedules, permissions, parking, power, weather backups, lunch plans, all the glamorous things that decide whether the day runs smoothly or becomes a series of small fires to put out. Good planning saves time, money, and embarrassment, and it keeps the shoot focused instead of winging it.
Then there’s the script. Even with documentary or interview-style content, you still need a spine. Pre-production is where you refine the story, lock in structure, plan transitions, and create shot lists that keep the visuals consistent and intentional. This is how you prevent long, aimless shooting days and bloated edits. A clear script and a tight shot list give the director and cinematographer something solid to work from, and they boost creativity instead of restricting it.
Pre-production is also where you bring the right people together. Directors, producers, shooters, sound, editors, everyone needs to know what the project is, what the plan is, and how their role fits into the bigger picture. It’s a whole lot easier to collaborate when everyone’s on the same page from day one instead of trying to fix miscommunication halfway through the process.
And finally, the budget. This is where you figure out what’s possible, what isn’t, and how to make things work without the project spiralling into unnecessary expense. It’s where you decide what matters most, what can be simplified, and where the smart compromises live. Good pre-production protects you from unpleasant surprises and gives the client realistic expectations about what they’re paying for.
Great video doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because someone took pre-production seriously. If you put the work in early, everything else becomes easier, faster, cheaper, and far more creative.
So plan properly. Question everything. Stress test the idea. Pre-production is not a chore, it is the secret sauce. And if you want to succeed, this is exactly where that success starts.
