The Five Stages of Production

There are five stages in the production of any media product and this is true of a music video also. In order to produce the music video I will be making, I will have to follow these five stages. These five stages are vital because they determine the quality of the media product. The five stages help the team who are making the video to be organised and clear about their decisions.

The first stage is research and development. This is very uimportant as the producer needs to know what they arte trying to achieve and the outcome of the media product so their money is not wasted. They would research;

• The possible target audience- this is to determine the cobntent of the video because it would be what that audience wants to see. For example song targeted at age 8-11 girls would not be interested in motorbikes

• Similar or competing songs or pop videos

• Conventions of pop videos- this is so they meet the audience’s expectations They would then develop;

• A timeline for the video- this is so the video is organised and they can see the video take shape before it is filmed

• Casting, by using a camera test

• Write a treatment

• Write a storyboard and an animatic

Pre-production would then take place. This is the act of organising everything in detail so nothing goes wrong. This is important because mistakes can be made on the shoot day and this can waste valuable time and therefore money. Pre-production involves;

• A call sheet- this is a document with everyone’s contact numbers who is responsible on the shoot day from technicians to actors

• A copy of the lyrics

• A confirmed cast

• Locations

• Costume and props

• Special effects

• Lighting

• Studio design

• Make-up

Without any of the above the shoot would not be complete and therefore it is crucial that they are all confirmed and ready for the shoot day.

The next stage is the production which refers to the day of the shoot. If the research, development and pre-production have all been organised and everyone who is supposed to be there is there at the studio, then everything should go to plan and the shoot should be a success. A shooting schedule is vital so that the cast and crew are aware of what is being shot and when, but it is also so they are aware of how long it will take for the video to be shot. The next stage is post-production which involves the process of editing and after effects. This is the lengthiest process because the post-production team need to be certain that they have edited it correctly to be shown for the public.

The last stage is distribution and exhibition. This is the process of releasing the video to selected music channels and other exhibitors so that the public can watch it. Posters and television adverts can be released at the same time as the song to advertise it and then people may watch the video. It can also be distributed on the internet and be exhibited on “youtube”.