When you watch video content, do you ever wonder how long it takes to make it? The 30 seconds you see on screen doesn’t just happen in a single take. Behind the scenes of those elegant shots and seamless transitions is a team of talented people working tirelessly to create visual alchemy.
Working in the video production industry can be a stimulating experience. Between the constant strategising, adapting to frequent change, and collaborating as if it were an Olympic sport, it is surprising that pirates and video production teams are both called “crews.”
So, what does day-to-day life look like for the average video production crew? It’s a mixed bag of technical editing procedures, budget planning, creative brainstorming, and logistics management, to name a few.
Want to find out more about the nitty-gritty? Keep reading…
We’ve explained the key roles of a video production crew, their typical daily activities, the challenges sometimes faced on set, and the collaborative efforts required to bring a video project to life. This is life behind the scenes with London’s most talented (if we can say so ourselves!) video production crew.
WHAT’S IN A CREW? THE ROLES AT PLAY
It takes a lot of hands on deck to produce engaging video content. Video production team roles are delegated with care and passion, ensuring that each person is assigned tasks that suit their qualifications, skill set, level of experience, and temperament.
You can break down most video production crews into three general sections: directorial, technical, and creative. Let’s take a closer look at each of them.
DIRECTORIAL
Some of the most crucial video production team roles are directorial. These roles belong to people with a high level of skill and experience in directing, managing, or producing video content and can be relied on to oversee a stunning project from start to finish.
- Directors
- Producers
- Department heads
TECHNICAL
There are a lot of highly technical roles needed within a video production crew. It is an equipment and technology-heavy industry that needs people with specialised knowledge in various fields to produce cream-of-the-crop video content, namely:
- Camera operators
- Editors
- Sound engineers
- Gaffers
- Scriptwriters
- Grips
CREATIVE
Let us not forget that video is an innately creative medium. Technical business aside, it takes a lot of artistic vision and application to ensure that each video produced is approached with an expert eye for visual detail and finesse.
In a complete video production crew, you might find the following creative professionals:
- Art directors
- Graphic designers.
- Creative researchers
- Stylists
ASSISTANTS
Video production assistants deserve their own section here. This is an industry that constantly welcomes new faces on the scene, training up the next generation of grips, gaffers, videographers, and creative minds.
Considering the fast-paced environment of this industry, extra hands on deck are always needed. Some assistants may specialise in one or two particular departments, while others will fit in where needed as a project evolves. Either way, we couldn’t survive without them!
TYPICAL DAILY ACTIVITIES OF A VIDEO PRODUCTION CREW
The daily activities of a video production crew vary drastically depending on what your role or departmental specialisation within it might be. However, if we were to highlight some of the most common activities to expect on a day-to-day basis, here’s what you might find:
- Planning and researching video ideas
- Communicating and collaborating with clients
- Tracking and measuring the progress of each video project
- Conceptualising the themes, tone, and overall vision for a video
- Finding and hiring actors for live footage
- On-set videography and photography
- Video editing, sound mixing, and other post-processing techniques
- Graphic and motion design
- Constant team communication and collaboration
Even smaller in-house video production teams are likely to be juggling multiple clients at once, creating the need for an agile team that can multitask and adapt to new situations as they arise.
The current production phase of a video project also plays a significant role in what a typical day behind-the-scenes video production crew looks like. For instance, the pre-production phase of video production largely involves planning, prepping, and conceptualising an idea to manifest in the coming weeks or months.
The production phase is a highly active one, often demanding the full attention of the crew to show up and create some strong footage. If the video project in question is purely animated, this is where motion and graphic designers step in to develop characters and themes.
All types of video content will undergo a thorough post-production process, which involves editing, grading, mixing, and putting the finishing touches on a project before handover.
LIFE ON SET: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
Life on set as a video production crew member, no matter how big or small your role may be, can be an incredibly fun and stimulating experience. There are so many active components to a crew and their daily tasks, presenting both challenges and opportunities to grapple with.
CHALLENGES OF WORKING IN A VIDEO PRODUCTION CREW
One of the most challenging aspects of working in the video and film production industry is its energetic pace. It’s a dynamic, fast-moving environment that doesn’t always flow according to plan.
As client’s needs shift or creative differences develop, the crew must be ready to change tack at a moment’s notice and work with what’s available to make the magic happen. Then there’s weather, actors, technical difficulties, and anything else that can make life difficult falling in your way, along the way. There can also be budget restrictions and tight deadlines to contend with.
But when you hear those magic words “it’s a wrap” or you see the final product on screen, it’s all worthwhile.
OPPORTUNITIES AND PERKS OF WORKING IN A VIDEO PRODUCTION CREW
Because video production crews tend to be quite vast and dynamic, the environment is naturally social and offers many opportunities for connection and collaboration with others.
This can make the scene highly engaging and entertaining to work in, helping spark fresh ideas and keep people on their toes.
It can also serve as a great springboard for making industry connections and expanding your skill set. No matter which department you work in, joining this kind of crew often means stepping in and picking up new skills on a daily basis. We never stop learning!
THE SECRET INGREDIENT IS COLLABORATION
While it is and always will be important for video production crews to consist of clearly delegated roles and positions, it is worth noting that working in this industry is a distinctly collaborative and team-spirited experience.
If you’ve ever worked on a set before, you might have been surprised by the level of lateral thinking (and activity) that is required to produce a successful video.
As much as we can plan and schedule a seamless production process, this is an inherently creative industry, and as such, changes can happen. Our teams need to be able to meet those challenges head-on.
Being adaptable and ready to take on challenges as they arise are some of the most important characteristics of a great video production crew. At the end of the day, we all have the same goal—a happy client and a well-earned pint!
WORK WITH LONDON’S COOLEST CREW
Behind the scenes of a video production crew is the intersection of chaos, collaboration, and creativity.
At Perspective Pictures, we pride ourselves on getting those lines to meet perfectly in the middle. We’ve got a tenacious team spirit, a focus on creative collaboration, and a world-class video production team that makes it all happen. Creating creative content may be a constant juggle, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.
If you want to work with our talented team, get in touch!
