Roles of the Video Producer – Can You Be A One-Man Team?

If you are planning on producing corporate videos, then it is crucial that you become acquainted with the roles that you are about to perform. It is also important that you feel comfortable in each of these roles. The likeliest roles that you are about to portray include being the producer and director. If you know how to operate the camera on a technical level then you could also serve as an editor and operator.

You might think that these are the very duties of a videographer but being a video producer is a lot more than all these. Be sure to separate the amateur roles from the professional ones. A video producer and not an inexperienced videographer make corporate productions; so, your first role is to be called as a video producer.

You Are the Boss

A corporate producer has total control of the entire filming process. Unlike people who shoot wedding videos, the video producer for company films will be shooting with a different genre, location and concepts in mind. Some videos will even involve actors; lecturers; an interviewee and an interviewer; and real-life employees. The client can also join the filming process; the video can also contain graphics.

You’re Also the Scriptwriter

If you want to be really hands-on in the decision-making process, then make sure that you are there during the first draft of the script. Have a script developed according to what the target market wants.

Create the treatment (an approved proposal or outline by the client) in paragraph form. This should outline your ideas as well as the sequence in which they come. It is important that the client and the producer are always in agreement.

As the treatment gets its approval, it should describe the visual elements that are needed for the shooting. It is much easier to rewrite treatments than a script – keep that in mind.

Also A Talent Scout

Unlike wedding videographers, the corporate video producer works with employees or actors. There are moments when you would need to hire professional talents for the video. If the video that will be produced is for a union shop, then be sure to go to SAG-AFTRA a national talent union.

When producing for a non-unionized company, then just place and ad or have local theater talents audition.

A Logistics Coordinator As Well…

Should the budget allow it, then you can hire a production coordinator. In this person’s absence, then you will also stand as the coordinator. When taking on this role, be sure that you are highly organized. You will also be in charge of arranging releases that will be signed, ordering meals, finding relevant locations, even vehicle parking and loading.

A Post-Production Manager

This is also a video producer’s role. In this case, you need to work closely with the IT staff so you’d get ample bandwidth for the video that will be streamed over the company network. You could be requested by the IT people to compress the final video to a level that is unacceptable to you so be friends with them and you’d surely get the best possible treatment.