How to Make a Video Part IV: Post-Production

Even though the filming is done, the project is not yet over. Post-production in video marketing is all about putting everything together and coming up with an end product that demonstrates your message and meets your business goals.

Editing the Picture

Editing the video should be done in an organized manner, since it is a time consuming and quite laborious process. The first step of editing is importing raw footage from the camera and converting it to appropriate files for the computer. Always make sure that you create a back-up file of such footage for safety purposes. Then arrange the takes roughly into place. There are layers and layers of videos that should be gathered and brought together, not to mention trimmed and properly paced. These will include stock footage, retakes, talking heads, and even B-rolls (shots that do not focus on your primary subject). The painstaking task of frame-by-frame editing requires more than creativity and skill; the editing professional should have the utmost patience.

Incorporating Music and/or Voice over

To improve the overall viewer experience of your video, you should incorporate the appropriate music. Adding music to the video will make it more interesting, but you should make sure to pick the tune meticulously. If the budget permits, you can use an original track custom-made for your video. Of course, the alternative is to choose stock music. If this is what you decide to do, make sure that copyrights have been secured to avoid infringement issues. Not all videos require a soundtrack; if you do use one though, just make sure it highlights the theme of your video. If the video content calls for a voiceover or dubbing, getting professional talent is a great choice. The voiceover could set the tone for the rest of the video, so, if you can, hire professional voiceover talents to do the job. Lastly, the use of sound effects is optional, but adding them astutely could make the audience more engaged in the video's message.

Extra Steps

Aside from editing and the addition of music, finalizing the video also entails adding titles and credits, color correction, and the use of graphics and/or special effects. Try to keep the video no longer than a minute to keep in step with the maximum attention span of viewers. It is also advisable to introduce the company name within the first 30 seconds of the video. The video footage should be edited into a draft and reviewed before finalizing.

Make sure that the person in charge of editing is familiar, or better yet, an expert in using the editing software. Stitching together raw footage into not only a comprehensible story, but a perfectly executed marketing strategy, is a significant step. If executed correctly, you’ll produce an attention-grabbing and crowd-pleasing video that delivers the intended value or call to action.

Once you've created a video you're proud of, it's time to share it with the world. Learn more.