Our Process

Wondering what it’s like to work with a video production company?

In this post, we're going to break down our video production process here at Winter Summer Media. Not every step will be relevant to every project, but we hope this gives you a glimpse into what goes on behind the scenes when producing a video.

Getting started

• Our process begins when we receive an email requesting a meeting, a quote or more information from a prospective client. We typically respond to these emails within 2 hours and from there we’ll schedule a call for the next day or two to learn more about the project.

• During the call, we’ll ask you to provide an overview of the project or the idea. We’ll follow that by asking a series of questions to gather as much information as we can to ensure we provide an accurate quote. You’ll then be invited to ask any questions that you may have about the video production process, our company, or the video strategy.

• Within the next 24 hours, we’ll prepare and send a quote or proposal for your review. At Winter Summer Media we pride ourselves on being transparent during the quoting process so there are no hidden fees or surprises during the final invoicing stage

• Once you have approved the quote, you’ll be sent our standard service agreement which serves to protect both parties during our business relationship and outlines all the fine details concerning ownership, revisions, and legal matters. Once the contract is signed, we're ready to get started!

Discovery

• To kick off the video production process and welcome you as a new client, you’ll receive a questionnaire that aims to give us a deeper understanding of the project, goals, your company and the market you operate in. This questionnaire serves as the foundation for the entire video production process. All our decisions will be guided by this document, to ensure they align with the project’s goals and your company’s values.

• You will then be sent a document outlining the process, the next steps, what it will look like on the film day and what you can expect from us throughout the entire process.

Strategy and concept development

• We use what we learned in the discovery stage to lay the groundwork for your video. Taking your definition of success and developing a plan to get there. This could involve researching other successful video campaigns, and techniques and brainstorming what makes your audience tick. 

• If the discovery stage was the foundation of the building, then this is the supporting beam. 

Planning stage

• The wheels really start moving during the planning stage. This is where we start sourcing any actors, equipment, or locations for the shoot. We also schedule and send out calendar invites to anyone who will be involved on the filming day.

• This stage may also include scriptwriting and creating a storyboard. A storyboard is essentially a visual sketch of the scenes in the video. This serves as a guide for the video crew during filming to ensure a smooth process. Planning is key and saves us from any future mistakes or challenges!

Filming day

• On the filming day, the crew will arrive at the location and start setting up. For corporate-style videos, expect around 1 to 1.5 hours for setting up lighting, audio, and camera equipment.

• During the actual recording, we do our best to ensure that everyone, especially those on camera, feels at ease and that the entire set is as relaxed as possible. The more relaxed the people on camera are, the better the video will turn out.

• When the video recording is over, we will remove our equipment, which normally takes around 30 minutes.