VIDEO PRODUCTION SEGMENT

PLANNING SHEET

Production Stages:
There are 3 production stages when producing any video or film.

1. Pre-production - the planning stage (idea development)

2. Production - shoot or create content (video, graphics, record V/O, music…)
3. Post-production - Editing - putting it all together (also identify any additional or missing
production elements)

Depending on the project, the pre-production stage can take anywhere from years (feature films) to over
the course of a day (daily news reporting.)
The pre-production planning is the most important stage as this is when an idea takes shape and
determines the direction of the segment.

Assignment Task:
Duration: 2 periods (Friday/Tuesday)

Pre-Production - Planning as a team

Step 1:
Choose a video topic

Brainstorming stage in Pre-production - story meeting

Select a topic your team would like to produce that will be included in a class studio show

Topics must/should:
1. Topic must be school appropriate - must be respectful of all
2. Topic should be relevant and of interest to the student body (many but not all)
3. Choose a segment topic that is not time-sensitive (ie. sports highlights)

Brainstorming Norms
1. There are no bad ideas
2. Everyone need to have/take the opportunity to contribute
3. Be sure to write down all ideas during this planning stage (your team will submit this document as
evidence of your engagement in the Pre-production process.

Answer the following questions:

1. What is the topic of your production team’s segment? Give it a 2 or 3 word title to summarize the idea
(make it cool, interesting, engaging to capture viewer interest - helps develop the idea)
2. In 1 or 2 sentences describe the purpose or goal of the segment (to inform people about a club, to
generate interest in an upcoming event, etc.).
3. Research and include relevant facts and/or statistics to add authenticity to you segment - not just
“what you think”. What supporting evidence do you have for your main ideas.

Remember to cite your sources - website link - required to honour Canadian Copyright laws

Think the following: who, what, where, when, and why about your segment
These are the basic piece of information you should think about when planning any video segment -
what’s the point?
Supporting Visuals production elements:
What supporting visuals will your team use to make your segment visual.
Each group must include:
Graphics:
1. Lower Third (min.2 - host and question being asked)
2. Slabs - Min. 3, Full page with stats and facts
3. Full page with stats or facts - research online to provide ideas of what kind of information they
can include
“B” -Roll - visuals you shoot or download depending on your topic (must cite source)
Voiceover (V/O) - must include scripted V/O narration to advance the story and link main ideas

Teacher will conference with each team to discuss production plan. Each student will be expected to
answer questions about the team’s decisions and thinking around the planning of the segment. This will
form part of each individual student’s mark.

Part 2:

Each student will write a 15-20 second intro (about 4-6 sentences) that would introduce the story.
Your goal is to introduce the segment in a creative way that will engage your audience and have them
wanting to watch the segment.

Suggested Intro: write in this space

Interview Planning:
Each item MUST include student interviews related to your group’s topic

Interview Questions:
For effective interview you need to plan what would be interesting to ask. Remember, your goal is to
collect fun or interesting information from the student body. It is the answers that matter but it will be
what questions are asked and how they are asked that will result in interesting answers.

Interview Subjects (Interviewees):

Decide on who you should talk to to get responses that will be relevant to the topic. Random student
interviews will be part of the interview exercise but who els might add an interesting perspective on the
topic.
For example, if producing an item on space travel would an interview with a science or geography teacher
add some context to the topic? If talking music trivia - Mr. Hoppie it the King! Fashion - speak to the
teacher who teaches fashion as well as students. Club members, athletes, coaches etc. - try to go
beyond interviewing random students and hoping for the best in capturing good content.

Interview Questions:
What questions you ask people and how you ask the questions will determine the effectiveness of the
answers. Make a list of at least 4 interview questions on the topic. You first question may not get great
responses but one of the other questions may. It may take you line of questioning in a different direction.