It goes without saying that the best professionals make their craft look easy. When most people watch movies, TV shows, or commercials, they automatically think they can easily produce content of the same caliber. However, executing high-quality video content involves assembling the right team with years of work experience (and, sometimes, school training) that should not be underestimated. Living in LA for nearly a decade now, I have met countless aspiring writers, directors, and producers who think that their first film or video will win an Oscar just because they put their heart and soul into it. And… I have seen them fail in disappointment. Here are the top 10 mistakes I’ve seen video producers make, and how you can avoid them to make your own project great.
1. Failing To Plan
You have probably heard the #1 rule to getting any video production done effectively is that you need to plan, plan, plan. A good producer and director can never be over-prepared. Planning involves everything from writing up an accurate budget, to preparing shot lists, casting, location scouting, creating equipment lists, and constantly making sure that every department head understands every detail of the director’s vision. Of course, most of these variables will change along the way, including but not limited to the script, the budget, the location, an actor gets sick… believe me, Murphy’s Law rules in production, and things will change on a dime. You have to always be prepared for the worst. Being prepared allows you to creatively solve problems, and solve them fast.
2. Hiring Free Labor
Okay, I have been guilty of this on occasion, especially when I first started out. You get into this “I’m a student filmmaker” groove and suddenly, you’re asking everyone you know for a couple hours of their day to be on your “glamorous” set… on Saturday at 6am, in the worst part of town. Believe me, unless they are a film student eager for the experience, you don’t want a free crew. And even then, if they have no experience, you will undoubtedly go over budget and end up paying more in other costs (refer to #1 where the rule of Murphy’s Law will apply.) If you have a professional friend willing to help you, they have got to really believe in you and the project because it undermines their talent and experience to expect them to do it for free… especially at ungodly hours in an inconvenient location.
3. Spending Beyond Your Means
I’m going to be very clear and honest here: you are not Kevin Smith. You will never be Kevin Smith. Kevin Smith inspired a movement of indie filmmakers in the 90’s and early 2000s who hitched their dreams on a fantasy that they could make their movies, music videos, or spec commercials by any means necessary—like maxing out their credit cards, draining their retirement account, or putting their house on collateral. This is not only poor planning, but it’s fiscally foolish. I have seen people get divorced, lose their houses, cars, even their families, because of poor financial planning. Don’t do it. If you budget your video at $5000, then get a job and save for it. If you budget your video for $500,000 then make some connections and get it funded. After all, the best ways to get your project made is with an investor’s money, because you already have a group of people that truly believe in the project (and you). If a client is paying you, make sure you set up a plan where they provide a 50% deposit up front, and then pay the balance upon delivery. You should never fork out personal money for a client’s marketing video and you should never hand over assets without collecting your full payment. Remember: you’re a business, not a bank.
4. Forgetting About Sound
You can’t have a professional video without good audio. Period. Yet, this is also the #1 department that gets ignored during pre-production. Don’t skimp on the budget by hiring your cousin Charlie who just learned the sound gear last week. Hire an experienced audio recordist with the proper equipment.
Believe me, you won’t regret it. Audiences always forgive if there’s bad picture (look at the success of The Blair Witch Project) but they never accept bad sound. Bad audio automatically makes audiences expect a crappy, low-budget production right out of the gate.
5. Failing To Carry Insurance
Insurance can be an expensive thing, but if you don’t have it, you could find yourself in entangled in a very pricey lawsuit. What if a crew member or a stranger trips over a C-stand on your production and gets injured? Liability insurance is comprehensive, and a typical policy will cover most accidents up to a million dollars. Also, if you shoot with lights and a tripod in a public place, most cities require liability insurance to get the permits to shoot there. Production insurance is cheaper, but only covers the equipment if it gets damaged and not the personnel. Most insurance plans include both types of insurance. f you can’t afford a full policy, see about buying out short-term insurance for the duration of the shoot. Usually, the insurance brokers will work with you if you have a small budget. Even better, join an industry association like IFP to get insurance through their brokers at a discounted member rate. Chances are, they will hook you up. Another expense that is worth every penny.
6. Not Hiring Professional Talent
Again, this is a craft that you don’t want to skimp on because your entire project is being judged on the talent on screen. Regardless, many producers think that any untrained person can act naturally in front of a camera. (Full disclosure: even I am guilty of this one. I hired my brother to play a bad guy in one of my first films. His scene got cut significantly.) Even if you are producing an industrial video, don’t automatically assume the CEO of the company should speak on camera. If he’s a shy guy or has trouble remembering his lines, it will come across on screen. More importantly, it will take up valuable time during production when you have to do retakes. It’s better to get a professional host to carry the video and introduce the CEO as needed. If you are shooting a fictional narrative, use the best actors your can afford. Holding auditions and recording screen tests lets you know what you’re getting into and can save critical time on set. Set up a camera in a bare room, and record the actors saying the lines. Screen the footage with the director to hone in on who makes the best choice (ideally, also do this with a casting director). By the time you get to set you’ll be confident in your selections and ready to focus on the task at hand.
7. Treating PAs Like Shit
We all know that the production assistant is paying their dues by doing the grunt work on set. But grunt work does not mean that you can abuse them. Some people get off on sending a runner for the perfect coffee from the other side of town, but it will quickly lose you the respect of your crew. Not only is this unprofessional, it’s bad for morale. No matter what happens, it’s a small business. Treat people bad and word spreads fast. Not only that, today’s PA can often be tomorrow’s department head. Treat every crew member with respect, especially the PA who is busting his ass for low pay. You were in his or her shoes not that long ago, don’t forget it.
8. Not Feeding People
Another thing most novice producers forget about is providing good crafty. The crew will always appreciate having quality food and cold drinks on set, and will be much more likely work with you and your budget in the future. If you don’t have food, AND you pay low wages, you will quickly get a reputation as the guy to never work for. You will also have a very hungry, tired, angry crew by mid-shoot. Allot money for craft service. It doesn’t have to be a fancy gourmet setup; a table with varied fixings like nuts, fresh fruit, granola bars and fluids is all you need. Try to limit the junk as it will just slow your team down. Take care of your crew!
9. Forgeting About Post-Production
Yay! You shot your project and came in under budget, despite having to buy a few late dinners for the crew. Now it’s time to get this thing in the can. What? You didn’t budget for it and assumed your college buddy who owns Final Cut X can cut it? Post planning must be done in the pre-production stage, but it’s crazy how many beginner producers forget about it. They assume that editing is only about the editors. But there’s much more to it: assistant editors log the footage during the shoot; after picture lock, there’s sound design, foley and sound editing. Don’t forget to original music by hiring a composer, or at the least, stock music (more on that in #10), plus you also have to color grade, which many editors don’t do. Ideally, a post supervisor is on hand to manage this whole process and make sure it gets done right and within budget. Don’t forget about post when you’re in the prep stage, its a HUGE part of the equation.
10. Not Getting Rights To Music (and Other Creative Assets)
This is definitely a major mistake that beginning producers frequently make. Just because your favorite Beyonce song inspired the video in the first place, it does not mean you can use it freely. You must license commercial music, and rates usually start with outrageous prices with lots of zeroes. Some producers opt to buy stock music and there are a full range of options of varying levels of quality and price to be had. If you need a truly custom score, a composer is the best person to work with. An impactful score can elevate the emotion of any scene and can be carefully tailored to fit the pace and flow of your edit. Don’t forget commercial logos either, you can use trademarked brands or marks without clearance either. Stay on top of your clearances. It will always be cheaper than a lawsuit from Beyonce’s label and much easier than having to pull your video and re-edit it.
Those are my top 10 mistakes I’ve seen beginning producers make. I hope this handy guide is helpful to some of you who might just be getting started in the video production business. What are some mistakes you’ve learned from? I’d love to hear about them in the comments below!
Stacey Kelly is an award-winning producer/director who has worked for MTV2, mtvU, Nickelodeon, Granada TV, and the I Love Makeup channel for YouTube. Her short films have traveled the festival circuit and she has even sold one to the European channel The Mini-Movie Channel. For fun, she shoots photography for the popular eyewear blog Spectacular Is.