How to Make a Video

This page outlines the process of making a video. It is intended for people who are completely new to video making, and who may be wondering where to start or how to tackle a particular video project.

There are two things to understand about making videos:

In theory, making a video is as simple as following the three-step process below. If you complete these steps properly you'll have a good video.
In reality there are many factors that will influence how well the process works. To make it work properly and consistently, you need to spend a lot of time acquiring a lot of skills (links to tutorials are given below).

The 3-Part Video-Making Process

Technical Name:	For the beginner this means:	What you need to do:
Pre-Production	Planning the video and gathering any resources you might need.	Planning is the most important step! Unfortunately the ability to plan videos is a skill that takes time to develop, and you really need to gain experience in the next two steps before you will become good at this one. Still, you can get started by planning a few basics such as: The approximate length of the final video, how many shots you will need to achieve this, how much talking you can fit in, etc. What music or other sounds will be added to the video. A script or storyboard. What medium and format the final video will be shown in. Be aware of any special requirements of the medium, and the best way to convert (encode) into the correct format.
Production	Camera work and sound recording.	Camera work involves a range of skills from recognising the potential for a good shot to knowing how to use the technical-looking controls on your camera. The better your skills are in all areas, the better your videos will be. Vision and sound are equally important in most video, so learn how to capture good sound as well as good pictures. Unless you have some other artistic purpose, camera work should be steady, in focus, well-exposed and well-framed. You can learn the basics in our beginner's camera tutorial.
Post-Production	Editing and/or encoding the finished video.	Beginner-level editing usually includes: Removing unwanted footage Arranging desired footage in the correct order Adding music, titles, transitions and possibly other effects Converting (encoding) into the correct format(s) For more information see our video editing tutorials.

You can find lots more tutorials by following the links at the top of this page. Feel free to ask questions in our video forum.