Video production usually progresses step by step from planning to publishing. The workload does not come from shooting alone, but also from scripting, scheduling, editing, captioning and publishing. At HAMK, video productions can be carried out independently, as supported project, or as collaborative production.

This page provides a concise overview of the key things to consider at each stage, whether you work independently or use support through the Professional Productions service model.

Professional Productions (Intra, sign-in required)

Choose the right service model

Professional Productions is HAMK’s centralised service model that provides staff with support for planning and producing high-quality visual and audiovisual learning materials.

HAMK’s Professional Productions service offers three paths: independent project, supported project and collaborative production.

Independent project is suitable when you carry out most of the production yourself. In supported project, you receive expert mentoring at selected stages, but remain mainly responsible for the production yourself. Collaborative production is suitable for larger and more demanding productions that require strong support from a production team throughout the process.

For Collaborative productions, the request must be submitted well in advance, at the latest two months before the deadline.

The sections of this guide follow the traditional production workflow from planning to publishing the final product. The instructions focus particularly on the supported project and collaborative production service models, but the same principles can also be applied to fully independent production.

At the end of each stage, you will also find DIY tips for independent production.

Planning and scripting

A successful video production starts by defining the purpose, target audience and intended use of the video. A simple outline may be enough for a lightweight production, while a larger production requires a clear script or content plan.

• explain the purpose and target audience of the video to the production team
• provide a preliminary schedule
• appoint the project owner and approver (approves the script, draft versions and final product)
• create a script or content outline.

Learn more about the stages of scripting: Video planning and scriptwriting at HAMK

Explore an example script and download a script template (ms word,in finnish only) Käsikirjoituspohjat

Compare a shooting script with the finished video (in finnish only): Oppimateriaali – mainoselokuvan ja käsikirjoituksen vertailu (Kaltura, sign-in required. Duration 5:17)

DIY – planning and scripting

Digipala – videoiden käsikirjoitus (Kaltura, sign-in required)

Explore an example script and download a script template (ms word,in finnish only) Käsikirjoituspohjat

Production preparation

Once the content has been agreed, it is time to prepare for shooting or recording. At this stage, make sure the locations, equipment, participants – both presenters and production staff – materials, props and other practical arrangements are in place.

1. Shooting schedule

   • the shooting date and, if necessary, a backup date, which is particularly recommended for outdoor shooting

   • the estimated start and end times and when participants are expected to be present
   • a more detailed schedule when necessary, including:
     • moving between shooting locations during the day
     • scene changes that require rearranging the setup
     • sufficient time for setting up equipment, possible retakes and, for indoor or studio shoots, dismantling technical equipment or sets. Also breaks, including meal breaks and short breaks should be included to the shooting schedule.

     • In short: a sufficiently detailed schedule helps ensure that participants, locations and production staff are available at the right time and prevents the shooting day from becoming unnecessarily rushed.

2. Locations and participants

   • agree on where the video will be shot and who is responsible for booking the locations and arranging any necessary permissions
   • the practical conditions at the location in advance, particularly for outdoor shooting, including:
     • background noise – can good-quality audio be recorded?
     • lighting – is the existing light sufficient or is additional lighting required?
     • access to power sockets – equipment batteries may need to be charged during a long production day
     • whether the location can be kept quiet and free from interruptions during shooting
   • who will appear in the video and who is needed to carry out the production
   • as precisely as possible, when and for how long each participant is required and what they are expected to do during the shoot or prepare in advance
   • all necessary filming permissions and consents before shooting begins.

   • In short: agreeing on these matters in advance helps prevent overlapping room bookings, missing presenters and situations where shootings cannot be carried out at the planned location.

Learn more about HAMK’s filming permission practices and intellectual property rights (Intra, sign-in required).

DIY – production preparation

How to prepare for a video shoot

Shooting or recording

This is the actual stage, where the action happens. This may involve filming a presenter, making a screen recording, recording a demonstration, shooting in a studio or outdoors.

During the shoot, it is important to agree on clear responsibilities. In the collaborative production service model, professional camera operator and sound recordist are responsible for the technical production.

As the person directing the content, your role is to keep track of the overall production: what is being produced, what has already been captured and what is still missing.

• Progress of the shooting day

  • Keep a simple shooting plan or scene list at hand so that you can see the overall structure of the day.
  • Monitor progress so that there is also enough time for retakes and possible changes.

• What is shot and in what order?

  • Mark in the shooting plan or script which sections have already been recorded.
  • The shooting order does not need to follow the order of the finished video, as long as you keep track of the whole.
  • Remember to capture any additional footage needed for editing, such as close-ups, details and shots that illustrate an activity.
    
    For example, during preparation you may tell the camera operator that a particular detail needs to be clearly visible because it is essential for understanding the scene. The camera operator can then make the necessary technical decisions during the shoot.

• Who directs the shoot?

  • The director explains what should happen in the scene or take, directs the presenters and indicates when the take can begin.
  • Tell the camera operator and sound recordist about things that are important for the content: what needs to be visible, audible or happen in the scene.
  • Technical decisions can be left to the production crew.

• Who checks that everything has been recorded?

  • The director or another designated person monitors that all planned content is captured.
  • A simple note in the scene list is often enough: recorded, retake needed or missing.
  • Before leaving the location, check together with the production crew that all essential shots have been recorded.

• How is the raw material stored and transferred?

  • The camera operator and sound recordist are responsible for storing and backing up the video and audio files.
  • The director does not usually need to manage the files technically, but should know where the material is stored and who is responsible for it.

DIY – shooting or recording

Need tools for screen recording and capturing webcam video? Explore the available tools: Making screen capture videos in HAMK.

Need video or audio recording equipment for independent production? Equipment is available through the Trail service: Trail – AV equipment booking service

Are you producing material for your video at a seminar or hybrid meeting? See the instructions for using portable conference cameras and microphones: Hybrid Camera Kit & Hybrid Mic Kit instructions

Post-production and captions

During post-production, the video is cleaned up, assembled into its final form and captioned. This is often one of the most time-consuming stages of the production process.

In the collaborative production service model, professionals are responsible for editing the picture and sound and adding the necessary graphics and supplementary materials.

As the person responsible for the content, your role is to guide the process, comment on draft versions and ensure that the final result meets the original objectives.

• What is expected from the edit?

  • Explain what kind of final result is being aimed for, for example: a concise expert video, a professional interview or an instructional video that illustrates educational content.
  • Point out important sections that must be retained or should receive particular emphasis.
  • Technical editing decisions, such as editing rhythm, sound processing and image correction, can be left to the editor.

• Will there be one version or several?

  • Agree whether, in addition to the main video, a shorter version or a version suitable for social media will be produced.

    • Define the required versions already during the pre-planning stage, because different uses may affect shooting, editing structure and the materials that need to be produced.

• When will the first draft be delivered?

  • Agree on a schedule for the first review version and when feedback is expected.
    • The first draft does not need to be fully finished. Its purpose is to confirm the structure, length and key emphasis of the content before final polishing.

• Who comments and who approves?

  • Appoint one person or a small group to compile feedback for the editor.
    • If several partners are involved, agree in advance who makes the final decision if opinions conflict.
    • The teacher or other person responsible for the content approves the final version before publication.

• How many feedback rounds will there be?

  • Agree on a reasonable number of feedback rounds or preview versions so that the project does not become unnecessarily prolonged.
  • Feedback should be compiled and delivered as clearly as possible in one message.
  • Ask the editor to add a running timecode over the preview version.

    • • Ask the editor to add a running timecode over the preview version.

      A timecode is a running time reference displayed over the video image. It identifies the exact position in the video in hours, minutes, seconds and individual frames, for example 00:02:15:10.

      It allows you to give the editor precise feedback, such as: “At 00:02:15, the interviewee’s name is spelled incorrectly.” This makes it easy for the editor to find the exact point that needs to be corrected.

• Additional materials

  • Provide the editor with materials they cannot access themselves, such as partner logos, images, presentation materials or other production assets.
  • Make sure that you have permission to use these materials and that the correct and up-to-date versions are provided.
• Who produces and checks the captions?

  • Ordering, producing and/or reviewing captions is primarily the customer’s responsibility in all service models.

    • Agree who will review automatically or manually produced captions.
      • Pay particular attention to names, specialist terminology, abbreviations and other words that speech recognition may have difficulty identifying.

DIY – post-production and captions

Video captions, translated subtitles and transcripts of audio recordings can be ordered from Lingsoft: Ordering captions as a service

HAMK provides several tools for creating captions yourself: How to create captions yourself

Learn more about accessibility requirements for video and audio recordings: Practical tips for accessible video captioning

Editing the recorded material yourself? Explore tools for different needs: Video editing at HAMK

Publishing and implementation

The finished video must be published in the appropriate environment with the correct visibility settings.

At the same time, consider the lifecycle of the video: is it intended for one-time use or will it remain in use for a longer period?

In the supported project and collaborative production service models, agree on and make sure that:

• the publishing platform has been decided, for example Kaltura, YouTube, HAMK Intra or a public website
• the intended audience and visibility level are defined
• it is clear who will publish the final video
• the required metadata has been prepared, including the video title, description and possible search tags
• responsibility for possible maintenance and updates has been agreed
• it has been decided whether the raw footage produced during the project will be delivered to the customer.

• Where will the finished video be published?

  • Decide on the final publishing platform and make sure that the person responsible has permission to publish the video.
  • If necessary, also agree on the video title, description, thumbnail, access rights and visibility settings.
  • The publishing platform should preferably be decided before the final export so that the video can be finished in the correct format and with the appropriate settings.

Summary

For a small and straightforward video, independent project is often sufficient.

If you need support with planning or tools, supported project is a good option.

If the production is large, time-critical or requires collaboration between several specialists, a collaborative production is the most suitable approach.

The most time-consuming parts of video production are usually advance planning, production scheduling, editing, captioning and feedback rounds. These should therefore be taken into account from the very beginning.