Chapter 9 Project Development 161
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About Project
Development
Project Development is the fi rst of three fi
chapters on the preproduction phase of video.
The second chapter, Chapter 10, Program Creation,
addresses the creative process of writing scripts
(or designing storyboards) for popular video
genres such as fi ction, training, and documentary. fi
Chapter 11, Production Planning, covers the nuts g g
and bolts of preparing for actual shooting.
In this chapter we are concerned with
the fi rst step in the preproduction phase: the fi
process of developing a video project—of any
type—for scripting and eventual production.
In Hollywood, a movie being prepared
for production is said to be “in development.”
Why not just say that it is being “scripted” or
simply “written”? The reason is that no matter
how important a script may be, it is only an end-
product in a much larger creative process—the
process of project development. This chapter
covers the fundamentals of this vital process.
We will start with a common-sense approach
to defi the video project you intend to fining
produce. Then, we will look at various ways
to create a design for your project—a design
intended to guide you and your colleagues
through production and postproduction.
For simplicity, “project,” as used here covers
the development process of all types of videos.
“Program,” the subject of the following chapter, is
used in creating specific types of videos.
If you propose to shoot a short, simple video,
you may be tempted to skip the development
process. If, for example, you are making a
music video about a garage band, you may
feel that all you have to do is record the group
playing a song and then edit the results. But
this approach is almost guaranteed to produce
a less than satisfactory program. Even a simple
project like that garage band video can benefitfi
from the process of development. You begin this
development process by defi the project. fining
Even spontaneous videos shot with smartphones,
tablets, or still cameras will benefit from some
planning, as explained in Chapter 19, Directing for
Form.
Defi ning the Project
The first step in the development
process is to describe exactly the video
that you want to make. This may sound
obvious, but far too many programs suffer
because they were poorly defined to begin
with. By developing a detailed blueprint of
your proposed program, you provide the
information you need to plan, shoot, and
edit your video.
To illustrate the steps in defi a fining
project, we will use a promotional video for a
fi ctional product. Imagine that you have been fi
hired by Acme Power Tools, Inc. to produce
a short program that features their new
cordless electric drill, the Sidewinder. Acme
Power Tools, Inc. will publish your video on
its corporate website and on general video
websites, as well (Figure 9-1).
At fi rst, the approach appears obvious: fi
simply show what the Acme Sidewinder drill
can do. But, there is much more than that to
defi this program. To draw a detailed fining
blueprint, we need to specify the program’s
subject, objectives, audience, delivery system,
and length.
Defining a program also involves selecting a genre
(such as story, training, documentary, etc.). Program
genres are covered in Chapter 10, Program Creation.
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Figure 9-1. The Sidewinder cordless drill.