Welcome to the first chapter of a four part series where we attempt to tactfully sand down some of the edges of role delineation. What we like to call- the rollercoaster that is... "dealing with large and diverse stakeholder sets when it comes to video production". (That wasn't AI by the way- we actually typed that sentence ourselves.)
Let us begin....
One of the most important things to understand about video production is that it is a process.
Video teams don’t (or shouldn’t) just flounce up, whip the camera out and start pointing it at anything that moves. probably.
There are many steps involved, and every participant has their own role to play in the success of the video production
Role delineation should be an important topic for any stakeholder team venturing into video production: you've got to ask yourself, "who's responsible for what in this whole fluid/mental/fun/creative/expensive process?"
Video production workflows can be complicated. While it is crucial to understand everyone's responsibilities, it is even more important to have the courage and maturity to handle uncomfortable situations. This includes instances where someone encroaches on your territory, when someone speaks out of turn, or when there are disagreements.
In these situations, it may be necessary to handle things with grace and tact. Instead of focusing on improving your bedside manner, here are a few actions you can take to ensure the project is set up for success and address any potential issues before they escalate.
Although we will in time attempt to unravel some of the mystery of what is and what should be happening on both sides of the brief- this article focuses on what can go awry client side….
Planning is undeniably the crucial aspect of any video production procedure and must adhere to a thorough series of pre-production steps to guarantee that all individuals are aware of the video's purpose (refer to other articles where I emphasize this point strongly).
During this period, it is essential for all parties involved to collaborate and establish clear responsibilities, mutually agree on targets and aims, recognize potential risks, and devise a plan for effective collaboration throughout the production process.
This is an ideal time to carve out the other end of this equation- namely what happens from the post stages onwards and the minefield that is feedback and amends
If you're just starting to explore the amazing realm of RACI, it can serve as a useful instrument in clarifying roles and preventing any confusion. RACI stands for "responsible," "accountable," "consulted," and/or "informed."
When used correctly, this simple framework ensures everyone is clear on their role in a project and can easily be adapted to apply to the feedback and amends stages of video production.here’s an example of what it might look like in a more general sense:
This assumes technical responsibility (black frame, pace, shot selection, other subconscious rift causing elements) to be with the editor/agency, but you can see how the layout of this might dovetail nicely with a gantt or other project timeline chart
By highlighting the “accountable” and “responsible” role delineation for each of these tasks, in should become clearer where the handoff points in the process are, and what what stakeholders should, or more importantly shouldn’t be commenting on
Consider a more common and time honoured team effort: the building of a house
We generally understand from the beginning that the plumber's main focus is on the pipes and waterworks, the electrician is concerned with the electrical work, and the responsibility for painting lies with the decorators.
But now fast forward to the closing stages when the house is 90% finished, but all of a sudden they start giving each other advice on how to finish up- and taking steps that actively undo each other’s work…
Can.
You.
Imagine.
But this is exactly what can happen in the feedback and amends stages of a video when you’re dealing with multiple/large disjointed or disorganised stakeholder groups and broken processes:
Colleagues commenting with different amends on the same text, contradicting each other over shot choices, and, perhaps most offensively - a colleague bounding onto your turf to make a correction or a comment they have no business making on a subject matter that is blatantly in your professional remit.
Ooof.
Stay engaged via our mailing list for the next chapter- where we start to look at some more solutions, have a look at examples of role delineation tactics, workflow models for feedback and amends, and highlight a few "dont's" with repeat offenders.
Video production involving large stakeholder sets can be a complex process
Plan more, plan for the bits you can’t see yet- raci can help you organise your team and make sure everyone knows what they are doing at all times. the more organised you are, the easier it will be for everyone involved in creating the video, and the less likely you are to find out claire from comms has been calling you a “land-grabbing showboater” for the last 10 days.
Are you ready to take your video content strategy to the next level?
Do you have questions about organising teams around video content production workflows?
Get in touch with us to see how we can help you get the most out of your video projects
