Whether we're building a website, developing a course, shooting your brand photos, or producing a video series, every project moves through the same three phases. Pre-production, production, and post-production. The names come from the world of film and television, but the concept applies universally. Each phase has a clear purpose, and the work you put into the earlier ones directly determines how smooth the later ones go.
Understanding this process before we start helps set the right expectations on both sides. My job is to guide you through it, and the more prepared you are at each stage, the smoother the process goes and the stronger the final result.
Pre-Production
Pre-production is where the project is defined. Nothing is built or captured yet. This phase is entirely about planning. It tends to be the least glamorous part of the process, but it is the most important one. A well-planned project almost never goes sideways. An under-planned project almost always does.
What happens in this phase
- Discovery: We have a conversation about your goals, your audience, your timeline, and your budget. I ask a lot of questions here. The more I understand your situation, the better the work.
- Scoping: I define exactly what the project includes, and what it doesn't. This becomes the foundation of our agreement and prevents scope creep later.
- Creative direction: We align on the look, feel, and tone before anything is created. For video and photo, this might include reference images and a shot list. For web or instructional design, it might be a content outline or a wireframe.
- Logistics: Dates, locations, stakeholders, access to tools and accounts. Everything that needs to be arranged before work can begin gets sorted out here.
What I need from you
Your engagement during pre-production is critical. I need honest answers about your goals and constraints, timely feedback on any early concepts, and access to any existing assets, including logos, brand guidelines, content, passwords, and prior work I'll need to reference. The faster and more clearly you communicate in this phase, the smoother everything that follows will be.
Time spent in pre-production is never wasted. It's an investment that pays back tenfold when the cameras roll or the code ships.
Production
Production is where the work gets made. Depending on the project type, this looks very different from the outside, but the underlying dynamic is the same. I'm executing the plan we built together in pre-production, and staying in close communication with you as decisions come up.
What this looks like by service
- Web Design: Design mockups are built and reviewed, then developed into a live site. You'll see the work in progress and have structured opportunities to provide feedback at key milestones.
- Instructional Design: Content is drafted, structured into modules, and built out in your chosen platform or tool. Subject matter expert reviews happen here.
- Photography: The shoot itself. We've already aligned on the vision, so this phase is focused on execution: capturing the images we planned for, plus any unexpected opportunities that come up on the day.
- Videography: Filming takes place according to the shot list. Depending on the project, this could be one shoot day or several. I handle direction, camera operation, and on-set logistics.
How feedback works
Production isn't a black box. I'll share progress at defined checkpoints, and timely feedback at those moments makes a real difference — delayed responses are the most common reason projects miss their deadlines. I build reasonable review windows into every schedule so there's always space to weigh in.
Changes to scope during production are possible, but they affect the timeline and budget. If something significant shifts, we'll discuss it openly and adjust the plan together before moving forward.
Post-Production
Post-production is where raw material becomes a finished product. This phase requires focus and craft, and it's where I spend a significant portion of the overall project time, even if it happens largely out of your view.
What happens in this phase
- Web Design: Testing across browsers and devices, accessibility checks, performance optimization, and final revisions before launch.
- Instructional Design: Review cycles, learner testing, final edits, and delivery to your LMS or distribution platform.
- Photography: Culling, color correction, retouching, and export at the correct specs for your intended use.
- Videography: Editing, color grading, sound design, music licensing, motion graphics, and export in the required formats.
Revisions and final delivery
Every project includes a defined number of revision rounds, which I'll be explicit about during scoping so there are no surprises. These rounds work best when they're focused on refining what's already been built — if something new comes up, we can talk about whether it fits within the current scope or makes more sense as a future project.
Final delivery includes everything you need to own and maintain your asset going forward. That means source files where applicable, export specs, platform credentials, and a handoff conversation to make sure you know how to use what I've built.
After Delivery
The project might be delivered, but I'm not gone. I stand behind my work, and I'm available for follow-up questions in the weeks after handoff. If something isn't working the way it should, let me know and we'll figure it out together.
Most clients come back for a second project, and the second one is almost always faster and smoother because we've already been through the process once. We know how each other communicates, we've established trust, and the pre-production phase has a head start.