If you've never hired a video production company before, the process can feel like a black box. You send an email, money goes in, video comes out, and the in-between is murky. This article opens the box. Here's exactly what happens at each phase of a typical project, what the production company is doing, and what you need to do.

Phase 1: Discovery and Brief

Every project starts with a discovery call — usually 30 to 45 minutes. The production company asks about your business, your audience, the goal of the video, where it will run, what success looks like, and what your timeline and budget are. By the end of the call, both sides should have a clear picture of the scope.

What you do: Show up with a one-page brief (or just bullet points). Be honest about budget and deadline. Bring one decision-maker.

Phase 2: Proposal and Contract

Within a few days you should get a written proposal: scope, deliverables, timeline, payment schedule, and total cost. A good proposal makes it impossible to argue later about what's included. Read it carefully, ask questions, and sign before any pre-production starts. Most projects in Spokane require a 50% deposit to lock the shoot date.

Phase 3: Pre-Production

This is the most important phase and the one clients undervalue most. Pre-production includes scripting, storyboards or shot lists, location scouting, casting (if there's on-camera talent), wardrobe and styling notes, scheduling, and a call sheet. It typically takes one to two weeks.

What you do: Approve the script, sign off on the shot list, confirm locations and talent, and supply brand assets — logos, fonts, color guidelines, and any reference footage. Don't skip script approval. A script change after the shoot is a re-shoot.

Phase 4: Production (Shoot Day)

The actual filming. Most projects in this market are one or two shoot days. The crew arrives with gear, sets up lights and camera, captures the scripted content, and grabs B-roll. Days run 8–12 hours. A producer or first AD keeps the schedule. The DP shoots the camera. A sound mixer handles audio if the project warrants it.

What you do: Have one point of contact on set. Provide access to locations and any internal people who need to be on camera. Don't try to art-direct from a folding chair — trust the team you hired.

Phase 5: Post-Production

Where the project actually gets built. Post includes:

Assembly edit: Selects, structure, pacing — the rough cut.
Refined edit: Tighter cut with music, basic graphics, and rough audio.
Color grading: Cinematic look and consistency across shots.
Sound design and mix: Music, sound effects, voiceover, and balanced final mix.
Motion graphics: Titles, lower thirds, animated logos, and any infographics.

Post typically takes one to three weeks depending on complexity. You'll see a first cut after about a week.

Phase 6: Revisions

Most contracts include two to three rounds of revisions. Round one is structural — does the story work, does the pacing land, is anything missing. Round two is fine-tune — copy edits, music swaps, color tweaks, graphic adjustments. Round three is the polish pass.

What you do: Consolidate feedback. Don't send revisions piecemeal as different stakeholders watch — get all the notes in one document. Time-coded feedback ("at 0:34 the music should drop") saves hours.

Phase 7: Final Delivery

You receive the master files in the agreed format (typically 4K H.264 or ProRes), aspect-ratio cutdowns (16:9, 9:16, 1:1), captioned versions, and any raw footage if your contract included it. Final invoice is paid. You own the final video outright — no licensing, no expiration.

The Hidden Phase: Distribution

Most clients drop the ball here. A great video that doesn't get distributed is wasted money. Have a plan for where the video goes — homepage, paid ads, sales decks, email, social — before the project starts. If you don't have a distribution plan, ask your production company; the good ones will help you build one.

For more on what each phase costs, see how much video production costs in Spokane. To start a project, book a discovery call or browse recent work.

The Video Production Process Explained: From Brief to Final Delivery