Guidelines for Planning a Television Program
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We hope this information will help you get started planning the video program you’ve always thought you ought to produce. We don't pretend to have covered everything here. For instance, the question of why to use video instead of some other medium is an issue for another time.
If there's one thing we've learned in the many years we've been making videos, it's that the most important part of every project is the planning. That's why nine of the twelve steps listed here are planning stages.
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1. EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Designate an Executive Producer - yourself or someone you trust implicitly - who will have the authority to approve or disapprove any aspect of the project, including expenses and script content. This person's decisions must be considered final.
2. OBJECTIVES
State the objective: precisely what the program is to achieve.
Examples:
-Train in psycho-motor activity
-Convey abstract ideas
-Persuade/change attitudes
Note that video is not the best medium for communicating a lot of facts. That's better done on paper.
Start by writing one or two sentences stating exactly what your program is supposed to achieve. This becomes the criterion by which all content will be judged: if it contributes to the objective, it's in; if not, it's out.
3. AUDIENCE
Identify the audience and the place where they will be watching the program.
Take a few minutes to think about this and then describe on paper the typical viewer for your program. Be as specific as possible: age, sex, socio-economic background, occupation, outlook/attitude, and so on. And where: in a classroom, auditorium/theater, study carrel, at home, against-the-wall-in-the-mall- to-be-viewed-by-all? We want to design the finished product to stand up in a worst-case situation.
4. TECHNICAL CONSULTANT
Unless the executive producer can perform this function, designate a technical consultant--a content expert who can carefully follow the script and/or stand by during recording sessions, watching to make sure we don't make the kind of glaring errors that would damage the credibility of the program.
5. TREATMENT / FORMAT
Develop a "treatment," a brief narrative description of the program. The treatment should say what the proposed show is all about and also reflect in its writing the style of the show. Don't include specific production information such as types of lighting or camera angles; save this information for the script. Keep the treatment brief and concise. It should simply describe what the video will show.
6. CONTENT OUTLINE
Prepare a content outline--a comprehensive list of the necessary ingredients, factual or conceptual. We will use this as a checklist to make sure we don't leave out anything that's really important.
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