Review the information below as a recap of the three stages of video production that were discussed in the introduction. You might even print this page for future reference when you work on new projects.

No matter what type of video project you're working on, projects can be broken down into three stages. Preproduction, Production, and Post-Production.

Stage 1: Preproduction - The planning and preparation phase

Preproduction for a medical animation project encompasses all preparation for the work to be done. In this stage, you'll do any necessary reading and research about your topic, and consult with subject matter experts as needed. You may write notes and thoughts about how you'll proceed and what you'll need to be successful. You'll write or acquire your script and initial voice-over recordings. You'll gather audio clips, b-roll, and resources for the production. You'll create storyboards, shot-lists, and may produce animatics. You'll generate mood boards and style frames. For this class, much of this work has been completed in advance. Often, when you work for company or if you're hired as a contract/freelance artist, the company will provide this for you. You may even be supplied with models and existing artwork depending on the project, the company, and the client. I'm providing these to you here so we can focus on the animation and not worry as much about figuring out the compositions and art styles. You will, of course, need to learn about the topic, and I'll give you some help there as well.

Stage 2: Production - Creating the footage

Production is where "the rubber meets the road", so to speak - the actual creation and rendering of the animated shots. Modeling, texturing and materials, lighting, rigging, animating, and rendering all take place in the production phase, and this is where our journey together begins.

If you're working for a larger production company, they may have what are called dailies, where the team gathers to review work done and work to be completed. This will happen more or less often depending on the type and size of the project, and the size and work-style of the company. Medical animations tend to be relatively short and the timeline for production is typically short as well, so a project may only take a few weeks or months to complete.

Stage 3: Post-production - Putting it all together

A movie isn't a movie until it leaves the editing room. Post-production is where we bring all the rendered shots, audio tracks and sound effects together to tell the story. For this class, we'll use Adobe Premiere to import and edit the footage, voice over, music, and sound effects into a complete story and make it ready for the client. Post production is also where any additional color treatments, sound effects, audio adjustments, special effects, titles, and graphics are added. 

As you move through this class, we'll create an animation together in real time. Let's get to it!