Many photographers use batch processing for photo editing. It helps you to apply the same adjustments to multiple images and create a cohesive style; prepare your photos for sharing on social media by resizing and converting them from RAW to JPEG; add watermarks and edit metadata for future reference. As I spend more time creating content about nature photography for my YouTube channel, I’ve come to embrace the same batch-processing approach in my video production.
Batch processing speeds up my workflow, helps me organize my ideas, and allows me to focus on content and narrative rather than the production process. So here is everything you need to know to speed up your video production with batch processing, from pre-production to post-production.
Pre-Production: Batch Idea Generation
Pre-production is much more critical for filmmaking than photography because it is really time-consuming. A high-quality YouTube video will likely take 2-3 days from idea to finish if you need to include multiple outdoor locations. Bigger projects take even longer.
Instead of thinking of one creative idea at a time, use a batch idea generation process in which you write down scripts and create storyboards for multiple video projects. It will improve your workflow because you’ll always have stories to film, and once you get into brainstorming mode, the ideas will flow faster. After all, batch idea generation enhances creativity and thinking outside the box. Furthermore, you can have one big idea that can branch into multiple smaller videos. You may have similar ideas that don’t work together but are perfectly fine as individual projects or contrasting ideas that become a series.
You need a clear image of what you will film, where, and at what time of day. At the same time, you need to know the narrative before going on location to prepare your gear and your mindset. Therefore, before shooting a video, you need to come up with an idea and outline the narrative, define the video’s goals, and understand the reasons for filming it.
Pre-Production: Batch Shot List Creation
Once you have the idea list and an outline or script, start creating a shot list. This step can also be done in a batch-processing manner. Because you have a personal style and aesthetic, you will take similar shots for different videos. Make a list of basic shots you would like to include in your videos and add them to the shot list of each video idea. For example, a shot sequence is often built by capturing an establishing wide shot, a shot of the subject, what he/she is doing, a close-up of the subject, an over-the-shoulder shot, and so on. Add all of those to the shot list for each scene, along with a recording location.
Batching the shot list creation process helps you be organized and on point. When on location, you will know exactly what footage you need, and the workflow will be smooth and fast. If you film interviews, for example, you’ll notice that knowing what shots you need helps you improve communication, manage the scene more easily, and save time.
At the same time, it helps you to avoid visual repetition. You want a consistent and recognizable style, but you don’t want all your videos to look the same. Doing the shot list in parallel for multiple videos lets you keep an eye on transitions and spot patterns you tend to have.
Production: Record Video Footage for Multiple Videos in the Same Location
Because you have the shot list for multiple videos, opportunities may appear for you to shoot some of them in the same location. For example, if you record travel videos from a trip to Japan, you can shoot B-Roll footage for both a “Top 5 restaurants in Tokyo” video, “Travelling with Kids in Japan” video, and “Don’t do This When Visiting Japan” video in the same location. But it requires that you have the shot list that you created earlier.
It’s rare that you get to visit the same location multiple times or that you’ll benefit from the same conditions each time you come back. Therefore, take the opportunity when it presents itself and shoot as much as possible.
So, take your shot list with you and keep an eye out for scenery, weather, events, or subjects that may fit future videos. You can do this while filming your current video or reserve some time before or after the shooting for extra shots. If you have a static location, taking some time before or after the shooting is better because it doesn’t interrupt your workflow. However, if you have a continuously changing location (e.g., filming while hiking a mountain), it’s better to record footage whenever you have the chance.
Post-Production: Batch Metadata Editing
Like photo editors, most video editors allow you to edit metadata using batch processing. It helps you find shots rapidly using filters such as location and date. However, you can add more specific information to your files. Metadata may include a genre (e.g., interview), a title (e.g., person name and setting, like Chang – Chinese restaurant X), a category (e.g., cooking tutorial), the shot type (wide, medium, close-up), and many other useful information for finding shots you use frequently. I usually also tag season and location type, like forest, beach, or meadow.
At a basic level, you can organize your video files using their names and a clear folder structure if you don’t want to do all the meta-tagging. You don’t need a dedicated video editor to batch rename your files because all operating systems provide this feature. Use a well-structured naming system and folder system to ensure you’ll find what you’re looking for with ease. Include location, date, subject, video idea, and any other information that might come in handy to you later.
Use batch metadata editing to organize the footage at the end of each session, day, or project. It’s up to you how often you include this activity in your workflow.
Keep all of your files in an easily accessible external hard drive, like the Samsung T7 Shield or NAS solution. I prefer this over hosting video files in a cloud solution, as it takes too long to upload, browse through all your video clips online, or download all the video clips you need.
Instead, you can connect an external hard drive or access files from the network storage pretty quickly.
Post-Production: Edit Multiple Videos from the Same Shots
Let’s face it: as organized as we may be, we always end up with unused footage. We film more because coming back to a location in identical conditions is impossible, so we want to make sure we have all the shots we need. But often, much of the footage is left unused in the movie it was recorded for. So why not use it for other creative ideas?
I know you can’t do that if you shoot for a movie, or corporate videos, where the persons and locations are specific to that particular situation, but in many cases, you can repurpose a lot of shots saving you crucial production time.
Consider making multiple videos using the same B-Roll shots but a different narrative. Change the focus and aim of the videos and follow a different creative idea. If you create similar content all the time (e.g., nature videos, hiking adventures, YouTube tutorials, etc.), chances are you will find some use for the remaining shots. Sometimes, you need environmental shots to prove a point. Other times, you speak about a location or technique you previously used and need an example. There will be the need for those unused shots, so don’t delete them.
Instead, label them. Rename the unused video files with an ‘unused’ tag, or move them into a dedicated folder. Next time you’ll need a shot, browse through your old shot collection until you find what you need. Once you have included these shots in a video, change their name or storing location to signal they aren’t ‘unused’ anymore. Make sure you don’t use the same shot too many times so that it becomes obvious. Repeating a shot to make a point is all right, but don’t overdo it.
Conclusion
Using batch processing throughout your entire video production process saves you time and energy. It also helps you be more organized, focused, and even more creative, as is the case with batch idea generation. Managing loads of files is never easy, especially when you create diverse content or are always on the road, which explains why batch editing metadata is so popular amongst videographers.
Make a habit of using batch processing as much as you can and have multiple ongoing projects. It keeps you alert and helps you develop a cohesive personal style. At the same time, it helps notice your faults, such as overusing a certain shot type, repeating narratives, losing the narrative from one scene to another, or being stuck on a restrictive set of patterns.
