It Pays to Research

One of the things becoming more evident to me as I am working for Articulate with Jim Cotter is the value of pre-production research. This regards researching the locations, time periods, styles and referential content that is planned to be in your video or image.

Not only will it save you time with having to conjure up an image or presentation, but it also will make you look accurate (or semi-accurate depending on how debatable the details of the subject matter are). And while inaccurate depictions may get a good laugh out of some people, it’s always better that you work exhibits thoughtful effort and truth.

Additionally, the higher accuracy will contribute to a higher quality product. The blueprint for the design of devices, objects, buildings, landscapes et cetera is already there, it just needs to be emulated. The same goes for time periods, which are characterized by the design of devices, clothing, architecture and so on. Nothing can beat the quality of what exists in real life, so getting as close as possible to it will only increase the quality of the video or image. This is, of course, depending on what needs to be extracted from research. Something like a philosophy or a bill proposal won’t likely have detailed visuals ready to copy, but understanding the gist of it will lead to accurate depictions. And if the style of the imagery is not very detailed, then knowing the core characteristics of the asset helps in its portrayal and message.

Plus, all the research can result in conquering Jeopardy trivia that you may not have guessed otherwise!

So even though research can be tedious, and at times stressful, it will benefit the production of a video. It is like that annoyingly smart friend that you begrudgingly allow to hang out with you because you know you need him/her.