Our Video Making Process

This is one of our most frequently asked questions, how do ya'll make videos? Is it just on a whim? Who does what? How long till an idea gets written, filmed, edited, etc? The answer is simpler than you think! 

However… I'm gonna make it as detailed and complicated as possible for maximum entertainment value. Between our internship jobs, families, engineering classes, and trying to 100% complete Jedi Fallen Order (Michael), we have to keep an insanely tight regiment... that constantly fluctuates based on the project or the giant surprises life throws at us... for example; let's say, oh I don't know... the world is hit with a destructive pandemic that puts our silly comedy videos into perspective! Regardless, the process takes roughly 2 weeks and here's a thorough breakdown if you are interested!

Days 1-3: The Idea

At all times, we are thinking of ideas. We have a google doc called “The Wizards’ Bank” where we store our sketch ideas, no matter how bad or how crazy. Think of something goofy? Write it down! Make each other laugh? Write it down! New inside joke? WRITE IT DOWN! It doesn't matter if it's shit, we literally have a category for SHIT THEMED ideas! Here are few for proof:

· Someone’s pooping MY pants 

· A poop dispensing hand dryer

· A millionaire who only tips service with human feces

Idea choosing is the part that is most likely to get delayed. Sometimes we look at our list of 200+ ideas and one of us says “I’m not feeling these… let’s think of a new one!” And that can take a quite a while. Especially because we have a rule that the decision must be unanimous!

Day 4: Outline/Props

Now that the we’ve decided on an idea, we need to create a rough draft about where the sketch is going to go. What happens in the beginning, middle and end? What are we wearing? what does the set look like? We do all this so we can organize a list of all the props/costumes we will need to gather/order in advance for the shoot. We have an entire walk in closet chalk full of wacky costumes, makeup, props, crafts, fake weapons, and accessories. For the stuff we don’t have, we hop online and BEG Jeff Bezos to deliver the remaining props just in time for the shoot. 

Day 5: Writing

We write the script! We try to have with the narrative, dialogue, jokes, and order of said jokes completed before the night is young! That way we can all relax before all the stress that the next day brings

Day 6: Preparation

We must build/decorate the set, craft any props that need to be built, put together the costumes, come up with a filming schedule, prepare equipment, purchase additional items, contact any extras, and finally, we review the script to fill it with detail. We choose character names, decide on very specific word choice, discuss camera composition, and work out any coordination needed for more difficult shots. 

Day 7-8: Filming:

We try to have all the decisions made at this point before we hit record. We need to be as efficient as possible because we need all the footage shot before our time runs out. Once Monday rolls around, our other “non-sketch comedy” lives take over and makes shooting nearly impossible. Creative differences? We have a lot! But we found it’s quicker to film all versions of a take and decide in post, rather than argue about which one is best while on set. 

Day 9 (Postproduction Begins): Take Choosing

For every line of dialogue, every camera zoom, every scream, every shot… there are 5-20 worse versions of that specific take. An actor messes up their line, the boom mic was in the shot, bloopers, etc. This is Michael’s job; to dig through the sludge, and decide the BEST take for every single shot in the video. He complies each a master list and hand it off to mitch, for the next day!

Day 10: Special Effects/Save File Construction

Mitchell’s is our CGI man. Blood spirts, gunshots, explosions, it’s all him! He’s usually working on these spectacular moments in our videos behind the scenes, but only after he creates the save file. The Premier Pro save file is the foundation which the video is built upon. We are almost never able to film in order, so he take the shot list from Michael, digs through the files, and organizes it all for frank for the next day.

Day 11-12: Editing

Frank uses Adobe premier pro to put the video together… piece… by piece. At the point the video is one giant puzzle, except we get to decide how it all fits together. Here, he decides the shot arrangement and comedic timing. On top of that, he implements music, sound effects, and graphics as well. Michael helps search the internet for these things, while creating any additional assets for the video’s aesthetic, including the thumbnail.

Day 13: Nit Picking/Discussion

Turns out we’re all very different people creatively. So, we take a whole day to shape the video into something we can all be proud of. We argue for hours about alternates to scenes, changing video structure, and cutting jokes (don’t worry, our patrons get to see it all!)

Day 14: Polish

Now that everything is decided, we need to color correct, sound check, an add any additional details missing for the final product. Then we render, upload, and release to you guys!

There you have it, a general summary of what our video making process looks like. This was a ton of fun to write, and if you made it this far, I hope you enjoyed it as we enjoy run-on sentences! Albeit none of the process could happen if it wasn’t for you! Our incredibly supportive… supporters! Seriously, we couldn’t have asked for a more amazing audience who share the same passion for sketch comedy as we do! Love you all, and stay safe.

-The Wizards