Manage a video production project from script to delivery using a Gantt chart—covering pre-production, shoot, post-production, review, and distribution phases.
Video production is the most sequential creative project most marketing teams manage. Each phase depends almost entirely on the previous one: you can't shoot before the script is approved, can't edit before the footage is captured, can't color grade before the edit is locked. This linear dependency chain means that delays in any phase push every subsequent phase—and there are many phases that can slip.
A video production Gantt chart makes the full timeline visible from the moment a project is scoped. When stakeholders see that a two-week script revision adds two weeks to the delivery date—not two days—the review process tends to move faster.
| Phase | Typical Duration | Key Deliverables |
|-------|-----------------|-----------------|
| Pre-Production | 2–4 weeks | Script, shot list, locations, cast, crew |
| Production (Shoot) | 1–5 days | Raw footage |
| Post-Production (Edit) | 1–3 weeks | Rough cut, picture lock |
| Review Cycles | 1–2 weeks | Stakeholder approvals |
| Finishing | 3–5 days | Color, sound mix, titles, graphics |
| Delivery & Distribution | 3–5 days | Export, upload, campaign integration |
Pre-production determines whether the shoot goes smoothly or becomes a expensive problem-solving exercise. Time invested in pre-production saves multiples of that time in production and post-production.
Tasks:
The script approval milestone is a hard dependency in the Gantt chart. No shoot scheduling should begin until the script is fully approved—location and crew bookings made against an unapproved script may need to be redone.
Each shoot day is expensive. The Gantt chart for production is less about task duration and more about preparation quality.
On the shoot:
The Gantt chart should show the shoot days as dependent on all pre-production approvals being completed. If pre-production is incomplete, the shoot should be delayed—it's cheaper than a reshoot.
After the shoot:
Post-production is where most of the creative decisions happen—and where the most review cycles occur.
Assembly cut: Editor assembles all footage in rough story order. Internal review only—not for stakeholder distribution. This cut is often 30–50% longer than the final video.
Rough cut: Editor refines the assembly into a coherent narrative. First cut for stakeholder review. Expect feedback to require significant changes.
Revision 1: Incorporates stakeholder feedback from rough cut.
Picture lock: Final approved edit. No further structural changes after picture lock. This is the hard dependency for all finishing work.
Picture lock is the most important milestone in a video project. Changes after picture lock require restarting finishing work, adding days to the timeline and cost.
Finishing happens after picture lock and should not begin before it.
Tasks:
Video review cycles are where schedules expand most reliably. Build explicit review milestones into the Gantt chart with stated turnaround expectations.
| Review Milestone | Turnaround Time | Decision Required |
|-----------------|-----------------|-------------------|
| Rough cut review | 3–5 days | Structural changes approved/denied |
| Revision 1 review | 2–3 days | Picture lock confirmed or additional revision |
| Final review | 2 days | Full approval for finishing |
Consolidate feedback before submitting it to the editor. Multiple rounds of individual feedback are more expensive than one consolidated round.
Delivery specifications vary by platform. Build format deliverables into the post-production phase.
| Platform | Format | Specs |
|----------|--------|-------|
| YouTube | MP4 H.264 | 1920x1080, stereo audio |
| LinkedIn | MP4 | Under 200MB, 3–5 min optimal |
| Instagram | MP4 | 9:16 for Reels, 1:1 for feed |
| Website embed | MP4 | Multiple resolutions for adaptive streaming |
| Broadcast/OOH | ProRes | Per broadcast spec sheet |
Build and manage your video production Gantt chart on gantt-chart.io—from script approval through final delivery, with every phase dependency mapped so late reviews don't create surprise delays.