You want a video made. Whether it is to share your story, to market your product, to sell your brand – whatever the reason is, you need a video stat.
There are three ways you can produce a video. One, you can DIY it. Two, you can hire an in-house video team. Or three – you can call in the big guns and hire a video production company. Video production companies have a team of experts and you will be guaranteed a video that’s top notch quality. If you’ve never worked with one yet, read on to know how you might want to start.
What’s Your Goal? –
Before making a video, you need to know why you are making it. This is probably the most critical piece of information to give to a video production company. In addition to the main goal, you should be able to answer the following questions: Who is your target audience? What is your call to action? And the platform you will put up this video – social media, like ads or websites?
Finding TRP (The Right Partner) –
You now know the type of video you want to produce, so find a company that matches your vision. Have a creative brief in mind and set up some meetings! We’ve all heard ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’ countless times – that applies to video production companies. Don’t judge a company by one demo reel alone. Watch a completed project to get a better idea. Even better – reach out and speak to people from the company and figure out if they are able to understand your needs and are easy to communicate with.
Creative Collaboration –
Working with a video production company basically means that you now have a team of creative professionals who can bring your story to life with their expertise. Once you’ve hired the right company, you can sit down with them and give them your brief.
It’s all about the Money, Money, Money –
This one’s very important even if you don’t have a specific number in mind. Having a rough idea allows the video production company to give you a better idea of what’s possible given your budget.
Tick Tock Tick Tock –
If you know when your video needs to go live, the video production company can set a clear schedule and ensure any equipment and crew needed are available and booked. Larger projects take longer to plan so give your video production company enough time to do the job!
Yes & No’s in Style –
Give them stylistic context to point them in the right direction. For example, if you know that you want an animation video and maybe upbeat music, let them know! If you want product videography with models or actors, let them know! This way, you can ensure your story will be told in a way that complements your brand.
Trust the Experts –
Every video production company works to ensure that your video reaches and impacts the audience you want and tells your story. Because this is their bread and butter, they know what works and doesn’t. Rely on their advice and make the process a creative collaboration. Obviously, establish what level of involvement you are expecting. Do you want to be involved in all creative decisions? Or do you want the video production company to take the wheel and deliver the completed video? A balance between these is ideal!
Pre-Production –
This stage involves the budget and script approval and then planning for the shoot. This includes storyboarding, hiring crew, casting actors, sourcing equipment etc. If you’ve hired a production company to film an event, let them know what you want them to focus on throughout the day and where they need to be to plan accordingly!
Shoot a.k.a. Production –
Depending on the nature of your project, shoot days can be long and hard involving changing of location, lighting and camera set-ups. If you choose to attend, make sure you understand exactly what you will be doing. Obviously, if the shoot day is filming your event, you will be there. Catching live moments is a different process, but if the video production company knows what story you want to tell, they will make sure it’s told!
Post Production –
Once the video is filmed, the magic of editing begins. A rough cut will be shown to see how it will look once all the effects have been added. As both teams agree that the film is complete and meets (or exceeds!) expectations, it can be rendered, exported, and delivered to your company!
Relationships are Supreme! –
Like all relationships, this relationship also requires communication, trust, and mutual respect. Both of you will bring something unique to the table. Over time, you will develop a relationship with the video production company through open communication as you get to know each other.
And voila! You’ll find a production company you can work with more than once.
