Hiring the Right Video Production Company
You are planning a great video project and you have a concept that you think will really work, or you’re looking for creative help to come up with a concept. Now you need to find the right video production company that will work with you as a partner from the start. Finding the right partner to work with on your next video project can sometimes prove to be complex and that’s why it’s important to evaluate each potential partner through a few different lenses. Here are some general guidelines to ensure you hire the right video production company that suits the needs of your next video project.
Review Their Reel & Their Portfolio
Every video production company works with different directors and uses different visual and auditory styles, so it’s important to review their reels and their video portfolios to ensure they match the type of project you are looking to create and the concept you are envisioning, as well. Looking at the portfolio and seeing the type of work they do will give you a sense of what a video production company is capable of, as every director and production company does their work differently. Every director has a different style, which means, every concept can be envisioned, produced and come out differently with each director. Make sure the director explains his vision, and what he would be doing to enhance the concept.
While there are some similarities and cross-over in types of videos, lighting, and genres, they aren’t all the same - so look for work that speaks to you. If there’s something that you really enjoyed watching, make mention of it when you speak with the company.
How Do They Value Your Company?
When you’re in the beginning stages of discussions with any company, come to the table with a project brief. During these early conversations, a video production company should try to learn as much about your company as possible so they can try to understand not just the goals of the project but the role the videos play in the overall business goals. A true video production partner will do as much as they can to understand their client’s goals, target audience, customers, messaging, and branding so they can convey the key messaging properly, especially when creating commercials.
When you bring a concept to a production company and they say ‘this is great’ and ‘this is amazing’ too quickly, they are likely trying to lock in the work too quickly, so be careful. A good production company could be slightly more critical of the ideas you bring or at least ask some questions inquiring about the motives behind your ideas - so don’t take that personally. Their objective is to develop and work with you on those ideas. When you provide notes, a good production company will be respectful, even when they disagree, because every detail makes a difference, and you can learn from every note.
There’s a few things for a video production company to consider:
What are your customers buying? Are they buying Lifestyles? Maybe Security? We’re looking at the underlying values, feelings, and vibes because that’s what consumers buy into and it’s a key component of brand engagement.
Understanding the brand identity is crucial in the creation of the video because you want the storytelling to convey the proper brand messaging.
Diving into your company’s core values so they are woven into aspects of the video are important. Customers invest into a brand’s identity and part of that includes understanding a brand’s core values. So, a good video partner will take your core values seriously and see to it that they are properly integrated.
Pay Attention to the Details
During each phase of the video production process, you’ll have to focus your attention on different details. Make sure your don’t lose the focus on the right details. This includes your potential partner’s responsiveness. If it takes them days to get back to you, instead of one day or a few hours, without a valid reason - like they were on a video shoot for another client, that should send alarm bells ringing. A company’s responsiveness shows how serious they are about your business and also shows you how seriously they take their business. Additionally, you should be looking for a video partner who will take you through each step of the video production process and keep you as involved as you want to be, discussing the details that matters most to you. If you find the right production company and don’t want to be too involved, don’t feel like it’s a must. A good production company should be able to create incredible work without you being involved after the brief stage. Not every client wants to be incredibly involved.
Videos are Not Simplistic
One aspect that’s crucial to remember is that videos are not simple to create, they take time and require sufficient preparation. Look for a company that takes the appropriate time to prepare for each video - regardless of scale and scope - very seriously. There are aspects for each video that video production companies take into consideration. For instance, an interview video takes a very different type of thought than social media videos, even though it seems like you can just aim a camera at someone and record them speaking. Consider that your speaker needs to feel comfortable, confident and natural. It is also important to ask where should he look? Into camera? To the side? Or how should he be framed? How should he be lit? How should he sound? How do you get the right responses? What’s the best setting and direction to get the best results? There’s a lot to think about in order to get even a 5 to 10 seconds of video. A great video production company will pay attention to these small details.
Since a high quality production takes time, it can’t always be made in a few days. Any production company that promises to deliver the moon and the stars in too little time is not working properly . They are likely cutting too many corners and leaving out the nuances you discussed.
Get a Few Proposals
It’s a wise idea to look into a few video production companies for your video project. When you approach each company, ensure you bring an identical creative brief to each company to make sure they are working off the same level of information and can provide you with an appropriate proposal for the same type of work. You’ll want to get several project proposals and if the project proposals vary, it’s important to understand why they very. Maybe some directors have a bigger vision that requires a higher budget, but it seems to be worth it, or maybe they are just more expensive. Make sure you understand the difference between each proposal, and that you are getting the same quality level.
When you get to a point where you believe you found the right production company and you start to talk about the statement of work and the price, it’s vital you understand the process of negotiating. When you negotiate for a lower budget, some things may need to be sacrificed or simplified in the vision or scope. If the production company agrees to a lower rate, ask them what aspects have changed, and in what ways. Are they getting less background actors? Renting less locations? Lowering the number of post-production revisions? You need to understand if it’s a compromise you are willing to take.
Hiring the Right Video Production Company
Selecting the perfect production company is as much about your gut feeling as it is the guidance we provided above. Who you select directly affects the type, style and vibe of video you get and how it performs among your core audience as well as the audience you’re trying to attract, so if something in your gut says “no” or “yes”, listen to it, and ask yourself why do you feel that way.. Creating video is a process that can take weeks to months. Find the right partner for you.