Posted on the 14th October 2015 

With so many video production companies out there for someone looking to commission their first video here’s a few tips to help you get started.
Do you choose a video production company who are based locally or one who has experience in filming your subject matter?

If budgets are tight do you take a risk and go with someone as cheap as possible or do you need to pay big bucks to get the best return on your investment.

In most cases the first step is to get on line and search for local video production companies in your area, generally local production companies will know the area and local facilities well.  This is more relevant when you are budgeting for a low cost promo video where every penny counts.

When researching online look for video production companies whose show reels and previous work demonstrates a good mix of subject’s  which showcases their levels of both technical and artistic skill.
A really important point is to ensure that not only do they demonstrate technical skill in their filming but also in the use of any audio. Don’t under estimate the impact of poor quality sound on the finished video. Also don’t forget to check out their customer feedback!

Then a production company whose show reels or video samples you like do a bit of preparation and give them a call.  I would suggest if you have a budget in mind then do share this as it saves time in getting to the nitty gritty. Provide as much information as possible about your requirement.  A fairly typical email enquiry is:
‘I want to get a video produced for about 3-4 minutes on an event we are having. Please provide costs.’

That tells a production company absolutely nothing, therefore providing as much information up front is important. Such as what messages do you want to get across, who is your target audience, what will be filmed, where and  when, will there be a narration. If someone is talking to camera perhaps a tele prompter will be needed.  Will there be interviews or endorsements?
This type of information very quickly allows the company to establish initial costs.

Things to consider during the call, do they appear knowledgeable and able to answer all your questions concisely, are they happy to spend time discussing the process and what options are available to you with the budget that you have.
Should the video production company have experience in filming the same subject matter that you wish to cover?  No it’s not necessary as long as they can demonstrate their ability to produce high end video packages.

If the choice is between a video production company that has a diverse show reel and demonstrates high production values and a video production company who specialises in your core product but their work appears less polished with some technical flaws then quality must be the right choice. Any production company worth its salt will quickly immerse themselves in your  business and be able to quickly get up to speed.

There is a saying that quality comes at a price and to some extent it does so it’s worth getting a few quotes.  Not too cheap or you may regret the poor quality camera work, boxy sound and amateur look of the video and not so expensive that it leaves you thinking shall I bother, so getting a few quotes is always worthwhile. By comparing quotes against what each video production company is offering will give you a good handle on who to shortlist.

Rebecca Dunn.

Posted in TVV News

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