TOP FIVE THINGS TO LOOK FOR IN A VIDEOGRAPHER
Not all production companies are created equal - When comparing production service offerings across companies, if your business is focused on a “race to the bottom” mentality - finding the company that will make a video for the cheapest price - you are bound to be disappointed by the finished product. This may even snowball into poor campaign performance and give your business a false opinion of the effectiveness of video marketing. This blog will cover key points when hiring a video production company.
If you’re looking for digital marketing solutions, here’s a list of the top five things to look for in a videographer:
Professional product
Take a look at some of the content the production company has made. Do you like the content that the production company is making? Have they made videos in your niche or in the style you are seeking? Remember, quality trumps quantity. If you are impressed with an agency’s portfolio, that’s a good start!
Here are the things to look for when comparing production company portfolios:
The detail and tone of their work
Is their work thoughtfully and intentionally filmed and edited, or does it seem sloppy and rushed? Are shot movements smooth and continuous, or do they lack control?
How do the audio and music sound? This is where many filmmakers cut corners - the little things make a big difference and impact your video’s “feel” and effectiveness.
Lighting and Color - Do portfolio pieces look overly flat or overly harsh and too saturated? Do the bright elements of the footage have any detail? While it may take a trained eye to notice these aspects of a production, inexperienced or low-budget productions will surely cut quality in these areas.
Professionalism
In addition to being a skilled videographer, producer, or editor, communication, organization, and timeliness are keys to professionalism in this industry. Creative people are notorious for being unorganized. Hiring a production company that communicates effectively and on time is essential. A production company should be interested in your marketing goals and release strategy, and you, as the customer, should feel like the production company is asking the right questions to get a clear understanding of what you are trying to communicate.
Logistics
Video production involves several moving parts, including idea generation, scripting, storyboarding, hiring talent and crew, acquiring locations and permissions, scheduling throughout the project, making the most of the production budget, controlling timeframes, and much more. An organized production company with systems and processes in place to handle the complexity of your project will give you peace of mind and fewer headaches as you plan, film, and execute your marketing campaign.
You’ve worked hard to develop your brand and image; if a video is produced, it must appear polished. Almost everyone can record a video with only a phone in their pocket. The secret is to work with experienced visual storytellers who are masters at fusing the material together and have a keen sense of what to photograph in the first place. When the people you recruit genuinely care about the project’s success, you can be sure that everything they do will serve your interests.
High standards, budget, and value
Realistic expectations about the budget required to produce a video that wows will encourage your production company to be more original and imaginative with your video projects.
Customers need to understand that you are not just paying for a finished product. You are paying for the professionals involved in planning, scripting, filming, and editing and the cost associated with the equipment needed to produce your product. A production company is a business, not just a guy with a camera.
It is common for video productions to cost more than $1000 per finished minute.
Quality video production is costly for several reasons. First, a lot of time, energy, and attention to detail go into the planning phase of video production. That pre-production planning guarantees a consistently good quality product that aligns with your goals, time and time again. Of course, the necessary equipment for video production carries a significant cost – cameras, lenses, computers, lighting, and media management costs tens of thousands of dollars. Depending on the needed production level, additional equipment, props, costumes, special effects, and rentals also greatly impact the overall production budget. The cost increases if the video is broadcasted on local or national television. The cost of licensing music and hiring talent goes up. The production and post-production phases will also be impacted due to additional steps needed to prepare a video properly for broadcast standards (which may be different based on different networks).
Marketing campaign strategy
Too many businesses lack the understanding that having a great video doesn’t mean people are instantly going to see it and are shocked that they are not an overnight success after posting their video on an unoptimized YouTube account with no strategy.
Clients need to understand the importance of developing a marketing campaign, pre-release, release, and post-release strategy for each platform they intend to release their video.
Certain videos require less strategy than others, but notice this critical step! A great video will offer little return on investment if no one sees it! Working with a production business that knows about creating content for a certain audience, distribution channel, and purpose is essential.
Not all content creation for platforms is the same. For instance, Studies show that 85% of Facebook videos are watched silently. Instagram Reels or TikToks’ should be filmed with “Vertical” framing in mind. Your approach to grabbing the viewer’s attention will shift based on the end-use platform. In this case, one size does not fit all. Does the video production firm help you plan the creation of your video to help deliver outcomes, or does it just provide what you request? Has the production team worked with marketing teams before? Make sure to choose a production business that is a good fit for creating the ideal video approach.
If you’re looking for a videographer/photographer/audio engineer in Fort Morgan or Northeastern Colorado, reach out to Heroic Media Studio.
We bring big-city video production, photography, audio/podcast production, and digital marketing services to Northeastern Colorado small businesses, creators, and individuals or organizations needing content for special events.
Our location reduces travel and big-city outsourcing costs while simultaneously giving clients more convenience and control over their products. We serve clients across Fort Morgan, Brush, Wiggins, Weldona, Denver, Littleton, Lakewood, Aurora, Greeley, Fort Collins, Boulder, Arvada, Sterling, and the surrounding areas.
Get in touch with us today!
To learn more about the services we offer, please click here. For more information, please call us at
(970) 768-2668 or email us at info@heroicmediastudio.com.
