Why Common Extra Effects Add to Video Production Costs
By Stanley Meytin
Why Voiceovers, Graphics, Extra Cuts, and Animations Drive Up Costs
The services mentioned are additional services, keyword: additional. Though they may seem small, your production company must hire or employ a professional to complete these tasks.
Let’s use voiceovers as an example. Firstly, you’ll need a voiceover artist. If you’re selling pick-up trucks, you’re probably going to want a rugged mid-western sounding artist as opposed to say, a posh Englishman. Therefore your production partner must cast a voiceover artist that fits your vision. Casting takes a day, and so does the physical recording of the voiceover. Finally, you the client must approve of the recording.
The additional costs arise from a) the voiceover artist’s fee and b) the time it takes your production company to cast the artist, get approval for the recording and master the audio track to sound professional. Simply put: you’re paying for time. The same goes for animations, graphics, and extra cuts.
One of the most expensive ‘extras’ is adding a day of shooting. There are numerous video professionals on a set. There’s a ton of equipment that you’re renting for the shoot. Neither the video professionals or equipment rental agencies are giving away their products for free.
Extra services during post-production (adding cuts, animation, graphics, etc.) also take longer to complete than people realize. There are several variations of editors; if a client requests a 2D animation, the company’s 2D animator has to fit the project into their schedule. Once the animation is complete, an editor has to place the animation into the rest of the video cohesively. A professional production company’s animators and editors are always busy, so last minute changes to their schedule are costly.
The best way to avoid additional costs is to create a robust plan way before production begins. That’s why production companies put such an emphasis on the pre-production phase. We’re not in business to take you for all you have; we’re in business to create something magical in the most efficient way possible.
Reading Time: 2 minutes
By Stanley Meytin
Why Voiceovers, Graphics, Extra Cuts, and Animations Drive Up Costs
The services mentioned are additional services, keyword: additional. Though they may seem small, your production company must hire or employ a professional to complete these tasks.
Let’s use voiceovers as an example. Firstly, you’ll need a voiceover artist. If you’re selling pick-up trucks, you’re probably going to want a rugged mid-western sounding artist as opposed to say, a posh Englishman. Therefore your production partner must cast a voiceover artist that fits your vision. Casting takes a day, and so does the physical recording of the voiceover. Finally, you the client must approve of the recording.
The additional costs arise from a) the voiceover artist’s fee and b) the time it takes your production company to cast the artist, get approval for the recording and master the audio track to sound professional. Simply put: you’re paying for time. The same goes for animations, graphics, and extra cuts.
One of the most expensive ‘extras’ is adding a day of shooting. There are numerous video professionals on a set. There’s a ton of equipment that you’re renting for the shoot. Neither the video professionals or equipment rental agencies are giving away their products for free.
Extra services during post-production (adding cuts, animation, graphics, etc.) also take longer to complete than people realize. There are several variations of editors; if a client requests a 2D animation, the company’s 2D animator has to fit the project into their schedule. Once the animation is complete, an editor has to place the animation into the rest of the video cohesively. A professional production company’s animators and editors are always busy, so last minute changes to their schedule are costly.
The best way to avoid additional costs is to create a robust plan way before production begins. That’s why production companies put such an emphasis on the pre-production phase. We’re not in business to take you for all you have; we’re in business to create something magical in the most efficient way possible.
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