What You Need To Know Before Hiring A Video Production Company
By Stanley Meytin
Hiring a Video Production Company
Do you know how to select the right video production company to help create your video campaigns?
Are you still making that age-old mistake of shopping around based on price, rather than on the production company’s mission, process, and value proposition?
We always get the question, “How much for a 2-minute video?” A high-value production company won’t have an answer to that, though. For us, there’s no set number or price. It can range between hundreds or thousands of dollars, entirely depending on the creative process to make that vision come to life.
It’s like asking an artist how much for a 10’x10’ painting. It entirely depends on who the artist is, what they’re painting, how long it takes, the methods they use, and the final product.
If you’re looking to create a video strategy that actually shows tangible results, your bid has to be about more than the cost.
So what should you compare in order to hire a video production company that will be the right fit for you?
Get an idea of your goals
Before you start shopping around for a video production partner, you want to figure out why you’re commissioning a video campaign.
What is your purpose for utilizing video?
Start by asking yourself (or your team) the following questions:
- What are the goals of this video? What are we trying to accomplish?
- Who is the audience? What do they want to see, and why do they care?
- How do we want the audience to feel about the brand after watching the video?
- What is the call to action? How do we want this video to move us forward?
Next, you want to address your expectations. What does a successful video look like to you? What kind of results are you hoping to achieve?
Create an “after-action” report. This essentially outlines the ideal conclusion for how your video’s metrics and results will look. This includes:
- The channels/platforms on which it’s distributed
- Number of views
- Click-through rate
- Conversion rate
- Comments/feedback
- Social sharing
- Engagement
- The “non-numbers”—like how your audience will feel after watching the video
What will make you happy with the end product? Be reasonable, but don’t be afraid to dream. When you present your after-action report to a production company, they can help you determine what is feasible and how they’ll help you reach your goals.
Comparing Video Production Companies
How do you know if a production partner is the right fit?
1. Start with a scorecard.
A “scorecard” is similar to a job description when you’re hiring a new employee. It’s a list of the qualities you’re looking for in your video production company. You want to score each production candidate on the following questions:
- What are you really good at?
- What are you not good at?
- How would your previous clients scale you 1-10?
Basically, you’re trying to get an idea of the organization’s value proposition. What does this production company bring to the table that no one else does?
From there, does their value proposition align with what you’re looking for in a partner?
2. Ask about their experience.
Inquire about the company’s experience. You want to see the quality of the video they’re outputting, the success those videos have, and the happiness of their clientele.
This is different than asking to see “relevant” work to ensure they’ve made videos in your field. In some cases, having experience in the same industry is useful. For example, True Film Production does a lot in the medical industry, so we understand the kind of language that’s needed to stay compliant.
Often, though, relevance doesn’t matter as much as creativity. You want your video production company to be a visionary and take a more innovative approach to your video. You don’t want it to look like everyone else’s video in your field.
So you want to see that the company has experience making awesome videos—but that doesn’t mean those videos have to be similar to yours. It’s more about the vibe than the content.
3. Acknowledge their core values.
What is the video production company’s mission? What do they value? And how do they approach video production with those values in mind?
Most importantly, are their values in alignment with yours? For example, True Film Production’s values are:
- Keep growing and learning.
- Embrace being uncomfortable.
- Demonstrate extreme care.
- Connect on a human level.
- Strive for greatness.
If you’re looking for a production company that is both forward-focused and detail-oriented, then True Film Production would be top on your scorecard.
Why do values matter? Because customers want authentic, honest marketing that reveals your brand message and mission. If your production company shares a similar mission to you, they’ll better be able to make your vision come to life.
Read: Are you creating content with your mission in mind?
4. Inquire about their process and strategy.
What does their process look like? This is the most expensive question—but also the most important. It tells you everything you need to know about the company’s use of equipment, manpower, post-edits, brainstorming, and more.
Ask them what their strategic approach is for different types of videos. Does this production strategy align with the vision you have in your head?
5. Don’t compare apples and oranges.
We typically don’t recommend comparing bids. The number doesn’t tell the whole story. There will be a range of prices, based on all of the video production services that go into that company’s creative process.
When comparing production companies, don’t compare based on price. In fact, it’s not uncommon that the lowest bid will give you the worst result. Compare based on your scorecard, and then talk to the “finalists” about your budget.
Read: Video production costs – more bang for your buck
How to Communicate your Vision to a Video Production Company
Before you can select your video production partner, you want to ensure they understand the vision you’re trying to convey. Do they comprehend what you’re trying to do? And can they leverage their creative process to bring your vision to life?
So how do you communicate your vision?
- Find a reference video. Pull inspiration from different videos, so your production partner can get an idea what you’re looking for.
- Craft a creative brief. This brief essentially details everything we’ve gone through in this article: goals, audience, expectations, distribution methods, available resources, inspiration points, timeline, and budget.
- Go through the brainstorming process with your potential partner. The best production companies are more than willing to have an initial meeting with you to discuss ideas you have in your head—and then put their creative team on the case to get even more ideas flowing.
- Explain your timeline. When do you need the video by? What is the purpose of this timeline? For example, if you need a video for the Christmas season, it tells us that you’re looking to create a story that inspires during the holiday season—so your story will be inspirational.
- Share your budget. Your partner needs to understand what you’re trying to accomplish within the funds you have available.
Note: Sharing your budget is different than comparing based on price. When you have a good idea of a production company or two you want to work with because they’re the right strategic fit, then you want to let them know what your budget looks like. From there, they can utilize their process to ensure you get the best video—in alignment with your mission—for the best price.
Hire a Video Production Company Today
As you start comparing video production services, think of what you want your end product to look like. Compare how well a company can bring your vision to life—not simply if they can make a low-cost vieeo.
At True Film Production, our value proposition is storytelling. We’ve seen fantastic results by turning every video into a story. Whether you’re selling a medical device, fundraising for a nonprofit, or spreading your brand message, it’s the story that sells. Check out this Tedx Talk to see just how powerful stories are to get results.
If you want to create a story that shows results aligned with your mission…
Then request a quote with True Film Production now. We have seven office locations throughout the United States to best meet your needs and be anywhere within 24 hours’ notice.
We won’t send you a price tag. We’ll send you a strategy. We’ll send you our story, so you can see how our mission-driven purpose will help bring your visual story to life.
Reach out to us now to get started.
Reading Time: 6 minutes
By Stanley Meytin
Hiring a Video Production Company
Do you know how to select the right video production company to help create your video campaigns?
Are you still making that age-old mistake of shopping around based on price, rather than on the production company’s mission, process, and value proposition?
We always get the question, “How much for a 2-minute video?” A high-value production company won’t have an answer to that, though. For us, there’s no set number or price. It can range between hundreds or thousands of dollars, entirely depending on the creative process to make that vision come to life.
It’s like asking an artist how much for a 10’x10’ painting. It entirely depends on who the artist is, what they’re painting, how long it takes, the methods they use, and the final product.
If you’re looking to create a video strategy that actually shows tangible results, your bid has to be about more than the cost.
So what should you compare in order to hire a video production company that will be the right fit for you?
Get an idea of your goals
Before you start shopping around for a video production partner, you want to figure out why you’re commissioning a video campaign.
What is your purpose for utilizing video?
Start by asking yourself (or your team) the following questions:
- What are the goals of this video? What are we trying to accomplish?
- Who is the audience? What do they want to see, and why do they care?
- How do we want the audience to feel about the brand after watching the video?
- What is the call to action? How do we want this video to move us forward?
Next, you want to address your expectations. What does a successful video look like to you? What kind of results are you hoping to achieve?
Create an “after-action” report. This essentially outlines the ideal conclusion for how your video’s metrics and results will look. This includes:
- The channels/platforms on which it’s distributed
- Number of views
- Click-through rate
- Conversion rate
- Comments/feedback
- Social sharing
- Engagement
- The “non-numbers”—like how your audience will feel after watching the video
What will make you happy with the end product? Be reasonable, but don’t be afraid to dream. When you present your after-action report to a production company, they can help you determine what is feasible and how they’ll help you reach your goals.
Comparing Video Production Companies
How do you know if a production partner is the right fit?
1. Start with a scorecard.
A “scorecard” is similar to a job description when you’re hiring a new employee. It’s a list of the qualities you’re looking for in your video production company. You want to score each production candidate on the following questions:
- What are you really good at?
- What are you not good at?
- How would your previous clients scale you 1-10?
Basically, you’re trying to get an idea of the organization’s value proposition. What does this production company bring to the table that no one else does?
From there, does their value proposition align with what you’re looking for in a partner?
2. Ask about their experience.
Inquire about the company’s experience. You want to see the quality of the video they’re outputting, the success those videos have, and the happiness of their clientele.
This is different than asking to see “relevant” work to ensure they’ve made videos in your field. In some cases, having experience in the same industry is useful. For example, True Film Production does a lot in the medical industry, so we understand the kind of language that’s needed to stay compliant.
Often, though, relevance doesn’t matter as much as creativity. You want your video production company to be a visionary and take a more innovative approach to your video. You don’t want it to look like everyone else’s video in your field.
So you want to see that the company has experience making awesome videos—but that doesn’t mean those videos have to be similar to yours. It’s more about the vibe than the content.
3. Acknowledge their core values.
What is the video production company’s mission? What do they value? And how do they approach video production with those values in mind?
Most importantly, are their values in alignment with yours? For example, True Film Production’s values are:
- Keep growing and learning.
- Embrace being uncomfortable.
- Demonstrate extreme care.
- Connect on a human level.
- Strive for greatness.
If you’re looking for a production company that is both forward-focused and detail-oriented, then True Film Production would be top on your scorecard.
Why do values matter? Because customers want authentic, honest marketing that reveals your brand message and mission. If your production company shares a similar mission to you, they’ll better be able to make your vision come to life.
Read: Are you creating content with your mission in mind?
4. Inquire about their process and strategy.
What does their process look like? This is the most expensive question—but also the most important. It tells you everything you need to know about the company’s use of equipment, manpower, post-edits, brainstorming, and more.
Ask them what their strategic approach is for different types of videos. Does this production strategy align with the vision you have in your head?
5. Don’t compare apples and oranges.
We typically don’t recommend comparing bids. The number doesn’t tell the whole story. There will be a range of prices, based on all of the video production services that go into that company’s creative process.
When comparing production companies, don’t compare based on price. In fact, it’s not uncommon that the lowest bid will give you the worst result. Compare based on your scorecard, and then talk to the “finalists” about your budget.
Read: Video production costs – more bang for your buck
How to Communicate your Vision to a Video Production Company
Before you can select your video production partner, you want to ensure they understand the vision you’re trying to convey. Do they comprehend what you’re trying to do? And can they leverage their creative process to bring your vision to life?
So how do you communicate your vision?
- Find a reference video. Pull inspiration from different videos, so your production partner can get an idea what you’re looking for.
- Craft a creative brief. This brief essentially details everything we’ve gone through in this article: goals, audience, expectations, distribution methods, available resources, inspiration points, timeline, and budget.
- Go through the brainstorming process with your potential partner. The best production companies are more than willing to have an initial meeting with you to discuss ideas you have in your head—and then put their creative team on the case to get even more ideas flowing.
- Explain your timeline. When do you need the video by? What is the purpose of this timeline? For example, if you need a video for the Christmas season, it tells us that you’re looking to create a story that inspires during the holiday season—so your story will be inspirational.
- Share your budget. Your partner needs to understand what you’re trying to accomplish within the funds you have available.
Note: Sharing your budget is different than comparing based on price. When you have a good idea of a production company or two you want to work with because they’re the right strategic fit, then you want to let them know what your budget looks like. From there, they can utilize their process to ensure you get the best video—in alignment with your mission—for the best price.
Hire a Video Production Company Today
As you start comparing video production services, think of what you want your end product to look like. Compare how well a company can bring your vision to life—not simply if they can make a low-cost vieeo.
At True Film Production, our value proposition is storytelling. We’ve seen fantastic results by turning every video into a story. Whether you’re selling a medical device, fundraising for a nonprofit, or spreading your brand message, it’s the story that sells. Check out this Tedx Talk to see just how powerful stories are to get results.
If you want to create a story that shows results aligned with your mission…
Then request a quote with True Film Production now. We have seven office locations throughout the United States to best meet your needs and be anywhere within 24 hours’ notice.
We won’t send you a price tag. We’ll send you a strategy. We’ll send you our story, so you can see how our mission-driven purpose will help bring your visual story to life.
Reach out to us now to get started.
What story would you like to share?
Whether you want to launch an idea, spark a movement or simply get people talking about what you do, you have one shot
at delivering your message in a way that matters. Let’s make sure you do it right.
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