8 Tips for Hiring a Video Production Company
When you are looking to hire a video production company, you might not have an idea of what to expect, what to prepare for, and what is a good price for the work you want. We here at Sparksight pride ourselves on being “Easy to work with” because we know each of our new clients have these questions in mind when deciding on who to go with for their video production needs. Keep these 8 tips in mind for your next video project to make sure you get the best bang for your buck!
1. Contract workers and quality
Oftentimes, contract employees help video production houses save on overhead costs and, might ultimately lower your bottom line. However, this sometimes comes at a cost, and that cost is quality. Every shooter/animator/creative has a different style of how they work. If you choose to work with a production house that has contracted employees, make sure you know their styles and if that will fit with your vision. Be sure to ask your production house if they’re using contract workers and make sure their style is in line with your project.
2. Keep your destination in mind
Another important thing to know is ultimately where your videos will live. If you need some case study videos that will live on YouTube and your website, a video that’s over 2 minutes could work. However, if you plan on sharing them on Facebook/Instagram/Twitter, you will need to shorten the length of your video content for viewer retention. Consider 15 second or less ‘teaser’ videos for your social media pages, and keep the full length videos on YouTube/Vimeo/websites. Be sure to let your production house know that you’ll be wanting shorter videos for social media, they will format your video file optimized for mobile.
3. Don’t depend on the demo reel
Demo reels are great to show off the ultimate potential of the production house, however, take a look at more recent work that the company has produced. This should give you a good idea and grasp of what to expect with your video purchase. Base your expectations on recent videos, and if you’re looking for something different, don’t be afraid to ask! We know from experience that it can be tough to fit in all great content into a short demo reel, so nothing excites us more than a client who wants to see more!
4. Shop around
Get quotes from various video production houses and be reasonable in your search. Just because that wedding videographer can do your customer testimonial for a few hundred bucks, doesn’t mean you’re going to receive the same quality that you would receive if you went with the highest bidder. If your neighbor’s nephew just graduated with film degree and has the newest equipment, doesn’t mean he’s qualified with properly handling you or your client’s expectations. Also, remember to shop and get bids from places that specialize in the area of videos you’re looking for. For example, if you’re looking for a 2D animated video, make sure you seek bids from people with exceptional 2D experience and demonstrations of their work.
5. Don’t compromise your vision for your budget
One of the most important things to stress is that a lot of clients feel as though when they pay for a video shoot, they only have shots for one video. This is untrue! When scheduling a shoot date, gather as much material as you can for multiple videos. You paid for the shoot day, so you retain the rights to your footage (at least, our clients do). Each video you can produce out of a shoot day ultimately reduces your cost for each individual video and offers you a video package that you may incorporate in your video marketing strategy.
6. Find a video production house that specialize in your needs
Make sure you do your homework on each production house you receive a bid from. For example, if you’re looking for a 2D animated video, make sure you seek bids from people with exceptional 2D experience and demonstrations of their work. See the clients they’ve worked with, the work they’ve produced, and even go as far as trying to get a feel for who the people behind the cameras are; this could be a very clear indicator of who will be the best fit to work with you. Ask co-workers, other marketers, or local businesses who they used to make videos. Save yourself some time rather than searching endlessly on Google.
7. Take a step to be actively involved
When investing a large amount of your budget into corporate videos, make sure you also plan on investing a bit of your time as well. Customers that are actively engaged in the video production process, ultimately spend less time in the editing room and on the project overall. Figure out who the team is that you’ll be communicating with firsthand and make sure they know that you want to be involved. Clearly explain your vision and take in the recommendations that the production house offers; if you picked the right one, they know their stuff! Maybe they suggest using an animation when you had only considered live action video. Their expertise in producing similar videos might change your overall perspective on what to expect and you’ll wind up with a much cooler concept when you collaborate together.
8. Plan for the long-term
Rather than potentially saving a few extra bucks by hiring a new team for each video project – save yourself some time, paperwork, and a few headaches by using the same crew. Ultimately, you’ll be much happier you keep it consistent and uniform so your final videos have relatable styles, feels, and look great together on your website or social media channel. In the end, the video production house you choose should should serve as an extension of your marketing team. Working with the same team allows you to build trust and a lasting relationship and it allows the video team to get to know you and truly understand your likes, dislikes. A video production company with a partner-centric approach will make sure you’re always getting a video you love.
Hopefully these few tips will help out with your next video project – feel free to ask us any questions you might have over these, or other topics. We’re always here to help share our expertise with you!
Posted: February 2017
Revides: April 2019
A friend of mine has been thinking about hiring someone to help him with a video project he is working on, and I was curious about how you would go about choosing someone. I really like that you say to get quotes from various production houses. It would be nice to know that you have all these options on the table.
Thanks for the comment, Frank!
It’s always good to go into a production company search with a list of your needs, whether that’s price, location, equipment, team size, or any other qualification. Once you have an idea of what those needs are, you can start assessing vendors by checking off how many of your requirements they meet. If you’re looking for more in depth information about this process, check out our Buyer’s Guide to Video Production ( https://sparksight.wpengine.com/buyers-guide-video-production/ ) or feel free to reach out to us with any other questions you or your friend might have. Thanks for reading!
Thanks for the great advice on what to look for when hiring a video company to do some work for you. I think what you said about finding someone who works hard as well as does efficient work is really smart. My daughter is getting married and so we need to find one as quick as possible. Thanks again!
Thanks for the comment! We’re glad you found this article helpful and wish you luck in your search for a video production company!
A friend of mine has been thinking about making a video project for a while now, but he wasn’t sure how to find the right company to help him out. I love your point about making sure that they will be able to show you the quality of their work. I know that I would want to see at least one of their clips before hiring them.
My wife and I are wanting a video made for our daughter’s upcoming wedding and we haven’t been that sure about what to do to have it made. I liked that you had mentioned that it can be important to shop around for a videographer to make sure you can find one that can make the type of video that you’ll be looking for. My wife and I will have to keep this in mind and hopefully, we can find a videographer that can make the video exactly how we’re wanting it made.
Glad we helped! Discuss what is most important to capture and work with your videographer on those moments. A videographer that pre-plans and has key direction throughout the event is what you need. We just posted a blog about the importance of creating a shot list for photographers as well, give it a read!
Yeah I agree, the quality of the video is the most important for video production
I completely agree with all the tips, these are very useful for video production. Thanks for sharing!
No problem Aurelien so glad our blog was of use to you 🙂
My sister is starting a job with video production soon and she’s been really excited. It’s nice that you mentioned making sure to involve everyone in the process and to get advice from the people you’re working with. I think this is a great way to make sure everyone is invested and I think the final product will show that.
We totally agree! Everyone wants to feel involved no matter what their role is within a company!
I do like that the article strongly recommends getting involved with the commercial production team. After all, they will be producing the commercial for your business, so you want to have some form of input. By getting to know them better it might also help to keep them in good contact with you throughout the commercial’s production.
Thanks Duncan, we totally agree it’s important to be involved in the process from beginning to end to make sure you are happy with the final outcome!
This is a very informative and well written article that breaks down how to find the right video production company. Most people who are in search for these services are not aware of what it takes to perfect partner. My company recently wrote and article that I think would be a great segue for people once they have read this article. It breaks down the elements that make up high quality videos. Take a read and see for yourself: https://www.farmoremarketing.com/blog/video-production-guide-elements-of-video-quality
Hi Tyler, thanks for your comment, I like that article it is very detailed and helpful. I completely agree with you, having a partner company is often more worthwhile that constantly shopping around for cheaper deals.
#5 is such a huge tip and I wish more businesses would use it! I know everyone wants to save money, but there are times when cutting corners to cut costs is okay, and in my opinion video production isn’t one of them.
Hey Trenton,
We agree with you that more businesses should invest in the use of high quality video as a marketing tool. Tip #5 suggests that shoot preparation is the key to unlocking the full potential of a hired video production team.
Thanks for checking out our blog!
Thanks for your information.Keep it up
Thanks for checking out our blog! We’re glad you liked it.
My husband and I are thinking about creating an animated video for my parents 50th wedding anniversary that is coming up next year, so we need to find a quality video production company to help us with the project. You make a great point that we should look for a production company that specializes in our heeds and has successfully created many projects like ours in the past. Also, I think that looking at their portfolio would be a great way for me to see if I like the style and quality of the videos they make before I hire them.
Hi Rosie,
We’re so glad you found some of the information in our blog helpful. If there is anything we can do for you, please let us know. (:
http://www.Sparksight.com/get-started/
I’ll make sure to contract workers who can help me shoot a production video in a studio. Thanks for the tip that I should keep the destination in mind so we can achieve good results. I think I’ll shop around so I can be sure that the company I’ll hire will help me produce the video that I want for my online advertisement.
Hi Angela,
I’m glad to hear you found our blog helpful! If you want more information about choosing a good video team – check out our “Buyer’s Guide to Video Production” for some more helpful tips on getting the most out of your video content.
Enjoy!
its always quite daunting attempting to hire in a field you know nothing about! Great job at putting people at ease at least a little bit.
Thanks for your kind words Matt! We want to make video production easy!
Thanks for sharing your experience. leos mirror group also comes under best ad film production houses in delhi and we have also same types of experiences.
Wonderful blog!! If you are looking for the best corporate video production in Delhi, then explore Reel on Social. We at Reel on Social engage businesses and communities with video Content.
Many thanks for sharing some top tips for hiring a video production company. Keep up the great writing.
Thanks!
Thanks for these tips on how to find a good video production service. I agree that you want to make sure to know where you want to go with a video before you get it produced. My husband and I are looking for a video service, so we’ll have to make sure to consider the end goal.
Hi Katie, We’re glad you found our blog informational. Let us know if you want more advice or tips for video production services. Our other blogs are quite helpful, or you can reach out directly to marketing@sparksight.com with any questions you may have.
Thank you for stating that you should shop around when hiring a video production company. My husband and I are in need of a video production company. I will definitely utilize all of your great tips and information when hiring a video production company.
Sophia,
Yes! It is key to find a production company that can meet your needs and match your budget. We’re so glad you found our blog to be helpful.
– Lauren
Thank you for all this great information about choosing a videographer! One thing that I really like is that you say to find someone that specializes in your needs. It would be nice to know that they will know exactly how to pull off your vision.
This is extremely fascinating Article! I have completely appreciated perusing your Tips.
Thanks Martin! We’re glad you liked it (:
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My mom is so excited about their company activity that involves the importance of having a friendly work environment and a happy management-employee relationship. I love that you talked about being actively involved in the process of creating the corporate video. Moreover, it is highly recommended to hire a video production company as they have mastered editing skills.
You’re right Tammie! Thanks for reading
One of my friends wants to start a business. Having a promotional video could really help them out. I love how you mentioned that one should ask to look at a video production company’s most recent work, as it will help one know what kind of work they do.
Video marketing is essential today in this attention sensitive world. You have provided a good list of tools that can help video marketers create engaging videos. Thank you for the informative article.
Thanks JP! We enjoy collaborating with marketing teams to help them reach their video goals.
Video production does seem like a complicated thing to do. I liked that you explained that you need to have a long-term plan for the project. A detailed outline would probably make things go smoother as well.
Hi Penelope,
You’re right! Having a detailed plan is definitely going to help move the production process along.
I like how you emphasized the importance of researching the production studio before hiring them and to look at the clients they’ve worked with before. My older sister lives in Hawaii and is looking for a photo production company to do some work for her swimsuit retail store. I’ll give her these tips to help her find the best fit for her company.
Hi Sabrina,
We’re so glad you like our video production tips – and the same goes for photography projects!