What Goes Into Making a Video?
In our last blog post, we had an overview of the different types of video production companies you could hire to help bring your project to life. Those included the “guy with a camera/hobbyist,” “modern video production companies” and the “traditional production houses.” Each comes with their own price point and value proposition.
So here we are – you picked with company or freelance you’re going to work with. You’ve asked for a proposal with a few different estimates. Time is money for both parties involved (you as the client and then the video production company you choose). While it may seem that all you’re getting is a finished video, the process is a little more in-depth than that. What goes into making a video?
Pre-Production
Pre-production is the stage of the video where EVERYTHING needs to be figured out for everything else to go smooth. To go back to our last post’s hamburger analogy, think of this as the hamburger bun that must support the rest of the ingredients.
What your paying for during this stage is going to be for meetings, location scouting (if needed), finding talent (if needed), scripting & script changes, locking in a director and crew (depending on the size of your production) and time put into research related to the project.
What this cost comes down to exactly will depend on the company you choose, your budget and the size of your production. So, unfortunately, I can’t give you an exact number. Just know that the larger/more involved the video is, the more expensive it’ll be.
Production
After you’ve established your goals, have an approved script/concept, know the location(s) and have everyone ready, it’s time to start recording. The time it takes to actually produce something is going to depend on a few factors. Like the type of video your making, location and amount of people involved.
If you’re shooting a testimonial or interview, you’ll be up and running in no time. For a smaller crew like us, it can take anywhere from 15-20 minutes to get the lights, camera and audio gear up and running. If you have a larger crew with more hands involved, everyone will know what to do but the set up may be more complex, so setup time can be longer and shoot times run longer too.
During production, you’re paying for the number of people on set, the amount of time you’re on set, the cost of video equipment and possibly the location. The general rule – the longer you’re on set and the more people you have, the more expensive it’s going to be. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing because everyone has a specialized role and they’re an expert at what they’re doing.
TLDR – You might not need a cast and crew of 30 people to create the video of your dreams. If you do, but be ready to pay for the extra overhead.
Post Production
I like this part. I think video editing is fun. That’s probably why I have my job here.
Anyway, this is the part of the process where you take all the video and audio captured on set/location and turn it into a final product. Seems simple enough, right? Well, that can be a little bit of a challenge. Depending on the type of video you’re looking to create – testimonial/interview, product overview, company culture – the editing process needs time just like pre-production and production.
If you’re making a testimonial or “talking-head” style video, then post production shouldn’t be super complicated. The editor will take the raw footage, sync it with the clean sound and then watch the footage and make it all cut together. Once a cut is established, the editor will usually apply some sort of color correction or a grade to the video. Color correction will make sure the image is as clean as it can be and will match multiple cameras together. A color grade applies a stylistic element to the video.
If the video is something more complex, the editing process will take more time. The editor may have to watch multiple takes of multiple scenes to see which takes work the best. Once a rough cut is established and approved, then the editor can move onto color and possible visual effects.
So, what exactly are you paying for during post-production? Time the editor(s) spend(s) on your project, the number of people working on it in post, any sound design created or use and VFX created. But, as long as everything went well during pre-production and production, the editing process should go smoothly.
Distribution
This stage might be optional based on the video production company you choose. Some video production companies also have video marketing capabilities (like us!) so they know how to effectively distribute videos to your target audience. Other companies will just come on to produce the video and have you or a marketing company distribute it to your company’s social channels.
For us, this typically boils down to our Guaranteed Views service. This service takes video content and promotes it via Google’s Display network. As part of the Guaranteed Views service, we create Video Ads that distribute your content to some of the web’s most popular sites and apps. The best part; Video Ads are only shown to people that you want to see them. And you won’t pay unless they view your video. In other words, you don’t waste money showing your video to people who aren’t interested in your product or service.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, cost will be a large factor in terms of what kind of company you hire to help produce your video. You should plan an working with a video production company that wants to help you succeed and achieve your goals.
When it comes to cost, it will come down to time spent on the project, how many people are involved, skill level and distribution methods. Once in a while, it’s fine to splurge and spend a lot on a top-of-the-line campaign for your business with a traditional production house. However, video marketing is a long-term commitment, so, for the sake of your bottom line, it might make to align yourself with a more agile production company who can quickly produce high-quality videos for your target market without burning through your marketing budget.
We hope you found this information useful. We understand how daunting this task may be, especially with all of the video production company options in your part of the world.
Neil K Carroll
Owner
I was your average small-town video guy, but when the pandemic hit, everything changed.
I ran a traditional video production agency with exclusively local clientele, a downtown studio, and a busy schedule. My days were long, travel frequent, and life as I knew it revolved around producing video content for my clients.
Then everything changed. Schools and daycares closed, my professional life was disrupted, and I found myself navigating a new path. It was one of uncertainty, with no end in sight and no destination obvious, but it demanded flexibility and resilience.
Smarter Business Through Video.
vidwheel LLC is an agile video agency that fully partners with our clients to plan, execute, and effectively implement high-quality video to help elevate multiple aspects of their businesses.
Are you looking to generate more leads? Or maybe better leads? Could your sales team use some modern help demonstrating your product, developing relationships, and closing deals? Would you like to efficiently recruit and train top talent? Or perhaps you’d like to show the world who you really are, reinforce your culture, and expand your brand?
Video can do that. And we can help.
Some companies help with strategy and planning. Some companies produce video. Some companies help distribute video for outreach purposes. We do all three at vidwheel LLC, we do it well, and we do it at a price point that makes sense.