Looking for a video production house for your business or the company you work for? First off, good choice. Video is one of the most prolific and effective marketing tools of 2022.
Viewers remember 95% of a message when they watch it in a video compared to 10% when reading it in text. A survey found that 88% of respondents say they’ve been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a brand’s video. It also found that people are twice as likely to share video content with their friends than any other content type.
Picking a video production company makes sense. But where do you start? There are so many companies out there doing excellent work that picking one may be overwhelming. Here’s a breakdown of how to choose the right production company for you.
Do they do what you need?
First, determine whether the company’s area of expertise matches what you need. Do they specialise in 2-minute explainer videos, or is it 30-second ad spots? Do they shoot documentaries, or is corporate their specialty?
While production houses generally offer several formats, they may specialise in one or two. Make sure that you’re not only getting a production house that’s strong in the type of format you need – but has a creative and novel approach to that format. Dozens of companies can make an explainer video, but can this one make one that stands out?
Look at previous work
Look at the company’s portfolio section – usually housed on their website – to see if what they’re putting out is of high quality. You’ll want to look at how professional and slick their work is from a technical, visual and production standpoint. After all, any piece of content you put out is a direct reflection of your brand. This is also a good opportunity to see whether they’ve worked on the scale you need. Take a look at their previous clients and brands and see how they executed projects of varying sizes.
Can they tell the story?
As important as the technical aspects of the video, is whether the video production house can tell a story and land a message. Is this video marketing with emotion and impact, or is this just more sales messaging? Audiences have become increasingly sophisticated in knowing when they’re being sold to. It’s important that you find a video production company that can tell your story in a way that’s both engaging and valuable to the viewer, and impactful to your business.
What are others saying?
See if you can find customer reviews. Often, websites will add testimonials to their site. Of course, these will always be good – but it does help to see that they have happy clients. Some social media digging and research is another way to get a better idea of people’s experience with the company.
Good communication
Once communication starts, note whether it’s professional and prompt. Do they show passion, enthusiasm and give you a personal level of service? Video production requires a high level of collaboration, brainstorming and communication. If communication is lacking from the start, there’s a chance this could be a problem throughout the project.
Budget and process
It’s also important to establish from the get-go if the company can work within your budget and how their costs are broken down. Make sure they’re clear and frank about pricing.
Secondly, it’s a good idea to see how the production house works and determine some key aspects. Find out how soon they’ll be able to start with your video, and what the average timeline for a project is. Ask what kind of specialty services they use and what their shooting, editing and post-production steps are. When will you be able to see the first cut, and how will the revision process work?
Production processes may differ depending on what works for the company, but the important thing is that they communicate them clearly and give you an idea of timelines.
Will this video serve a purpose?
It seems like a no-brainer, but consider whether they’re going to create a piece of content for you that actually serves a purpose. Do you want a video, or do you want a product that will solve your problem?
While every production house has its strengths, it’s also about determining what you want to achieve with this piece of video content.
This what we do.
Tall Giraffe Video is all about understanding the problem you want to solve. Video is an investment that we believe should be relevant and useful for at least a year after its release. Do you want a video that shows your shop, or do you want to market your business in a way that gets more people through the door?
Making video just for the sake of video – with no goal or strategy in place – will likely get you a disappointing return on your investment. You don’t want your ad to be drowned out in the endless sea of content that people see each day, especially considering that it’s an expensive product. The key is to design with intent.
When we consult with you, we focus on understanding the problem you want to solve so we can give you a maximum return on investment. It’s about creating authentic, purposeful content that gives you the greatest value.
Your business has a story, and we want to help you tell it.