There’s No Good Reason Why Your Corporate Video Should Ever Go Over-Budget

"Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters."  -Albert Einstein
 

I think most businesses that are in the market for corporate video production services in Orlando are concerned about the cost.  Companies that haven’t had a video produced before probably are even more concerned because they might be a little anxious about the process.  When you’re a manager and you’ve been tasked by your company to oversee a video production it’s only natural you might have some butterflies!

How can some of those fears or worries be relieved?  One way is by knowing that the cost of the project won’t change and you won’t have any surprises.  But is that really possible?   

The key is communication.  Defining the project early on and determining what will go into the project is important.  Another key obviously is integrity.  Does the company you’re talking to seem trustworthy and experienced?  Here’s some of the areas that define cost.

1.      Shooting Days.  Maybe this a simple video and it’s a half-day shoot where we need to pick up two interviews.  It could also be more extensive where we’ll need to shoot for multiple days.  All of this is determined early on.  A good production company will ask all kinds of questions and make sure you are informed about the time needed for the work that’s to be performed.  No one likes surprises!

2.      Pre-Production.  Will a script be needed?  Who will be writing it?  Even if a client is writing it the production company will always want to review it and provide feedback for possible changes.  Generally there’s some time put in a budget for pre-production to plan out a shoot and coordinate any details that need to be addressed. 

3.      Actors.  There are times where a script might call for actors, on commercials, some high-end employee education videos, etc.  It’s understood generally pretty early on if that’s a real need or not.

4.      Narration Talent.  If a script is being written for a video there are times where narration will be needed. 

5.      Motion Graphics.  Motion Graphics or animation type work are part of the post-production phase.  Motion graphics can be pretty simple as in animation a logo or more complicated as in custom explainer videos. 

6.      Post-Production.  How many hours will it take to complete the editing?  Most experienced production companies have a very good understanding and can tell a client how long it will take to edit a project, whether that’s one day of editing or three.  They base their knowledge on experience and a solid understanding of the work at hand.  Other items such as royalty free music and cost of external hard drives may come under this category too.

Depending on the project only three of these areas might come into play on a single video.  In some cases we might only be contacted for the shooting, especially if it’s an agency or production company from out of town that just needs a freelance camera crew.  90% of the time though we are asked to produce a project and work with the company from concept to completion.

Planning a video is a two-way street.  There’s a discovery stage where we ask a lot of questions in order to fully grasp what a company’s expectations are, the objective of the project, etc.  Based on those discussions we prepare a proposal/agreement.  That agreement details all of the services we are providing.  It also maps out milestones ensuring that we meet a company’s deadline.  

The only variable that can toss a curve in this process is if the client changes the scope of the project after the agreement has already been signed.  Generally what happens there is a client might have an idea that entails more shooting or they may decide they want to do some kind of animation that hadn’t been agreed upon.  At that point, any reputable production company would point out the potential overrun and discuss a client’s options.  Whether the extra shooting is really necessary, we’ll generally discuss if there’s something else we can take out so that we don’t go over budget, etc.  If the budget is of concern, most of the time we’ll come to the decision collectively that the additional request isn’t needed or imperative to meet the goals of the project.

The work done early on in the beginning stages of those conversations between a production company and a client are some of the most important ones throughout the video.  Having a production company that is detail-oriented and examines all the different facets that might present themselves relieves a tremendous amount of burden.  Communication is and always will be a key to any project’s success.  It’s also at the core of any great partnership or relationship.