In today’s fast-paced world, marketers need to be able to quickly and effectively capture their audience’s attention before they scroll on by.
While good, old-fashioned ads and images still have their place in our hearts, we find that video has become the go-to tool for many businesses looking to stand out in an over-saturated marketplace.
With its ability to convey emotion, tell a story, and showcase your products and services in action, video offers a powerhouse of benefits that just can’t be beat by other forms of marketing. Especially in the TikTok era we live in now.
If you’re convinced that your marketing efforts could use a video boost, then you’re probably wondering where you should go for these services.
Could a freelancer be what you need?
A creative agency?
A full-blown video production service?
If you have no idea where to even begin, no worries. That’s what we’re here for.
Let this blog be your video production guide.
Today, we are jumping into the world of video production and letting you in on everything you need to know to find the right video production service for you.
What is video production exactly?
Video production is the umbrella term for a huge industry involving an even wider variety of services.
Like a pizza with tons of topping options, you have to know exactly what services you need to make your perfect lunch.
A full-service video production service for instance offers everything from conception to final product, including storyboarding (explaining the direction, scenes, and dialogue), scriptwriting, filming, editing, and post-production (CGI, special effects, and animation).
We might think something that detailed is just for filming movies, but video production can be used for a variety of purposes for your company.
Marketing is one you’re familiar with, we assume. Think TV commercials, big-budget ads on social media, and snazzy product showcases.
You can also use video for internal communication, education, training purposes, and more.
The main goal, whatever your video might be, is to create high-quality content that engages and informs your viewers, while communicating your message in an easy-to-digest story.
Assessing your video production needs.
So, how do you know which of those many, many services you need?
First, you’ll have to take a good, long look at the project you’re wanting to complete. Ask yourself a few questions:
Is it a product showcase? Do you need something more? Actors, props, and a set?
Is it something for TikTok? A full-blown Superbowl-level TV commercial?
Do you already have the footage you need or are you going to need a whole “lights, camera, action” crew?
Keep in mind that even for something that sounds as simple as a product showcase, you’re going to need someone to storyboard for you, someone to write a script, and someone to provide a voiceover.
And that’s just to create the raw footage and audio. Unless it’s something very simple that you can stitch together in TikTok, you’re also going to need someone to edit it for you, perhaps add text, music, graphics, and sound effects.
Before you start stressing out, just remember that you’re not the one who needs to be worrying about this. Picking the right service will guarantee someone (or several someones) who will do this work for you. You just have to know which services to go with.
To get you started, we’ll list the most popular options and what they can do for you.
Full-service video production
Looking for a professional quality TV commercial? Then a full-service video production company is what you need.
A full-service video production company has staff on hand who will storyboard your vision for you, then hire actors and voiceover actors that suit your project, find you a set, and handle all of the production.
It’ll be like a scaled-down movie set with a director and videographers with boom mics and big, fancy cameras.
To get started, you sit down (or Zoom) with one of their reps, explain your vision and then choose what you need from an available list of services, such as storyboarding, scriptwriting, directing, filming, music production, post-production, and editing.
There’s a lot that goes into it and depending on how complicated your project is, the scope of work they’re looking at, the location it needs to be filmed in, and how many days it will take to shoot and edit, you can look to spend anywhere between $10,000–$15,000.
Well worth the price if you’re looking for a widely-distributed TV spot that rakes in the bucks for your brand.
Who this is best for: If you’re a big business with a big budget that needs big ads, then this is exactly what you’re looking for.
Creative agencies
While there are some creative agencies with videographers and video designers on staff, it isn’t as common.
If you have the footage you need and you’re looking to edit it together, perhaps with some added motion graphics or animation, then a creative agency might be what you’re looking for.
If your video isn’t live-action at all and what you need is a 3D or animated explainer video, then this also might be a good option for you.
There are video editors and motion graphic artists on staff that can handle all of your animating, editing, and music needs to create a beautiful animation that meets your needs and engages your audience.
Whoever is managing your project will usually be able to source any voiceover actors too if that’s what you need.
One less thing to worry about.
Who this is best for: Mid-to-large sized businesses with healthy budgets are usually the ones that can afford a creative agency.
Expect to pay a high retainer though, so only hit up a creative agency if you’ve got multiple video production projects down the pipeline because otherwise it may not be worth the expense.
In-house video producers/editors
If you’re a company that has a mass amount of video projects, then it might be best for you to hire an in-house video production team.
Whether that’s one special unicorn of a creative that can handle everything from storyboarding to animating to editing or a few members to make up a team is up to you, your needs, and your budget.
The average in-house video producer's salary is between $75,000–$100,000 dollars though, so this might be only be worth the expense if you know you have enough video projects to justify paying an extra salary or two.
Who this is best for?: Mid-to-large sized business with big budgets and a great deal of video projects to get done.
Industries like advertising, events planning, travel, or training and instructional services are usually the ones that require enough video production projects to justify an in-house team.
Freelance video producers
If you have a fairly simple project, such as a slideshow that just needs voiceover and music, maybe some light editing or animation, then you can always go to the freelance marketplace.
Websites like Upwork and Fiverr are chock-full of freelance video designers and all you have to do is post your job requirements and wait for the applications to roll in.
This could be a very cost-effective way to get your video production project completed, especially if you can find someone who has multiple skills. If not, then you’ll at least need to hire a scriptwriter, a voiceover artist, and a video editor/ animator to get the job done.
Who this is best for: Small businesses, startups, and solopreneurs that don’t have a huge production budget.
Freelancers are usually cheaper to hire and some sites even allow them to bid for jobs so you can pick out a qualified applicant whose services you can afford.
Just be sure you have the bandwidth to manage your freelancers because it will take some time, trial, and error.
So, what’s my best option?
We’ve gone over what video production services are out there and what they can offer you, so your best option is the one that meets all of your needs for a price you can afford.
And if none of the above is ticking the right boxes, then there’s always another option that could be what you’re looking for.
Designity does offer cost-effective video production solutions. If you already have the footage you need or if it’s motion graphics, 3D graphics, or animation you’re looking for, then we’ll be able to get your job done.
Each account is assigned a designated creative director so you won’t have to worry about losing time from your busy day to manage creatives and keep everyone on schedule and on budget.
Your creative director will expertly source all creatives for you too, from the right copywriter to create your script to the right talent to animate or edit your video footage.
All you have to do is watch the footage and give your approval.
Who this is best for: If you’re a small to large-sized business with enough of a budget for our flexible month-to-month plans, then we might be the answer to your video needs.
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The director’s chair is yours.
You’re the director, the camera’s on, and it’s time for action!
The right video production service is out there, waiting for your casting call. All you have to do is assess your needs, weigh your options, and then choose the one that best fits you and your vision.
What are you waiting for? Let’s get the film rolling!
Who handled your last video production project?
