When it comes to video production services, not everyone is as lucky as those of us at 8mediagroup. We have a complete team of experts that always works together to start a project and complete it without the need for external help. However, we understand the need for fruitful partnerships. Therefore, when the occasion calls for it, we work alongside with video production company we vet and find to be a good fit for our goals.
There are many video production companies with different areas of expertise and great examples of past work. Hence, the difficulty in making the right choice.
So, If you are planning to hire a production company, you are in the right place. We have done enough research, so you won’t have to go through it yourself. And our results have led us to these questions, which you will find below.
As you read on, you will find the questions to ask within your team to know if you truly need to hire external video production services. After making a decision, you will also find questions you must ask the video production company before sealing the deal with them.
Understanding a Video production company
You must have heard of many video production company names, but these companies don’t exactly do the same thing. While some video production services involve only shooting and editing, others are known to start the process from planning and writing to completion of the full project.
Over 80 percent of businesses now use video as a marketing tool. And all these videos can vary depending on the nature of the business in question. So, it’s important you understand the production company’s expertise before partnering with them.
If your company does not have a creative team or unit in charge of production, you will need to hire a video production company that can cover the entire process of your project from start to finish.
But if you already have a creative team, you may just need to hire a video production company that will take care of the shooting and editing. Which will cost you way less than outsourcing everything from scratch.
That being said, don’t allow the lower cost to make you hire a video production company just because you have a creative team.
Sometimes, a new project might be outside your scope, so you may still need a production company to carry out the planning and creative processes—even if you have a production team.
For example, if you have been creating only customer testimonial videos, explainer videos, and other similar content. You may need to outsource the entire project when you need to make staff training videos, official video ads, and animation.
Questions to determine if you should outsource your Video production projects or not
Now that you have a clear picture of how a video production company works with respect to your needs, you can use the following questions as a guide towards making the right decision for your upcoming projects.
1. What is our aim in working with an external video production company?
At first glance, this question may seem needless. But it is very important for every member of your production team to have their minds on the same purpose.
What video production services are you planning to get from the company you are hiring? Who is going to work directly with their team? How will each member of your creative team contribute?
You may be surprised at the answers you get from your team members. But their responses to these questions may show you why you don’t need external hands. But if you do, it will also become obvious from the discussion. And everyone on your team will be on the same page at the end of the day.
2. How are we going to balance creativity on both sides?
You already have a team of creatives in your company. So, before choosing to invite external help, consider the level of creativity from both sides.
Is your team capable of writing the video script and planning the entire process from start to finish? Is the project in question a familiar one?
If the project is something you have never done before, hiring a video production company will be the perfect option.
But for things to go smoothly, you need to bring both teams together and collaborate to birth fresh ideas.
3. What’s your comfortable budget for video production?
The question of money is very important in business. And professional video production costs between $1,200 and $50,000. It all depends on if you want it to be basic or premium.
If you run a small business, you may want to hold on to the premium package for now. However, that does not mean you should settle for something basic either.
Some production companies can pull off high-quality videos in the $5,000 to $10,000 range. So look at your budget and decide if you really need to hire an external video production company.
4. Would it be better to work with a freelance creative?
If you need help with a specific task during the production process, there is no need to hire a whole video production company.
The same also applies if it is just one aspect of your creative team that is lacking. For example, hiring a company for a task like screenwriting or audio mixing is not necessary. In cases like this, the better option is to go for a freelance creative. This option is friendlier to your budget and also a great fit for single tasks and one-off projects.
Have a meeting with your entire team and answer all these questions. By doing so, you will discover new ideas through answers from different minds. And this will help you make the best decision concerning the need to hire a video production company.
Questions you need to ask potential video production partners
Okay, you have discussed this with your team, you have checked your budget, and your production team has concluded that you need to hire a video production company.
So, the next step would be to ask important questions to help you screen video production company names you are currently considering.
After you ask all these questions, you can go ahead and partner with the video production company that gives you satisfactory answers.
1. What is your area of specialty?
Every video production company in Washington, DC, and beyond has its own areas of specialty. And since there are many types of videos a company can use for marketing, you need to know what the proposed company specializes in.
Every production company has its own strengths, and that strength is what you need for your project. So ask about the type of videos they specialize in, and hire them if that type of video aligns with what you are looking for.
For example, if you need to create an app demo in animation, you should only hire a firm specializing in animation. Not one with a good name for another genre, like video testimonials.
2. How big is your brand, and which team will work on our project?
Asking questions about the size of the video production company will help you know if they are fit enough to handle the size and nature of your project.
If you are planning to carry out a complicated project, the company may not be able to handle every aspect of it alone. So they may even outsource some aspects to another expert.
You ought to be properly informed about the people handling your project, so you will know how your team will collaborate with them.
3. Have you ever worked with a company like ours?
When you ask this question, you will know how much experience the video production company in Washington, DC has with businesses that are similar to yours.
And if they have worked with your competitors, you can compare their output and use it to rate the competency of the video production company.
This question also gives you an edge because you can study how well their methods have worked for other companies like yours and make an upgrade on that to boost your own positive results.
4. Can we take a look at some of your recent work?
It is normal and even necessary for the production company to share some of their best work with you. This will help you see if they are really as good as they claim to be.
But don’t stop at what they show you; ask for more samples. In fact, be specific and ask for samples that are similar to the kind of results that you want.
5. What is your modus operandi?
You will partner with this video production company, so it is only right for you to know how they operate. This will help you organize your team in order to sync properly with external experts.
When you ask this question, the answers will lead to important conversations that will expose their processes and workflow to you. You will understand the conditions their team members prefer to work in.
How will your team come in? Who will handle the scriptwriting? What and what will they need from you before they can get started on the project?
All these questions will be answered when you know their modus operandi. And if the video production company has enough experience, they will give you straightforward answers.
They may even come up with a plan for the roles each team is expected to play before, during, and after the project is completed—this shows that they have done this kind of thing repeatedly.
It is normal for the video production company to give you a specific number of feedback rounds. But if you would like to ask for more rounds of feedback, go ahead (it may come with extra charges).
6. What type of gear will you be using?
When using subpar gear, you can expect a poor output. So, asking about this will help you know if the video production company is serious about delivering high quality, no matter the budget.
The answer to this question will also help you know if the company owns the gear or if you need to budget for it. Either way, you need to get the answer before you make any commitments, as this will help you plan your finances better.
7. What is your payment plan?
When you get satisfactory answers to all your questions, you can proceed to ask about how the company’s payment plan works.
Ask if they charge a production fee and use your ideal budget to lead the conversation.
Go about it this way; if you have made a budget of $15,000, ask the video production company to show you a sample of a video they have created with a $15,000 budget.
It is important for you to take your time and ask these questions properly. When there is good communication and understanding between your team and the video production company, the project is bound to be a shining success!
Make your final decision
Before making your final decision, consider all the important factors and answers you have gathered from the aforementioned questions.
Think about what your company really needs. Connect the project with your goals, and only pick the video production company that can fit your needs.
Don’t get swayed by fancy video production company names. Discuss with your team, make a budget, and ask your team members how far they want to get involved with the video production company you are hiring.
