There is no question that the Internet has changed the way businesses communicate with their customers. Today, most businesses use a mix of digital media—including video websites, YouTube, training videos, Facebook , and more—with “traditional media”—including film production direct mail, print ads, brochures, radio and television, and other media. If you’re new to producing materials for digital media—especially video—you may be wondering how to effectively budget for video production. Well, Production 101 is designed to guide you through the process. So read on!

Production can sometimes be complicated

Because video production can be complicated at times, the best way to approach this topic is to give you an analogy to work with. What seems to work for most people is likening video production to renovating a house. Here’s why: When you ask how much a home renovation will cost, the answer is, “It depends.” It’s the same with video production.

When it comes to home renovations, it all depends on how many square feet you have, what type of materials you want – granite, marble or tile for example, how many different subcontractors will be involved – painters, tilers, flooring painters, electricians, – well, those List goes on and on. As you can see, there really is no other answer to home renovation pricing other than “it depends”.

promotional video

In video production, this “it depends” answer refers to how long the finished video will be, what it will be used for – a TV commercial, an educational video, a promotional video, uploaded to YouTube, etc. Pricing also depends on how many different people will be involved – whether it be talent in front of the camera, makeup artists, hair stylists, set designers, multiple cameras, special effects, as well as what types of cameras and equipment you will be using, whether or not this is a studio or location shoot – this list can also be continued at will. So, as you can see, there really is no other answer to video production pricing other than “it depends”.

In both cases, quality is key. You don’t want shoddy craftsmanship when renovating a home, do you? Of course not! You wouldn’t want an inexperienced plumber or electrician working on your home’s infrastructure, would you? Of course not!

Also of paramount importance

Quality is also of paramount importance in video production. You could just put a camera on a tripod and hit the record button. But remember that the video is meant to represent your company and a camera on a tripod would be a pretty poor representation of your brand.

While “quality” has many different meanings, in video production it’s easy to define: you want a professional, compelling video that people want to see and that represents your business in a positive way. The key is “professional” – people today are used to seeing television commercials that cost over $200,000; The reality is that if you just need to show them a video recorded by a camera on a tripod with a person speaking, they won’t look at your video.

A basic understanding of the production process

One of the keys to creating a professional-quality video is having a basic understanding of the production process. If you’ve ever been on a commercial production shoot, you’ve seen a lot of people working on the set. They’re all there for a reason: you might see a director, producer, makeup artist, lighting director, cinematographer, sound engineer, handles, well — the list goes on and on.

The production of a video consists of three phases: pre-production – where you decide on the concept and all content; Production – where you actually bring all the elements and people together and shoot the video; and post-production, where you edit and enhance the video into a finished product.

There are three phases to produce a video

Just as there are three stages in the production of a video, there are three keys to determining how much a video will ultimately cost. They are: time, tools and talent. Time – could mean how long the video production will take or how long it will take to actually shoot and edit the video. Tools include items like the type of stage you need; how many and what kind of cameras are used, whether you want to do a crane shot or a trip with a dolly; what kind of editing system is needed for certain special effects – and so on. Talent refers to everyone involved in the production. These include the director, a talent in front of the camera or a speaker, actors, set designers, cinematographers, hair stylists and makeup artists – the list goes on and on! And as you’ve probably guessed – the more time, tools, and talent you put into a video, the more it’s going to cost.

When it comes to producing a video, the first rule of thumb is: if you’re not a video production expert, hire one. You end up saving a lot of money over the course of production because experienced production workers know how to manage costs. Remember our home renovation analogy? You would hire a general contractor to manage the people and find and buy all the materials, right? It’s the same with video production.

Assets you need for almost any type of production

A good production company will have all the assets you need for almost any type of production, so hiring one is a good use of your money. You are the “general contractor” for your video production. Of course, you need to hire the right one – one who is knowledgeable about corporate film production videos, commercial productions, and educational videos – in fact, they should have in-depth experience with the type of video you want to produce.

The production company uses your budget to determine who you use as a director or cameraman for your shoot. They can also recommend ways to shoot a concept that will lower your costs. The fact is, they have the knowledge and experience to do it – and do it right. The last thing you want is to find a hobbyist or an inexperienced company to produce your video. Remember that this video will be a representation of your company. Do you really want to train a young professional for your project?

Start with a script and a concept

It all starts with a script and a concept. It’s not just about taking a copy of a brochure and turning it into a video. It needs to be entertaining and hold viewers’ attention as it flows from one scene to the next. Your concept could be as simple as, “I want a video that shows why we’re better than the competition.” But even with something that simple, you need to produce a video that does a great job of executing that concept. You need to create a video that people want to see.

Another important tool is a storyboard. This is where you actually plan the action that will take place in front of the camera. Determine camera angles, what sets will look like, where the talent will be, etc. This is one place to change things up to reduce production costs – before you even start filming!