Should I shoot my own video? Should I hire a friend? Before you run out and buy a camera or hire a videographer we recommend you read this article. It could save you thousands of dollars and a few aspirins.
Experience
To get a better understanding of how important experience is let’s look at some roles in the video industry. Producer, Director, Screenwriter, Location Scout, Production Designer, Set Designer, Director of Photography, Costume Designer, Cinematographer, Videographer, Sound Mixer, Prop Master, Editor, Music Supervisor, Makeup Artist, VFX Artist, and much more! It’s difficult to remember all of the different roles much less becoming an expert in every field. That’s where production companies really stand out. They rely on their team of professionals to ensure each shot is tediously planned, executed to ensure a near perfect product.
Quality / Production Value
Experience flows right into this benefit. Quality work is determined by a couple of things. The first would be experience and second would be the equipment. Commercial grade production equipment is extremely expensive. Most small businesses simply don’t have the budget to purchase a professional cinema camera. When you hire a production company you get the best of both worlds. Experience and Tech
Resources
To keep this one simple we’ll classify resources as people, places and things. People not only covers the experts employed by the production company but also actors and talent you may need for your video. Some production companies have studios that they can utilize as well as talent scouts that can find the perfect environment for your video. They’ll also get the proper legal releases for shooting and distribution. Things can mean…well a lot of things. Props are a biggie. If you had to buy a new prop for every production expenses would get a little out of hand. Production companies use their relationships with rental companies as well as using past props to keep client costs down
Production Speed
Since you’re having a team work on each stage of production this can speed up the entire process. If you had a single person working on a project start to finish you’re at the whim of what that person’s maximum performance is. A team workflow is far more efficient as they can work on different pieces of your production at the same time. 1 person can only be in 1 place at a time after all. The other factor in production speed is going to be experience. If the production company has worked on a similar project in the past they’ll have a more efficient workflow and a better understanding of the potential pitfalls / hold ups this project may have.
Creative Input
2 Heads are better than one. A knowledgeable team is going to have a strong understanding of the latest trends. An understanding of what works and what doesn’t is going to save you a lot of time in the creative process. A great team will also save you money in the creative process. Knowledge is power. Costly VFX for example may not be necessary if the team can figure out a creative way to achieve the same effect in the real world.
Dependability
A production company is reliant on their reel or video resume to get more work. It’s a small world and production companies that don’t show up at their best tend to fade into the background. Because this is a niche’ industry it would be hard for a professional director to go into another industry at comparable pay. This means they are going to ensure their personal reputation as well as their business reputation stays A+.
Legal
There is quite a bit of red tape in the film industry. Music licensing, copyright laws, location releases, talent releases, terms and conditions for various distribution platforms, and so on. There are lots of attorneys that specialize in Entertainment Law. This side of the industry isn’t even on an amateur’s radar. It’s a very important factor you need to consider before hiring an amateur to shoot your brands video. A solid production company will save you a lot of hassle down the road
Now that you have a better understanding of the benefits of hiring a production company the next step would be to start interviewing some professionals to decide what team would be right for you.