8 Considerations When Hiring a Video Production Company

Creating a video can be a very hard process… like hiring a mechanic or going to a doctor, seeking professional help might be a good idea. A video production company can take your idea and make it a reality… or whiff and leave you with the exact opposite of what you want.

Before you pick up the phone and hire a video production company, considering the following items:

1. Do you have an idea for the video you want? You should, at the very least, have a brief description of the video, including length, characters, etc. before contacting someone. The exception to this rule is when you need help for the whole process. Many production companies are great at executing on an idea, but not necessarily great at coming up with them! If you need creative help, make sure the company you’re negotiating with has the right experience.
2. Contact any friends or colleagues that you know that have hired a production company before. Get referrals, they can be your best guide to finding a great fit. If that’s difficult, call some production companies and ask for customer references.
3. Never, ever, ever (did I say never?!) hire the first company you speak to without checking out the competition. You shouldn’t buy the first car you test drive without comparing to other models- the same notion works here. Discussing your project with multiple vendors can help generate new ideas and give you a perspective on cost vs. quality.
4. Watch their reel. If there isn’t one on the production company’s website, do not hire them. Move on.
5. Do you see something on that reel that looks or feels like the video you have imagined? If not, move on unless the rest of the work is compelling enough. However, quality is king – if you’re blown away by someone’s reel, but don’t see ‘your’ video in it, go ahead and talk to the company… they can probably pull it off.
6. Budgeting… this is probably the toughest area to deal with. Having been on both sides of this, I can say there is no right way to deal with this when you’re hiring a production company the first time. I think it’s best to not hint at an initial budget and see the costs that the vendors bid. After you have a tight working relationship with a production company, however, you may want to start out by putting your budget on the table.
7. Ask about insurance… you’ll want the company you hire to provide their own insurance for the shoot. A respectable company should have general liability insurance. This would cover production equipment being damaged and/or people being injured during the shoot.
8. In the end, success will hinge on your relationship with your vendor. Do you like them? Do you communicate well with them? Do they respect your ideas and opinions? No matter how good the quality of their work is, to be successful, you need to work well together.

This list could probably go on for quite some time, but thinking about these items will get you well on your way. Don’t be intimidated or scared by the proposition of creating a video or hiring a company to help you. You know your needs better than anyone else. Be open to suggestions and dialog, but don’t forget who’s attaching their brand to it, not to mention footing the bill… you.

Photo credit: State Library and Archives of Florida