How to choose a production company

If you’re reading this post there’s a good chance you’re in the planning stages of commissioning a video production for your company. Maybe you’re planning to create a series of videos for your website or YouTube channel. Or perhaps a promotional or training video.

So you’ve taken the first step, going to Google, and having a look at some websites of video production companies. But, especially if this is your first time getting a video production made, the process can be quite daunting. There are so many companies out there to choose from!

Choosing a video production company is a big decision: You’re not buying a commodity off the shelf. You’re entering into a relationship with a company for a process which, depending on the scope of the project, could take weeks, or even months, to complete. So you want to give yourself the best chance of choosing a company that will be great to work with, and one that will help you ensure success.

But where do you start? And what do you ask?

In this post I’m going to reveal eight vital questions you should be asking yourself during this decision making process. I hope this will guide you through the process, and give you the knowledge to make the most informed decision when hiring a video production company.

• When you check out the website of a video production company, ask yourself how well they represent themselves visually? How good is their branding, and marketing material? This should be your first indication regarding how good the visual material that they create for you is going to be.
• Have a look at some examples of their videos. Forgot about how wizz-bang the effects are. Ask yourself how well do the videos communicate the core message. How persuasive is the argument? How clear is it to you?
• Does the company have any experience in your niche? Have they worked for other companies in your industry? How have they used video to solve challenges for companies in a similar situation to yours? It’s really important that you work with a company that has an understanding of your industry, and what makes it unique.
• What sort of social proof, endorsement, testimonials, case studies are there on the website? This is a good first indication of the calibre of companies they’ve worked for, and how they’ve been able to help them solve their problems.
• What sense of the people behind the business are you getting? You want to work with people you know, like and trust.  Have a look at the “about us” page on their website. It’s amazing how many companies give you little or no background about the people you’ll we working with. You’re not buying an off the shelf commodity. You will be building a relationship with a service provider over an extended period of time.
• What happens if problems arise? In a perfect world everything flows smoothly. But in the real world, it’s the people who are prepared for problems, who minimise their risk, and know how to solve problems fast, that you want to work with. Do they have public liability insurance ? What sort of guarantee do they offer? How do they backup and safeguard your work?
• Speak to the production company. How carefully do they listen to you? You are buying a service in which the company needs to build a strong understanding of your product or service in order to communicate the subtleties of your message. When you speak to the production company, are they more concerned with making a sales presentation to you, or do they really take the time to listen to you and ask question?
• Get an understanding of you goals. Are they more focused on their own interests, or do they seem genuinely focused on how best they can serve you, and help you achieve your goals? You’re not just looking for a technician, or a service provider. You’re looking for an expert who can guide and advise you about the best solution for you to achieve your goals and communicate your message.

We hope these eight questions have given you food for thought about what you should be thinking about whilst choosing a video production company.

If you’d like to learn more about the video production process and start a conversation about your video, contact us to get in touch.