Hiring a Video Production Company: A Handy Guide

Your corporate video has the power to be your 24/7 salesperson and could be your prospective customer’s first impression of your business. Therefore, you want to put your best foot forward. One of the first decisions to make is deciding what video production company to choose. Below you’ll find a handy guide to use when evaluating video marketing companies:

1. Check out their Portfolio

Work examples are essential. Does the video company have a recent reel? Is there a consistent style and quality level? Basing your expectations around what the company has already produced is a great predictor of whether you’ll like your final video. Many times a video production company will have done work in your industry, but it’s not in their reel so don’t be afraid to ask. Bonus tip: investigate like a pro and look at their social media presence, usually you’ll find a behind-the-scenes look at their production set-up and equipment.

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2. Location, Location, Location

Many video productions will require on-site shoots at your business or at an off-site location where you need to film B-roll of your service and business in action. For example, if your business is in Baltimore, you should select a company within the DMV (D.C., Maryland, Virginia) area to avoid a logistical nightmare and crew travel costs. Another benefit of hiring professionals is that they should have an in-house production studio where they can control noise and lighting. Studios are ideal for interviews and product shoots where the production team will have lots of equipment on hand.

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3. Read Testimonials & Reviews

You can tell someone how awesome you are all day, but people find referrals and reviews more credible. Any reputable agency should have former clients' reviews about working with their company. Look for comments about how easy and comfortable they made the process and what former clients thought about their delivered product. Bonus points if they mentioned real results from their video marketing efforts!

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4. Find your Niche Industry

Any time you hire an outside creative service, there’s a ramp-up period where the contractor needs to learn about your industry, product, or service. One way to shorten this discovery time is to find a video company that has worked in your niche before. For example, if you're a children’s book author releasing a new book, look for a company that has released a similar product launch video. They’ll have special creative insight on how to shoot and tell your story based on their relevant experience. Plus there are niche types of productions that require specialization like live events.

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5. Determine The Work Flow Process

A commercial production takes much more than a guy and a camera. Make sure you get a good sense of what their creative process looks like. Is there a structured discovery process to nail down your goals and objectives? The magic is in the details, so the company you are evaluating should offer treatments, scripts, storyboards, and creative assets. What post-editing services do they provide? Ask about the options and choices for the music, motion effects, and color correction.

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6. Verify they are Licensed & Insured

This should go without saying, but do your due diligence and verify that the video company is up-to-date with all required business licenses and insurances before you sign a contract. You don’t want to find out they are uninsured when it’s too late!

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Are you ready to elevate your brand with high-quality corporate video? Rock Shore has created hundreds of custom video solutions to connect our clients with their audiences. To start a discussion with our team of strategic, creative professionals, click here to schedule a discovery call with our team today.