webdev
Corporate video production is big news in the world of business at the moment. With every quicker broadband speeds, it is possible for your client to receive beautiful high definition video content to their computer, tablet or phone. Which every organisation should be aware of is that professional quality video is a difficult thing to achieve, and as with most other fashionable industries, has its fair share of shysters.
This article will cover a number of different important aspects to think about to ensure that you hire the right video production company.
Company history
The first element which would be wise would be to investigate the company itself.
How long has the company been incorporated? Clearly the longer the company has been around for, the more established it is and more likely it is that they know what they are doing and will be able to carry out the most professional job possible.
What is the credit rating like? (It’s possible to look into the credit background of any company by registering with services like Barclay’s Credit Focus).
What about the company directors? What are there independent backgrounds? It is an unfortunate reality of the corporate video industry that a lot of people graduate from a film or media studies degree and set up shop as a production company, with little or no real world experience – let alone corporate.
Here at Butchers Hook all have at least 10 years strong background in film, video and advertising. You can read more about us on our About us page.
It’s fair to point out that the size of the company is no reflection of quality, indeed there are many 1 and 2 man bands who are very professional and bring in able freelancers to fill out production quotas to their client’s satisfaction.
Clients
Furtherly it is important to consider the clients that the company has produced work for in the past.
Can the company provide testimonials? Testimonials are the life blood for any company and they should be able to provide current testimonials and contact details for the testimonials so you can carry out your own investigations.
How much repeat custom does the company get? A difficult one to gauge, but a very interesting litmus test for the successfulness of a video production company and their ability to retain clients. The nature of web video means that there is the potential for lots of video to be made, do the clients keep coming back for more? (They do with us – we have a near 100% repeat business rate)
Their work
One of the easiest ways of gauging the quality of a production company is to look at their body of work. Huge rafts of corporate videos are unfortunately still, in 2012 cheesy, badly conceived and embarrassing. Look out for production companies that can produce material that looks professional, is coherent and that gets the message across. You can see lots of our work here.
We would also suggest looking at the quality of their online presence as being a good indicator of commitment and dedication to their public image. I.e. if their website is rubbish – so are they probably!
Another contentious issue as far as video production is price. No matter which way you cut it, if you pay peanuts you get monkeys! There are so many elements of video production that require skilled technicians and expensive equipment to get the best results, that cutting corners REALLY shows.
Please don’t be tempting by doing it cheap – cheapness reflects badly on you and your organisation.
To conclude – Which would provide the best meal? A Tesco basics range Steak and Kidney pie retailing at £1.50 or a Tesco finest retailing at £7? The basics range would be pastry and gravy and not very much meat (meat costs money) where as a Tesco Finest would have lots of meat, quality grave and pastry.
And would taste a lot better!
You get what you pay for!
