Questions to ponder before engaging a production house for your videos

When trying to create a video, there are things which you should be aware of before you contact your production house. Upon receiving your request, the production house will definitely have some questions to ask you. In this article, we are going to cover those questions, so not only will you be ready to engage your production house of choice, but you will also have a better understanding of the video production process and its requirements.

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What style of video will we be working on?

There's a huge variety of video styles one can choose from, and you may find that each style serves different purposes better. So with the main goal of your video in mind, pick the style of video you believe will carry your message best.

If you don't know what we mean, here are some styles of videos Big 3 can do, and what they are usually used for. This may also help you understand why the question is important.

Live action video

In this kind of video, things are not created digitally, that means it includes real graphics, real people, real objects and real locations and are mostly used for tutorials, how-tos and orientation videos etc.

Narration

This style of video contains a voice over narration on a digital recording of a laptop or computer screen. It is mostly used in videos regarding social media and tech businesses.

Animation

Animation videos are made by editing many still images together. to give off the effect of movement. Just think cartoons and anime. Though animation takes a long time, the benefit is that it does not need any real people, real objects or real location.

Live stream

As the name suggests, it broadcasts live video to bring a current and intimate experience. It is used a lot in social media sites like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook etc. and is especially relevant now that we're practicing social distancing.

As you can see, there is a different video style that will better fit each purpose, and they all have their unique pros and cons. So you will have a field day deciding what will best engage your audience.

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What is the estimated budget?

Another important thing to know while creating a video is the estimated budget of the project because the budget directly relates to how much work you expect the production house to do. When calculating the budget, you have to decide how you are in managing some aspects of preproduction or if you would like professional help with it.

When you are able to tell your production house the estimated budget for the video, they will adjust your expectations about what kind of services and final product you will get. This helps ensure that by the end of the production process there are no feelings of being cheated or disappointment.

Here are some services you may want to factor into your budget:

1. Location recce - Do you already have your locations picked out, or would you like us to look for some that fit your requirements?
2. Scripting - Would you like us to create a script for you or work off a rough script you have prepared? Maybe you would even prefer to complete the script on your own.
3. Cameras - Do you have any special request for the cameras we use? And would you like us to have extra cameras on hand?
4. Studio - Are you planning to film at Big 3's studio?

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These questions will help you to determine the expected budget and this estimated budget will help you in planning the production of video.

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Who will be the target audience?

It is crucial to know the target audience and what they are all about as it provides the production house a better understanding to on how should they present the video. This includes besides setting the tone and style for messaging, visuals and music of the video as well as where the video will be launched.

The information of target audience will consist of various questions such as:

1. What is the age group, gender and life stage of the target audience?
2. What is the target audience's most used form of media?
3. Who are the target audience most influenced by?

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What is the intended outcome of the video?

What do you hope to achieve with this video? What action do you hope your audience will take after seeing this?

Based on your answer, your production house may be able to advise you on what information should take priority in the video. They can also use their years of experience to discuss how you can best optimise your video to achieve the intended outcome, whether it comes to tone, style or medium which the video is shown.

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When is the kickstart and final delivery of the video?

This one doesn't need much explanation, but be reminded that the kickstart and final delivery date are very important. It will help your production house plan out a timeline and in turn reduce the chances of missed deadlines. Getting involved in the creation of the timeline for the video will also provide you with knowledge that may make you more comfortable with the video production process. As you learn more about the process, you will realise how even a short few minutes of the video can take hours to complete, so you and your production house can have a clearer understanding of what to expect.

No two videos are identical, and thus the creation of each video will have different requirements. So this list of essential video production questions will help you assess what your video will need, and what it might look like so you can better plan to create your ideal video. If there is anything you are still unsure of, add your details to the form below to book a consultation with us, and we will be happy to work through any doubts you may have.