Choosing the right Video Production Company | ProMojo Video Production

Here are a few things that you can consider when choosing a video production company.

Ensure they’re shooting on a future-proof format

Were you aware that if you were to have a video project produced for DVD only, it would be obsolete within three years? As DVD has gradually replaced the VHS tape format, Blu Ray disks are starting to replace DVDs and in three years it will be the primary format. Even if the production company you choose initially produces for DVD, ensure they can upgrade to Blu Ray upon your request.

Make sure they are prepared to set a deadline and stick to it

This may sound commonsense, but you'll be surprised how many companies do not put the same emphasis on a deadline as you do. If the project that you're delivering is a DVD to play at a function, ensure the production company provides you with at least two disks in case one fails for whatever reason. Ideally they need to check that their disks work on the DVD player at the venue well before the event.

Have they got references of high quality happy clients that are prepared to vouch for them?

There is no better validation for a production company than another companies' experience and testimony to the service they have been provided.

As production companies provide a service more so than a product, flowery words and y presentations can't show you how well they communicate, the level of service they provide or the perceived 'value for money' that one of their clients have received. If their clients are prepared to vouch for the production company, we recommend due diligence in validating these recommendations to ensure that you will get the service that you are paying for and deserve.

Will they provide you with any means of distribution?

We are surprised how little production companies take advantage of the many means of distribution available today. Why have a DVD or TV commercial when you can also have a video embedded on your web site (does their team know how to do this professionally?), collaborate the video with the rest of their advertising material such as brochures, web sites, contact details onto a multimedia disk, create a podcast or even a mobile phone video you can send via MMS?

If you are having a video produced that you intend to sell, have they recommended that they also produce a shorter advertising video to act as a sales aide for your video? Can they advise the best means of generating sales online?

Do they have the ability to advise and create their own custom music?

There are four types of music that can be used for your video production.

1.	Royalty Free Music
Cheap, usually under $100 per track and it can be used over and over again, generally lesser quality than other music tracks.
2.	Production Music
The next up from Royalty Free music, this is what is known as 'cookie cutter' music, meaning you go through a huge library of music, choose what you believe that suits your production, pay a larger fee (usually within $1,000 depending on the length of the music required) and then you have rights to the music for your video production.
3.	Custom Made Music
In your video production, music can make a massive impact as to the level of engagement it gets from your audience. Most production and royalty free music fail to have the impact of custom music as there are not music engineers that are writing the music depending on what vision is on screen.
4.	Main stream music
Another option is to use music that has been created by artists who are selling their albums to the general public. If the production company was legally allowed to use the music, firstly this involves trying to find the right person or organization involved in managing the royalties with the artist, and secondly they will usually want payment and sometimes very hefty payments (some around the $50,000 mark).

Your production company should be able to advise the best solution for you. If it involves using any music they please without it costing you anything, run the other way! Breaching copyright is a criminal offence and both the production company and their client can both be fined very large fines, even imprisonment for violating copyright.

Ultimately your music choice will be dependent on your budget. Generally speaking, the larger the budget the better the result will be for your production.

What happens if you want to revise your project or choose another company in the future?

This is an important question to ask and even have in writing before initiating a project with a production company. Every company will react differently when asked to hand over source tapes associated with a project. Some companies will make up some ridiculous policy that they don't give out their source tapes, others will demand a payment, often offensively high, and others will gladly hand over the source tapes.

The bottom line is that the person who holds the source tapes owns the creative licensing to the material that was captured unless agreed otherwise beforehand. You are the client and you're paying for a director, cinematographer, sound operator and even the source tapes so, as such, you should have the rights to the material. Make sure that you have an agreement up front that states this.

Do they use professional voiceover artists, actors and staff?

When you're spending a decent amount of money on a video production, you're more than likely going to get the talent to ensure you get the best result. If another video production company is doing the same job for less money, they are compromising in areas in order to come in cheaper. This can be fine if budget is a major consideration, but production companies have to cut corners by hiring cheaper, less experienced staff in order to remain profitable. Keep this in mind when comparing quotes!

Are they prepared to “go the extra mile”.

We have worked with contractors that won't pick up a camera for 20 minutes unless they're being paid for a half day, even if it's part of a long term contract. Try and gauge this from your production company - they should always be operating in your best interest. Once the budget is established production can begin, however there is an element of "Ok this is what we're getting paid, this is the guide as to how much time we should be spending, but this has to be perfect and I don't mind going overtime to achieve this".

Sometimes it can be very hard to determine how much time it will take or how much money it will cost for a production. As such there needs to be 'give and take' when production has started. For instance the quote may indicate that a shoot one day is quoted as a half day shoot, and the shoot finishes in two hours. The next day is also quoted as a half day shoot but it takes 6 hours. The production company may argue that the half day is the minimum booking for day one and so overtime should be paid for day two. Be careful as this could end up costing you far more than originally quoted for.

At the same time you don't want to be abusing the production company, if they have quoted so many hours then it wouldn't be fair to expect a significant amount of time more than quoted for, but there is 'give and take' that goes outside of a quote which, in essence, is shooting into the wind trying to guess how long something will take.

Do they have a good turnaround time for duplication and replication of DVDs, CDs or Blu Ray disks

Once again this comes down to deadlines. A good production company should be able to provide you with a production timeline which will outline the pre-production planning, when the shoot dates will be, the budgeted time for post production (plus extra days allowed for unexpected events or revisions) and then a realistic timeframe for duplication. Not only will this be great to see that they're on the ball on meeting your deadline, but it should also outline their expectations of you in helping them to achieve this deadline.

Some production companies go with the philosophy "Well I haven't heard from the client so the ball is in their court". If you haven't been supplied with a document that outlines your anticipated responsibilities then this is unacceptable. If they miss your deadline then that isn't good enough.

Do they offer a guarantee?

Where ensuring a fair service is mandatory in the fair trading act, some production companies will argue that they have done everything that was outlined in the quote and aren't responsible for refunds or taking actions to rectify the problem. This is a hard one to argue in a court or small claims dispute, but the matter should never end up here. A production company is being employed to provide you with a service and you are employing them for their creativity and the ability to deliver on what they have promised. You, as the client, should be happy with what they have done. If not then they should be prepared to make amends to meet your expectations, especially if they have been provided a decent budget!

Are they solution oriented or problem oriented?

This is pretty much as it sounds - some people see problems, some people find solutions. For instance one production company may say "We can't use the material from XX as we don't have permission", another may say "We have gained permission from XX so we can use their material". You want to go with the latter company! You, as the CEO or marketing director, don't want a company that comes to you with problem after problem. They should have the ability to dodge the curve balls and deliver an amazing result without you even knowing the trouble they've gone to do so.

How good is their communication?

When you call them do they return your call if you leave a message? Will they email you advising you of where the edit is at or do you have to be constantly calling them to find out what's going on? Are they getting confused as to who said what or one person has heard something from you that another hasn't, or is there one point of contact for you from start to finish? Good communication is absolutely essential in creating a video production.

The same can be said as a client's responsibility. The production company needs to have clear communication lines open between them and the client to ensure that they can operate without holdups. Remember the best person who knows your business is you and it may take a few phone calls to ensure they're on the right path. This will result in less production time and fewer revisions.

Do they stay within budget?

There is nothing more annoying for a client to be given a quote to then have the production company stop in the middle of the project and ask for more money. Everything that is included in a project should be outlined at the quote acceptance stage showing everything that is to be included. Quotes are generally loaded to allow room for error so if they have made errors in judgment as to how long something is going to take, this is their problem not yours.

Of course this goes both ways. For instance if during the middle of the production it is agreed that a model is required for a certain shot and a model is not outlined on the quote, then this needs to be additional to the initial quote.

Do they stick to a brief or are they prepared to challenge it and improve on it?

As mentioned, you are paying the production company for their creativity and input. Your initial brief should be thorough and accurate, but further to this it is up to them to come up with the best possible solution to get the most exceptional result. While going through the brief they should be chipping in with ideas and recommendations.

Will they meet your expectations or exceed your expectations?

There is no reason why you can't expect this. Provided that you have provided good communication right through the creation process, the end result should impress you. If they are in the business of impressing their clients then they will build a large and reliable client base that return again and again. If their clients aren't happy, do they have a yelling match with them or are their issues identified and addressed in order to maintain a happy client?

If you would like to download this document, you can go here to download a PDF version of it.

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