How To Choose The Best Video Production Company

In today’s day and age, there has never been more reason to think about video production. We are constantly seeing video content, and this trend is just getting started. As you start your search to find the best video production company, you are probably a little overwhelmed with the number of companies. We get it, there are a lot of options out there and every video production company does things a little bit differently. It is critical that when your company makes the decision to release video content, that it reflects your brand as you intend and is engaging for viewers. So after some searching, you decided to take a step back and learn a little bit more before diving in. That’s why you are here! Let’s look at how to choose the best video production company!

Maybe you need a professional talking-head video of your CEO. Maybe you are looking for a videographer to help shoot a music video for you. Maybe you are looking for a crowdfunding commercial. Maybe you aren’t sure how much you should be budgeting for? How much does video production cost? We’ll cover these questions as well as how to get the most for your budget and more below!

When choosing a San Francisco video production company to create videos for your business, there are certain things you should consider before moving ahead with the production.  Sure they have video production in their name. But just because a business carries the label of “production company” does not guarantee quality video production, script writing, editing, or marketing.

But back to our story. You just finished your meeting and you realize it’s time to start finding that perfect video production company. Let’s look at some of the first steps to help guide you find them.

Some questions to consider when looking at how to choose the best video production company.

1. Have a clear idea of what kind of video production you are looking for.
   1. Corporate interview, music video, commercial etc.
2. How soon do you need your video finished by?
   1. The sooner the delivery, the higher the price or more rushed production(in general)
3. What is your budget range?(1-5k, 10-20k, 50k+)
4. Are there any length requirements?
5. How much of a role do you want to have in the production? Hands off, creative review, oversee casting etc.

These questions will give you a starting place when approaching production companies. Some companies may have more questions for you, but these will give you a pretty good start.

Once you have a good idea of these questions, it’s time to get to work.

1. View Their Portfolio

Most video production companies will have their work readily available for viewing on their website.

By viewing previous video production work, you can ensure the videos they produce meet your standards. These samples will give insight into the quality of video this company is willing to place its name on.

Is it attractive, engaging, and professional?  These are the types of questions you should ask yourself when looking at a production company’s previous work.

Testimonials from previous clients or a client list detailing other customers that they have worked with are also helpful. Happy clients are a sign that you have found a quality video production company. Not just from a video quality perspective, but also, from a how was it to work with them perspective.

Luma Creative stands behind their work and does not shy away from sharing it with potential clients.  Check out their Video Portfolio to see what kind of work they have done in the past.

2. Determine if their portfolio has any resemblance of what you are looking to produce.

After looking through their portoflio its important to see if they have shot and produced the style of work you are looking for. Maybe all of their films are documentaries, or maybe they are all music videos. If you don’t see similar styles of videos to what you are looking for, then there is a good chance that they won’t be the best video production partner.

But maybe you do see similar video styles. What do you like about them? What do you think could have been improved. Was the quality up to par? Taking mental notes of the good and bad can help you compare when looking at other video production companies.

Sure maybe they have done live video in the past, but can you see a sample of it?

3. Know How Your Project Will be Managed

So after looking at their portfolio, you are impressed and want to learn more. Your wondering how to get from idea to completion. After all, video production takes time and energy and there are many steps to make it happen! It’s critical you hire a production company that can handle all of the little details to be sure that the video is a success!

1. How long from the start of the project to completion? Is there anything that would slow this down?
   • Maybe you’ve got a tight deadline. Be sure of any contingencies on their end that might push it back.
2. Are they licensed and insured?
   • What happens if the production assistant drops a camera. Will the production company ask you as a client to cover this? We sure hope not!
3. Who will come up with the concept?
   • Every video production company handles this differently.
   • Are they receptive to working with your ideas? Maybe they’ll work with you to brainstorm ideas that will match your vision for the video.
4. Do they have a professional scriptwriter on staff? You’ll want to make sure the copy is spot on.
5. Who will provide the actors? Obviously, every video is different. Whether it’s shooting company employees or hiring professional actors, this can drastically affect the cost of video production.
6. What type of video production equipment will they be using?
7. Will they create social media videos or help manage your ad spend?
   • Discuss your marketing goals with them. Maybe they can help add value!
8. Who will provide the locations? This can heavily impact the quality of the video, so it’s important to discuss locations upfront before having them blindly bid on the job.
9. Is editing included or are there extra charges for revisions? Sure you liked their portfolio, but maybe your boss will have things he wants to be changed. Most companies can accommodate this, but be sure to ask about any additional fees.

Ask about advertising and marketing

Although you are probably well aware, a video’s success is determined differently across genres. Whereas a music video might be judged purely based on a number of views, a commercial might be judged based on the number of conversions, or a training video might be judged on the change in employee errors. It’s important to ask about potential advertising experience they might have with regards to getting the video in the right places. Sure, maybe your videos isn’t a commercial, but if it is, then considering an ad spend budget would be great to consider upfront as well.

At Luma Creative, we want to know more than just about your video goals, but how you’ll use them to further your marketing initiatives. Maybe we can discuss various social media edits from the footage we already captured. We can also help with Youtube SEO as well as Google ad campaigns. We’ve got experience with helping numerous campaigns succeed and would be happy to chat more! Video production is very important to the success of a campaign.

Ask for a quote

Although it’s often thought that the first person to throw out a number loses, it’s frequently the case with video production that this number, will determine what level the video can be shot at. And most companies can work at multiple budget tiers. Even if you aren’t comfortable throwing out your max number, at least giving the video production company a budget range will really them. Will they be able to rent locations and have a sizeable crew, or will this shoot be more run and gun with just a camera operator and a director. Chances are, at some point you’ll have to decide at what price point you’ll be able to handle, so why not have everyone bid their quality based on that same range. Some companies may be able to quote you a longer video or more production days, but at the end of the day, it’s really the overall quality and audience reception that is going to matter!

At the end of the day, there are most likely several video production companies that will be able to deliver a quality product, but when you are wondering how to choose the best video production company, it’s obvious that there are many factors to consider before having numerous conversations regarding the deliverables and the concept at which you are looking to have shot.