Some believe that video projects can be long and complicated processes full of costly unknowns that can cause frustration from clients and video crews alike, however, video production should not cause this many headaches. With these five steps, any client’s video project can become a breeze no matter what their experience or background with video may be. Not sure where to start? Check out this guide to hiring a video production company so you can start rolling.
#1) Rushing or Skipping Pre-Production
In video projects, a common challenge is working with clients who have unchecked enthusiasm for an incomplete video idea. What does this look like? A potential client is excited about a video idea. They say they know “exactly what they want” or maybe they “have no idea what they want”, but in both cases, they want it now. If this sounds familiar, pump the brakes and reevaluate. Haste makes waste.
Here’s the menu:
- Speed
- Quality
- Cost
Pick two.
Every business operates within these constraints. In the case of video production, rushing or skipping pre-production increases the expense of the whole project.
For example, when teams skip pre-production, the cost is likely to increase because the end goals of the project aren’t clearly defined. Without a plan, the video team is likely to either overshoot on set (increasing production time and expense) or undershoot (causing costly reshoots or a forced change in the vision or scope of the project in post-production). Ultimately, failing to carefully consider pre-production often causes budget waste, increased stress, and a sub-par final product.
“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”
#2) Not Making an Investment to Match the Goal for the Project
Before approaching a production company, it is advantageous to set goals for the video project being considered. What is this specific video trying to achieve? Is the goal to generate new leads? Drive more traffic to a website? Break sales records? In every case, starting with a goal that is specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound is a smart place to start.
Once the video goal has been settled, project budgets should be considered. If the goal is to drive an additional $250k in revenue, what is achieving that worth? That’s the amount to consider investing.
#3) Having Too Many Goals For The Project
Using a specialized tool developed for a specific problem tends to increase efficiency and effectiveness. Video is a tool for communication. More goals mean more to communicate and often lead to a longer video. No one has time for that. A better approach is to start with the many goals and boil them down to the few most important and urgent. Then plan a project for each to keep each video on the shorter side. This makes it easier for the target audience to glean what’s essential while respecting their time.
#4) Letting Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen
Initially, this mistake sounds like, “Hey, let’s give everyone a voice.” It looks like it’s expanding representation, letting more people be heard, and on paper it may feel like a great idea. While collaboration is a key piece in most video projects, there are often differences of opinion on subjective elements that can significantly bog down the editing and post-production process. Often this creates bottlenecks for the project when decisions need to be made to move forward. To keep projects on schedule, it is best to determine up front who has final cut privilege on the video project and plan to keep them up to date throughout the project.
Ideally, thanks to great planning in pre-production, the review process should go relatively smoothly, with all appropriate parties included in order to make sure the video appeals to many different perspectives and expertise. Without that planning, the review process can become lengthy and messy. No one likes a project that goes on forever.
#5) Disregarding Distribution
Like the planning in pre-production, distribution is a critical step that can have a huge impact on the success of a video project. Even the best video in the world will be a failure if it does not get distributed to the right channels so audiences see it. To do this well, it’s important to know where target audiences will be viewing the final project. A common strategy we use is to embed the long-form version of the video on a website, then tailor shorter versions and teasers to social media and traditional media platforms where target audiences are most likely to see them.
Overall, video projects can be quick and cost-effective solutions for many applications. With these five common mistakes in mind, both crew and clients can avoid the headache and enjoy a finished video product with their audiences, instead of rushing or struggling to meet a deadline. Around the Corner Productions values supporting clients throughout every step of the video production process so that every video can be worry free. Reach out and get started.