Budgeting Video Production

There is no doubt that the Internet is different the way businesses contact their customers. Today, a lot of companies are using a mix of digital media - which include websites that feature video, YouTube, video tutorials, Facebook and more - with "traditional media" - which includes direct mail, print ads, brochures, radio and television and other media. In case you are new to producing materials for digital media - especially video, you might be wondering how to effectively plan for video production. Well, "Production 101" was designed to help guide you through the process. So read on! Video Production Pittsburgh

Because video production might be complicated at times, the easiest method to approach this topic is to give you an analogy to work with. What seems to work with most people is comparing video production to renovating a residence. Here's why: in the event you ask how much a home renovation will cost, the solution is, "it depends." Well, it does not take same with video production.

For the home renovation, the "it depends" dates back to how many sq ft you have, what type of materials you desire - granite, marble or tile, by way of example, how many different subcontractors will be involved - painters, tile people, floor refinishers, electricians, - well, other great tales and on. As you can see, there actually is no other answer for home remodeling pricing than, "it depends."

With video production, that "it depends" response pertains to how long the finished video will likely be, what it will be useful for - a TV commercial, training video, promotional video, uploaded to YouTube, etc. Pricing also is dependent upon how many different people will probably be involved - if there will be on-camera talent, makeup artists, stylists, set builders, multiple cameras, tricks, plus what types of cameras and equipment you will end up using, whether or not it will be a studio or location shoot - their list goes on and on as well. As a way you can see, there really isn' other answer for video production pricing than, "it depends."

In each case, the key is quality. You wouldn't like shoddy craftsmanship when redoing a home, do you? Of course not! You wouldn't want an inexperienced plumber or electrician focusing on the infrastructure in your home, do you? Of course not!

With video production, quality is fully necessary as well. You could just pop a camera on a tripod and hit the record button. Bear in mind, the video is supposed to represent your small business, and a camera on the tripod would be a pretty poor representation of one's brand. Video Production Pittsburgh

While "quality" has lots of different meanings, when it comes to video production simple to use to define: you need a professional, compelling video that people will want to watch, which is a video that represents your business in a positive way. The secret is "professional" - people today are employed to seeing TV commercials that cost up to $200,000; the reality is that they are not going to watch your video if all you want show them is a video shot from the camera perched over a tripod with a person talking.

The crucial element to creating a professional quality video has a basic understanding the production process. Have you ever been to a commercial production shoot, used lots of people working on the set. They are all there for a reason: you may see a director, producer, makeup artist, lighting director, camera operator, audio personnel, grips, well the list goes on and on.

You can find three phases to to become a video: pre-production - in places you decide on the concept and all sorts of content; production - in which you actually bring together every one of the elements and people and shoot the recording; and post-production, where you edit and enhance the video into a finished product.

Just as there are three phases to to become a video, there are three recommendations for determining how much a video will end up costing. These are: time, tools and talent. Time - can often mean how long the video production will be, or how long it will take to actually shoot and edit it. Tools include elements like what kind of stage you'll need; the number of and what type of cameras will be used, whether you desire a crane shot or even a moving dolly shot; what sort of editing system will be needed for specific tricks - and so on. Talent relates to all the people involved in the production. This includes the director, an on-camera talent or voiceover, actors, set builders, cameraman, hairstylists and makeup artists - their list can on and on as well! And as you've probably guessed by now - the more time, unit and talent you put into a video, the more it'll cost you.

When it comes to producing a video, the very first rule of thumb is: discover an expert in video production - hire one. You'll end up saving a lot of money over the course of production, because experienced production personnel understand how to manage costs. Remember home renovation analogy? You'll hire a general contractor to manage the people and locate and get all the materials, right? Well, it's the same with video production.

An excellent production company has all the assets you'll need for every type of production, so it is a good use of your money to hire one. They're the "general contractor" to your video production. Obviously, you need to hire the most appropriate one - one that knows its way around corporate videos, commercial productions, video lessons - in fact, they should have in-depth experience in whatever kind of video that you're planning to produce.

The production company will determine who to use as a director or cameraperson in your shoot based on your financial allowance. They can also recommend approaches to shoot a concept that will reduce your costs. The fact is they have the knowledge and expertise to acheive it - and still do it. The last thing you want is to locate hobbyist or inexperienced company producing your video. Remember, this video will likely be a representation of your respective company. Do you really require a novice getting on the task training on your project!

Everything starts with a script plus a concept. It's not simply a matter of taking copy from a brochure and converting it with a video. It has to be conversational and make viewers' attention, while flowing derived from one of scene to the next. Your concept may be as simple as "I desire a video that shows why we're better than the competition." But even with something so basic, you have to produce a video that will a great job of executing that concept. You need to create a video that folks will want to watch.

Another key tool is a storyboard. This is where you actually map out the action that will happen on camera; determining camera angles, how sets will appear, where the talent will stand, etc. That is one place you can adjust things around to assist lower production costs - before beginning shooting!

Once the script and storyboard are approved, you start the pre-production planning. You'll determine talent, where you should shoot it, regardless of whether you need to build a set, if your makeup artist or hairstylist is required, how many support individuals are needed, what type of music you'll use, whether or not you need special graphics - as well as on and on. This is where the fabrication company comes into play - they've "been there, done that." So they'll help guide you through this maze.

Those elements are called "production values" - and each one plays a role in the complete quality of your production. Each one also plays a key role in your overall budget also, so you have to decide which elements are necessary to the video and which ones you can do without.

OK, you have done your homework. You've experienced script rewrites, picked the talent, approved the storyboards and hired the proper production company. You've balanced all the time, tools and talent variables right into a workable budget.

Now you need to shoot!

After you've done every one of the preparation, all the planning and all the hard work, the shoot went well. But you're not done yet. Because after you've made all the decisions; shot it and sent your talent packing - it is time to edit.

Editing is where the magic happens. Editing is where you bring all of your production elements together. Here's in places you add visual effects, tweak the colour, add graphics, sweeten the audio, add music and sound files, create amazing scene transitions - this list goes on and on as well. This is where you turn your raw video in a compelling, unique video that folks will want to watch.

OK, you're almost prepared to graduate from "Production 101." Just one thing remains - the proper way to answer the ongoing question of, "how much could it cost? Unfortunately, there isn't any secret formula. There are several general guidelines, but as with everything else you get, you get what you pay for. And the more production values you need in your video, the harder it's going to cost you.

Here are several rules of thumb to help you when budgeting for quality video production: should you be considering a training or corporate video, costs can vary from $1500 - $4500 for each minute. So if you were planning to put together a 5-minute video - that video would cost you anywhere form $7500 to $22,500. Sure, there is certainly probably a local videographer who is able to throw a video together for $2500, but nobody should watch it. And it won't reflect positively on your company. So don't waste your dollars!

Television commercials could cost anywhere from $5,000 to $25,000 or over. And on national commercials, the "and up" can run up to several hundred thousand dollars. But things are relative, and often various compromises can be made to produce videos that meet your financial budget parameters.

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