Imagine this: Your boss walks up to you and asks you to produce a marketing video for the company’s website. Immediately questions start popping into your head, including whether you could create the video in-house or hire a production company.
Here, I try to help you answer that question by discussing a few items you should consider when debating the pros and cons of developing videos in-house or hiring a production company.
What You Want to Accomplish:
An easy way to begin developing your video is to start with the end in mind. By doing this, you are able to analyze the goals, scope and production quality of your video.
- Goals: Before you start any project, you need to know what you want to get from the end result. In relation to video, this could be many things. Do you want to have a simple video for your website or do you want a full-fledged TV commercial? In regards to inbound marketing, a series of simple videos is a great way to deliver great content in an entertaining method and add “stickiness” to your site.
- Scope: When it comes to video, scope is a major factor. There are many different types of video, from small productions like single-camera interviews, to more complicated productions, such as office tours. The scope of the video will determine the amount of equipment and time needed.
- Quality: One thing that is true about video is the more professional looking the video, the better chance you will engage your viewers and keep their attention. When thinking about the end product, quality is very important. You want to make sure your company looks the best it can.
What You Have:
Once you have the end in mind, you should take inventory of what you already have (AKA- your assets). Your possible assets may include experience, time, budget and equipment.
- Experience: It is true that anybody can use a camera to record a video, but that is not all it takes to make a great business video. Experience in video production can make or break a production. You can have all the equipment you need, but if nobody knows how to use it properly, the video will not come out the way you want.
- Time: It might not seem like it, but creating something as simple as a two-minute video can be lengthy process. You need to set aside time to plan, write, shoot and, of course, edit your video. The amount of preparation will only increase with the length of the final video. If you do not have the time to devote to creating a video in house, it could be a sign to look outside of the company for help.
- Budget: Like with most things in life, you need to analyze your budget before deciding to make a video. Video can be very expensive. One thing to keep in mind is that, as quality of video increases, so does the budget. You need to consider the opportunity cost of creating a video in-house. If the time your team will spend working on a video costs less in lost time and salary, then go ahead and create the video in house! If not, it would be a good idea to call in the professionals. One thing to keep in mind, when working with a production company, is to be upfront about your budget as it will help you get the most bang for your buck.
- Equipment: The equipment to produce a video goes further than just the camera, tripod and microphone. While those are the base of what you need, to make a professional looking video, you may also need lights, multiple cameras, dollies and, of course, a computer with editing software. If you don’t have this equipment, there are many places that will rent you the equipment. Not only will this increase the budget, but you need to make sure your company has the experience needed to use all rented equipment properly.
No matter if you decide to make your video in-house or outsource it, these tips I shared in an earlier post will help you make a video that’s sure to impress the boss!
Do you have any pointers to add when whether to produce a video in house or use a production company? Feel free to share in the comments below!
Photo Credit: sacks08
