5 Mistakes to Avoid When Hiring a Video Production Company

Hiring the right video production company is critical to the success of your video projects. The company you hire should operate as a virtual extension of your existing team to make sure your video projects go smoothly and stay on budget. While it may seem like a simple task, there are many mistakes that can be made when hiring a video production company for your next project.

Consider the following 5 potential mistakes to avoid when you’re looking for professional video services:

1. Not hiring a company that is fully insured: Production Companies should carry a Production Company specific insurance policy, not generic business insurance. Look for both general and auto liability coverage, as well as third party property damage coverage in case they damage any of your equipment. Make sure you ask to see their insurance certificate.

2. Not asking about the equipment to be used on the project: There is a huge difference between cinematic quality equipment and prosumer equipment. Many production companies will cut corners on the type of equipment in order to bid a project low. Unfortunately, this can result in a poor quality video that looks cheap. As a rough rule of thumb, if they are shooting with a camera package that costs less than $50,000 per camera or audio equipment less than $5,000… it’s not professional quality.

3. Not using a local company with knowledge and contacts to facilitate local projects: A minor hiccup to a local operator can become a major issue to companies unfamiliar with the territory.

4. Not using a company that handles all phases of production: This avoids the issue of finger pointing in the final project. Good pre-production can streamline your production time and costs. “Fix it in post” is something you hear a lot from production folks that don’t have post production scope….And normally ends up increasing your post production costs. Your post production may not have the footage they need if the right work isn’t done, and may require costly reshoots. Having one company responsible for the entire scope can eliminate many of these headaches.

5. Not hiring a company that understands the bigger picture: The company you hire should be asking about the audience, distribution platform, and be willing to offer suggestions as necessary to make the video impactful. If they are not asking questions about the intended use, they are camera operators, not a real production company


Want to learn about more potential mistakes to avoid before hiring your next video production company?
You can also schedule time to speak with one of our video experts about how we can help with your next project.

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