Write a brief before asking for quotes
You can approach a production company with a rough brief. Who needs to watch the video? What should they learn or do afterwards? Where will it be used? Is there a fixed deadline?
Those answers let a producer recommend an approach instead of guessing what you mean by “a two-minute corporate video”. Give each company the same brief so you can compare quotes for the same work.
Look beyond the showreel
Watch several full projects as well as the showreel. Look for work similar in scale and purpose to yours, and consider whether the explanation, pace and tone would suit your audience.
Our Ampol Kurnell induction and Carer Connect NSW walkthrough show two different approaches to explaining a task. Each case study includes the video and the planning behind it.
Pay attention to interview quality, sound, structure, pacing, graphics and how real people are presented. Ask what the production company was responsible for. Some projects use a concept, creative direction or footage supplied by an agency or client.
Ask how the team will handle your project
The team may be interviewing executives, filming in a working facility or dealing with your customers. Ask about their experience with those situations as well as the videos they’ve made.
Notice the questions a producer asks about the audience, subject and intended use of the video. Ask how they’d approach the filming, what they’d need from your team and how they’d handle approvals.
Compare what each quote includes
A quote should explain what happens before, during and after filming. Check the filming hours, crew roles, locations, cameras, number of finished videos, graphics, music, captions, revision rounds and delivery formats. Clarify travel, overtime, talent, studio, voiceover and raw footage where they apply.
A lower quote may include fewer filming hours, edit versions or revisions. If you need to reduce the budget, ask the producer what they’d change and how that would affect the video.
Our pricing page provides a starting point. The written quote should list what’s included in your project.
Decide who will approve the work
Before work starts, decide who needs to approve it. Identify the day-to-day contact, the final approver and anyone who must review for brand, legal, technical or executive reasons. Decide when each person should be involved.
Discuss conflicting feedback within your team before sending it to the editor. Give the production company one agreed set of notes, with priorities explained where necessary.
Ask for a production process that sets out when the concept, script, schedule and edit need approval, and what happens if the scope changes.
Clarify ownership, storage and delivery
Confirm what you will receive and what you are licensed to use. Music, stock footage, performers and voiceover may have defined usage terms. Raw footage and editable project files are different from finished masters and are not always included.
Agree the required aspect ratios, caption files, presentation versions and platform formats before editing finishes. Also ask how long footage and projects will be retained. Check that your team has the files and usage information needed to publish the video.
Ask what happens next
Ask when you’ll receive the script or edit, what feedback is needed and whether any decisions will affect the cost or schedule. The production team should keep you informed as the project progresses.
If you’re looking for a video production company in Sydney, send us your brief or rough idea. We can talk through what’s involved and prepare a scope and quote.