How To Choose a Video Production Partner
by Alonso Mayo
Do you need a video production partner for a video or a series of videos for your B2B or B2C business or nonprofit organization? Should you hire a freelancer, a video production company, or an agency? Should you use your in-house marketing team? Should you do it yourself? In this guide, we'll outline some key points to consider to help you select the right video production partner for your project.
For this guide, we're assuming:
You've already decided what type of video you need (for example, a video ad, a brand introduction video, a case study, a branded series, etc.). You can also read our guide: How to Use Video in Your Marketing Strategy.
You've already asked yourself some basic questions about your video project and your brand (What is your brand identity? What is the story you want to tell? Who is the target audience? What is the call to action? What is your budget range and timeline?). You can also read our guide: 5 Questions to Consider Before Making a Brand Video.
First, let's lay out your options:
Do it yourself.
Use your in-house marketing team if you have one.
Hire a freelancer.
Hire a video production company.
Hire an agency.
Every option has distinct advantages and limitations, and the choice is usually tied to a mix of project needs, budget, and specialized know-how. There is no one-size-fits-all solution.
Let's tackle the first two options first: doing it yourself or using your in-house marketing team. Or put another way…
Do you really need professionally-produced video?
The tools for making quality videos have become accessible to anyone, and because of social media, we have all become expert content creators. Not only that, but many organizations have in-house marketing teams regularly putting out content that previously had to be outsourced.
So what is the value, today, of external video production partners? Production quality? Yes, of course. They usually have access to top-of-the-line cameras, audio equipment, and production tools. But, honestly, any modern photo camera you may have at home or that your in-house marketing team uses, along with entry-level audio and production tools, will yield great quality.
The real value is know-how. Effective video production partners are expert strategists, storytellers, content producers, and marketers that know how to tell an engaging story that connects with audiences. That said, every video project doesn't need to be professionally produced.
When should you consider doing it yourself or letting your in-house marketing team handle it?
Storytelling: if a project has little storytelling needs, like simple product demos or testimonials.
Shelf life: if a project will have a limited lifespan, like a social media video that is time-sensitive and only relevant for a limited time.
Production quality: if having the video shot on a mobile phone or an entry-level camera is exactly the style you're going for because it comes directly from you.
Distribution: if you only plan on releasing the video to your current audience and are confident that you or your in-house marketing team can handle distribution efforts, including paid promotions, if necessary.
Budget: if you have little or no budget to spend on hiring an external video production partner.
When should you consider hiring an external video production partner?
Storytelling: if a project requires crafting a story, be it simple or complex, documentary or fiction, and understanding character-building, structure, tone, and style.
Shelf life: if a project will have a long lifespan, like videos that will live on your website or that you plan on showing for years to come.
Production quality: if you want your video to look and feel professional.
Distribution: if you would like to grow your existing audience or reach a new one, and if you need help with distribution efforts like paid promotions or ad campaigns.
Budget: if you have a budget set aside for hiring an external video production partner and for paid promotions.
Additionally, there is the question of perspective. A fresh look into your organization can often yield powerful insights, even if you have an in-house marketing team with solid video capabilities.
At the end of the day, you need to decide if you or your team have the experience and know-how to handle the project from initial strategy to creative development, production, and distribution or if you need to bring in professionals.
Let's talk about those professionals.
Freelancers
A video freelancer or videographer is usually a "one-man band" that can take care of your basic video production needs. A capable video freelancer should be able to shoot and edit a project, but their competence usually ends there. Most freelancers are not strategists, writers, or marketers.
If you hire the right freelancer, you could get a filmmaker who makes your organization and video look incredible. But because it's a single person, their capabilities might not be uniform across the board. For example, some freelancers are better shooters than editors, and some are more technicians than storytellers.
That said, many freelancers are "the whole package." Using a freelancer can be a great option if you or your in-house team are ready to pick up the slack on all the other areas outside their competence.
When should you consider hiring a freelancer?
Storytelling: if a project has little storytelling needs, if the visuals are what's most important, or if you are confident that you or your in-house marketing team can handle the strategy and writing yourself.
Production quality: if you want a higher production value than what you or your in-house marketing team can offer.
Distribution: if you are confident that you or your in-house marketing team can handle distribution, including paid promotion efforts, if necessary.
Budget: if you can't afford to hire a video production company or an agency.
Video Production Companies
Video production companies are companies that specialize in creating video content. Simple enough, right? Well, not really, since there are many types of video production companies. There are small production companies that cater to local clients, "on-demand" companies that offer standardized services, boutique production companies that specialize in specific types of videos, and "full service" or "hybrid" production companies, that take on some of the qualities of a video marketing agency.
But one thing that differentiates video production companies from freelancers out of the gate, apart from being a team of specialized filmmaking professionals, is that most video production companies have strong storytelling capabilities. They don't just execute a project but also help you strategize and handle creative development.
And since video production companies work with many different clients and projects, they are well-versed in the production process and should quickly adapt to your needs. A video production company should be able to guide you through the whole process and elevate your initial idea into a quality, engaging video.
The one area where many video production companies fall short is distribution, as, traditionally, a video production company's role ended at project delivery. This is starting to change as many production companies are incorporating marketing specialists, and there is a rise in "full service" or "hybrid" video production companies. Some clients also opt to collaborate with a marketing agency for their distribution needs, in addition to a video production company.
When should you consider working with a video production company?
Storytelling: if a project has storytelling needs, simple or complex, and could benefit from professional creatives that understand character-building, structure, tone, and style.
Production quality: if you want professional production value.
Distribution: if you are confident that you or your in-house marketing team can handle distribution and paid promotion efforts or if you already work with a marketing agency. Unless, of course, you choose a "full service" or "hybrid" production company that has distribution capabilities.
Budget: in general, video production companies are more expensive than freelancers but more affordable than agencies.
Agencies
An “agency” is a broad term for a company that offers an assortment of strategy, design, marketing, and advertising services. Some are large companies with offices in many countries that provide multiple services, while some are boutique firms specializing in different niches like branding, digital platforms, interactive design, or content production.
While an “ad agency” would be who you go to for a large-scale print, digital and TV-ad campaign, a “creative agency” would be who you go to for general marketing and creative services, including video, and a “video marketing agency” would be who you go to just for video.
One way to understand the difference between video production companies and agencies, as they relate to brand videos, is to think of who makes up their teams. While a video production company is usually a team of filmmakers who focus on marketing videos, an agency is usually a team of marketers who focus on video, as well as other areas.
While some agencies have in-house video production teams, many outsource their production to a video production company. But you, as a client, would only ever interact with the agency. They would be directly in charge of strategy and creative development, oversee the production process with the video production company, and then spearhead distribution.
Creative agencies are a great option if you need a one-stop shop for all your marketing needs, and video marketing agencies are a great option for video campaigns, like video ads. The downside of working with an agency is that they might not be the most cost-effective choice for certain video projects.
When should you consider working with an agency?
Storytelling: if a project has storytelling needs and could benefit from professional creatives with a marketing focus, like video ads.
Production quality: if you want professional production value.
Distribution: if you need a partner that excels in marketing, including paid promotions like ad campaigns.
Budget: in general, agencies are more expensive than video production companies.
The selection process
Once you've decided what type of external video production partner fits best with the needs of your organization, it's time to choose the right provider. But how do you go about this?
Step 1: Initial search
First, you need to identify an initial list of possible partners. Here are some recommendations:
Ask your trusted professional network for recommendations.
Search the web to find either local providers or providers that specialize in the type of video you want to make, many of which probably service wide regions with national and international reach.
Use professional service directories that provide lists and reviews of video providers. For freelancers, you might use directories like Upwork. For video production companies and agencies, you might use a B2B directory like Clutch.
Step 2: Asses their competences
Once you have an initial list, the next step is to evaluate their work and ensure their competence matches your project's requirements. Here are some recommendations:
Visit their website and check out their work. Some might have "reels" or "trailers" made up of their best work, while others provide full video projects. It's helpful to concentrate on watching full projects similar to your project to get a sense of what a finished video might look like.
Read reviews of their work. Ideally, you want to pay attention to reviews posted on third-party sites that authenticate reviews, like professional service directories.
If you plan on using their distribution expertise, check out their client's social media feeds to see how previous projects performed.
Step 3: Contact your top choices
Once you've created your shortlist of top choices, it's time to make initial contact. Some clients request quotes at this stage, which is fine if you've already decided they are a good fit, while other clients prefer to share their budget range and have a creative discussion. How you go about this depends on what your top priority is. For example, are you looking for the cheapest option, or are you looking for the highest quality or creativity?
Regardless of your priorities, you need to share some basic information when you make first contact, including:
What type of video do you want to make?
What are your project objectives?
What is your budget range? (Unless you're looking for the lowest bidder)
What is your timeline?
It's always a good idea to schedule a call with your top choices since you want to get to know them. This is the time to ask some questions like:
What is their production workflow?
Who would be the main point of contact?
Do they offer other required services like animations or visual effects?
How do they handle distribution? If this is required.
Of course, they'll also have their own questions in order to build a proposal for your consideration. Pay attention to the level of detail in their questions to get a sense that they truly want to understand your brand and your project needs.
Step 4: Review proposals
Proposals vary depending on the type of project, but they usually include the following elements:
A description of the general storyline of the video, with at least a beginning, middle, and end,
A description of the tone and style of the video, sometimes including reference images.
A description of the production process, with a timeline for each stage.
A quote.
It's important to note that proposals are initial creative, production, and budget suggestions. They represent the video production partner's first attempt to satisfy your project's needs. Still, they should give you a good idea of their storytelling and production expertise.
Many factors are involved in building a quote, and you might find significant variations between different providers' quotes if you didn't share your budget range. This simply means that, in the absence of a budget range, they made specific creative and production choices like the type of equipment, the number of shooting days, the crew size, etc.
You might request a meeting to review the proposal with your top options and discuss creative, production, and budget concerns. This is also the time to bring in other stakeholders from your organization who need to approve the decision.
Step 5: Make a decision and sign a contract
Once you have chosen your video production partner, you should finalize your decision by signing a contract. Some providers use a "production services agreement" contract, while others use a "terms and conditions" section as part of the proposal approval process. Regardless of the type of contract, pay attention to the details. A contract is a protection mechanism for both sides and helps to formalize the project.
A contract should, at the very least, include the following points:
A description of the project, including all required elements.
A production timeline, including client feedback.
An explanation of how any possible overages are handled.
A description of footage ownership.
An explanation of how cancellations are handled.
That's it! If you want insights into the next step of your journey, the production process, we recommend you read our guide: An In-Depth Guide to Brand Video Production.
We hope this guide has been helpful and wish you the best of luck on your video production journey. If your organization ever needs a boutique video production company specializing in documentary-style brand content, please check out our work, view our services and process, and drop us a line.
Artwork credit: AI Art Generator by NightCafe.
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