Quality video production doesn’t come cheap. If you think it does, you might be deluding yourself, or you’ve talked to some of the “budget” production companies who will probably make you one of “those” videos. We’ve all seen “those” videos or “those” commercials… the ones where you can just tell they cut corners on everything.
Ok, that might sound like a harsh reality but really, do you want cheap or do you want something that is going to convey a solid, professional image? Something that communicates your message in a clear concise way? The answer should be a no-brainer.
So now you’re likely asking, “What does a video cost?” Well, that depends on many factors.
It all starts with the creative concepts, the theme, the thread for the production as well as script writing. After all, creative is directly related to the budget.
As an example, let’s look at a basic shoot. Let’s say something or someone in your production will be filmed. A crew is needed. The crew are all professionals (no you can not shoot this yourself on the Flip camera you got for Christmas last year).
A crew for the day might consist of a Director, a Director of Photography (the cinematographer), possibly an audio engineer, a lighting engineer, grips, and gaffers. Of course, if you want whoever is on camera to look good, you might want to consider a hair and makeup artist. Wait… what about wardrobe and set design? And yes, there could be additional professionals to operate special equipment like a teleprompter or a jib.
Now that was just the people. You also need to consider budgeting for all of the equipment everyone will be using to get the perfect shots. If you’re not at your own location, there might be studio rental fees or other location charges. Maybe the script calls for professional talent (often times much better on camera than you or your staff… nothing personal).
Once the footage is captured, postproduction begins. This is where a whole lot of magic happens including editing, sound design, color grading, motion graphics, and animation. At dvi these are performed by people who specialize in their areas. In other words, our animators don’t make music… well, some of them do on the side, because they are super talented and cool people.
Hopefully, you’re starting to see what goes into a quality production. You know, the kind of production you want for your company. But don’t feel like your goose is cooked. There are lots of ways to save money now and on future productions, so go to the pros. At the dvi group we will show you the value of doing it right the first time.