Parc Entertainment - A Video Production Company

Video production is an industry full of variety. In my career, I have covered several different businesses, topics, people, and places. Browse through any video director’s client list and you will no doubt see a broad spectrum of projects. However, there may come a point when you are approached by one of your client’s direct competitors to produce video content. Should you take the job or should you politely refuse because of your existing relationship?

The answer to this question depends on a number of factors - most importantly, the nature of the relationship with your existing client. Here are some things to consider:

• If you signed a non-disclosure agreement with your client, then legally, you might not be able to accept a job from a competitor.
• If you signed some kind of non-compete clause, then you probably won’t be able to take the competitor’s job.
• Let’s suppose you produce a lot of content for your client on a regular basis. And let’s suppose each video requires you to be out on location meeting with your client’s vendors and other people your client does business with. Over time, these vendors might come to think of you as part of your client’s business (even though you, in fact, are an independent contractor). If those same vendors see you representing a competing company, they may take offense and the credibility of your first client could be shaken.
• If your client considers you as their “go-to” guy/gal for production work, they may get their feelings hurt if they realize that you are doing work for their competitor. In which case, they may not want to hire you for their next project. Be careful not to burn any bridges.

Ultimately, the choice you make should be handled on a case-by-case basis, because every situation is different. Obviously, if you have only produced one video for a client, and that project is now five years old, it’s probably okay to accept a job from a competitor.

It also might be helpful to address these concerns with a new client before the first project gets underway. If the new client is looking for a long-term relationship, then you probably need to discuss any non-compete policies the company may have. I know it’s tempting to jump at a good offer when it comes your way, but more important than new jobs are the relationships you have established with your existing clientele.

So now I’ll open the floor for discussion. What would you do in a situation like this? Do you agree or disagree with the considerations mentioned in this post?

Business owners, freelancers, marketing personnel, public relations officers will at one time or another have to deal with projects and/or products that simply aren’t working right. And clients who have given their time, trust, and money, will be looking to these individuals to correct the situation. They aren’t interested in excuses. They’re interested in solutions. In a previous post I gave out some advice on how to respond to a client’s concerns. Number one on that list was “Respond Promptly,” but in this post I’d like to add one more point to that list - “Be proactive.”

Case in point: I recently signed up with iContact.com to distribute my monthly e-newsletter. A few days ago, I tried to access the site to work on my newsletters, but the site was down. It wasn’t long before an email popped up in my inbox from the CEO of iContact. The company had taken the time to write their customers and explain to everyone what was happening. That email was followed up with others that detailed what went wrong and how their team was correcting the situation. They also used their Twitter account to post real-time updates.

I was thoroughly impressed with the way iContact handled the situation. I’m certain that a potentially disastrous PR scenario was quickly diffused because they took a proactive approach and kept everyone well informed.

If you are responsible for client relations, regardless of your industry, maintaining open and ongoing lines of communication between your company and your clients will reflect positively on your brand.

For marketers and PR professionals, timely communication with your audience is important to maintaining a strong brand. In a world where news, opinions, reviews, and customer feedback is almost instantaneous, issues must be dealt with now, not later. You must actively engage in an upfront and honest manner. Consider the following story about director Michael Bay’s recent PR mishap (from Cinematical.com)

Never keep hundreds of people waiting in the rain for hours. Michael Bay, Shia LaBeouf, and Megan Fox did just that in South Korea on June 9. An estimated crowd of 600 fans and press lined up in Seoul early to see the red-carpet premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, according to Screen Daily, and were then disappointed when the Transformers entourage arrived 80 minutes late, spending only a few minutes with the crowd. Members of the press were further distressed when the group arrived 30 minutes late to a scheduled news conference the next day, and some staged a walk-out.

Bay has now issued a written apology, explaining that “traveling from another country, and not allowing enough time for airport delays, city traffic and hotel check-in,” and that the press conference delay was due to the “serious pain” he was experiencing from a pulled back muscle. (The group traveled directly from the premiere in Tokyo, Japan.) Damage control was necessary, not only because it’s the right thing to do, but because bloggers had started a campaign to boycott the film in theaters, while local distributor CJ Entertainment insists that interest in the film remains high.

As in the U.S., Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen opens in Korea on June 24. The first Transformers made even more money outside the U.S. than within, so it makes sense to court international audiences, but this incident demonstrates once again that no one likes to be shortchanged or taken for granted.

I particularly like the last line of this article, “No one likes to be shortchanged or taken for granted.” Let your audience know you appreciate them. Communicate with them. Ask for their ideas and input. And utilize the power of video to get your message out to a mass audience.

In the world of video production, projects can span several months, depending on the complexity of the job and the amount of people involved. And during that time, a TON of emails will pass back and forth between the client and production company. Whether you work for the client or the production company, it’s important to save and organize those e-mails. Doing so will help both parties maintain clear expectations as the project moves forward.

Defining the Scope of the Project

When a potential client calls, interested in hiring me to produce a video, they usually go over the basic scope of the project. I am always diligent to take notes and ask questions during this initial conversation. As we draw closer to signing a contract, I always send an email, outlining the project, to make sure I understand everything correctly. Having all of these details recorded in an email is a valuable asset, because it’s much easier to reference an email than try to recall what was or was not said in a phone conversation.

Changing the Project

If a video project is under the oversight of a committee, the scope of the job might change several times before the contract is signed. Here again, saving and organizing every email is important, because it can get very confusing very quickly if changes are being made constantly. Contradictions can become a serious problem unless you have an email that you can refer to. Those emails are a clear record of what was said, by whom, and when.

Obtaining Materials for the Project

Many times a client will email me a signed contract. As the project moves forward, they might send me all kinds of materials for use in the video - scripts, photos, links, titles and other graphics, etc. I will always download these to my hard drive and store them in my project file. However, I will always archive the emails containing these attachments, in case something happens to the files on the hard drive. You always want your client to have faith and confidence in your abilities and your work ethic. Having to ask your client to re-send materials over and over doesn’t exactly send the message that you are organized and efficient.

Conclusion

I use Gmail as my email client. I find that when it comes to organizing, archiving, and searching for messages, Gmail works best for me. And it offers plenty of storage space. I usually hold on to conversations for about one year before deleting them, just in case a client needs to refer back to a specific job. Remaining diligent in your record-keeping will be of great benefit to your client relations.

I’ve written several posts discussing Web 2.0 and the evolution of media across all platforms. Any person, business, organization, etc. that fails to recognize the participatory nature of today’s media and refuses to get involved, will fall way behind in the areas of marketing, advertising and public exposure. I came across this great video today by Niko Pereira, featuring Henry Jenkins of MIT, who discusses how media is changing. Worth watching.

Henry Jenkins on Transmedia - November 2009 from niko on Vimeo.

Many of my larger projects are built into phases. This is done mainly for two reasons: it helps my client’s budgeting needs and it provides them with peace of mind, knowing that I am making constant progress on the video. If you are working on a project that is built into phases, it’s important to thoroughly describe each phase in the contract and when that phase will be completed. Be up front with your client in regards to payment. I usually request a deposit when the contract is signed and then partial payments upon delivery of each phase. Asking for progress payments will help your cash flow and will help defray production costs and the cost of your time.

When that first phase is delivered, however, it’s important that you and your client are both on the same page before the project moves forward. It would be disastrous to move toward completion of a project when your client hasn’t even approved phase one. That’s why, in addition to the original contract, I always provide my clients with written approval agreements that they must sign before I continue with the project. These don’t have to be complicated. All it needs to say is that the client acknowledges that phase one was delivered on schedule, that they have thoroughly examined all elements, and that those elements meet with their approval. This will give you the green light to continue your work, knowing with certainty that the client is completely satisfied with the project thus far.

Remember, never assume. Even if you talk with the client over the phone and they say, “Hey, this looks great! You’re on the right track. Keep going,” you need to get their approval in writing. I have learned this the hard way, dealing with clients who give verbal approval, only to recant it later. That resulted in more work for me, for less pay (because I still had to stay within the specified budget). Maintaining good client relations is all about giving due diligence to proper communications.