Parc Entertainment - A Video Production Company - Birmingham, AL

There’s a fine balance that has to be made between delivering a high-end product and maintaining a budget that your client finds reasonable.

Let’s say you’re getting started in your video production business and you need to keep your production costs low to attract new clients. However, you also want to create content with high production values to give the appearance that your client spent more than they actually did. You always want to go for the “wow” factor. So, how can you create videos with great production value while working with a modest budget?

1. Learn everything you can about proper cinematography techniques. One of the easiest ways to make more aesthetically-pleasing videos is to know the basic concepts of cinematography. Video production is a craft. Don’t think that you can pick up a camera and then point and shoot. You have to learn about composition, framing, camera movements, lighting. You have to learn all you can about the camera itself and its functions. Don’t take this first lesson for granted. This is a necessary pre-production task that won’t cost you anything but time, but it’s the foundation for better looking productions.
2. Capture good audio. Nothing spoils a video faster than bad audio. Make careful considerations regarding your locations. Scout them first. Listen for anything in the vicinity that could cause a problem for your audio track. If you can, hire an experienced audio mixer/boom man for your shoot. Even if the crew consists of just you and the sound guy. Trust me, it will be worth it.
3. Keep the crew to a minimum. Your production budget can really spin out of control once you start adding on grips, audio technicians, editors, etc. When you’re starting out, you will need to function as producer/writer/director/DP/editor in order to keep your costs down. However, you have to concede the fact that while you’re on location you won’t be able to do everything yourself. Start off by hiring one assistant to help you with gear. A fair rate for this individual is anywhere from $200-$350 per day, depending on his/her experience.* (a day rate is based on a 10-hour day. You can pay your assistant a half-day rate if you are on location no more than 5 hours.)
4. Develop a shot list. This is a no-cost pre-production task that will save you time while on location. Each shoot needs to run as efficiently as possible. Time is money. So, always write out a shot list before arriving on location.
5. Rehearse before shooting. The less tape you use, the less money you spend. The less footage you put on your P2 card (or other solid-state media), the less space you take up on your hard drive, meaning less money. So, always rehearse with your talent before shooting. Go over the action and the camera moves. Make sure everyone is clear on what’s to happen when the camera rolls.
6. Take advantage of DIY techniques. High-end productions utilize dollies and cranes to create smooth camera movements. Those movements look very professional on screen and ramp up the production value of any video. But that equipment costs money - a lot of money. But have no fear. There are a number of wonderful do-it-yourself resources on the web for creating the same professional look at minimal cost. Just look at our previous post about creating a dolly move without the use of a dolly. Also look at tutorials from sources like Triune Films and read DIY stuff from FilmmakerIQ. Here’s a quick tutorial on creating your own camera car mount.
7. Invest in stock footage. This will be a rather pricy upfront cost, but the resource will quickly pay for itself. Let’s face it - Shooting at the beaches of Mexico would be too expensive. Grabbing that aerial shot over the Colorado Rockies is probably out of reach. But, if you had a library of stock footage, you could quickly plug in that aerial shot when the subject matter calls for it and by doing so you can instantly increase the production value of your video. A good resource for stock footage is over at Digital Juice.

There are a number of ways to keep your costs down while giving your client a video that “wow’s” them. All it takes is a little imagination and resourcefulness. And as your business gains momentum, you can start investing in bigger crews, better cameras, and additional gear.

As you market your services to potential clients, it’s important to remember that perception is everything. If people see you as knowledgeable and experienced, they will be more inclined to listen to what you are offering. Image is key.

I recently came across a website promising visitors that success can be found in a video production career. On the home page is a brief video, featuring a spokesperson who covers a few introductory items in a “how-to” lecture format. The spokesperson was well-prepared and, based on what he said, seemed knowledgeable.

But something wasn’t quite right with the image they were presenting. This is a site for a company that wants you, the viewer, to consider them as a valuable resource in your fledgling production career. However, the quality of the home page video was unimpressive.

It was shot with a standard consumer camcorder under flat lighting conditions. The camera was pointed at the spokesperson standing in front of a dry erase marker board, creating a presentation that failed to engage the viewer.

It seemed that the on-board camera mic was used, rather than a lavaliere or shotgun mic. Therefore, the audio sounded thin and the levels were too low. The auto-focus was left on, meaning that during the video the whole scene would fall out of focus as the camera tried to calibrate itself.

Visitors to the site might come away from watching this video with a little less respect for the company, because little consideration was given to the image being portrayed to potential clients. A more effective video would have included behind-the-scenes footage of the production process: on location shooting with high-end equipment, in the studio working with the lighting gear, in the edit suite putting everything together, etc. This would have given the viewer a general overview into the production world and would have been far more engaging than a single shot of a spokesperson in front of a marker board.

Remember, perception is everything when it comes to marketing. Position yourself as a knowledgeable expert in your field and constantly re-evaluate the image and brand you are communicating to potential clients.