What Questions Should I Ask When Choosing a Video Production Company?
At Mooviemakers we work a huge range of clients, but it’s still surprising how many come to us and say this is the first time they’ve looked into creating a video or an animation. They don’t know the process, how to choose between providers, or what information they need to be armed with to make an informed decision.
This might be you right now. So, we’ve put together this handy guide of the best questions to ask your potential suppliers before you choose a video production company and make a firm commitment.
1. Do you create everything in-house?
Sounds obvious, but a lot of animated video production companies are actually middleman agencies who will outsource most, or even all of their work, to third parties. Sometimes these third parties are low paid overseas contractors who may not speak English, or have a cultural grasp of your company, industry, or the problem you are trying to solve.
This means that you won’t be sure of who actually creates your video. Feedback might be through an intermediary rather than directly with your designer, and obviously you’ll be paying a markup to the agency, so you won’t be getting the best value for your money.
Make sure the agency you choose is fully transparent with who creates your content. Where are they based? Who works there? Who do I speak to during production?
2. Can You Show Me Examples of Your Previous Work?
A portfolio is one of the best indicators of a company’s quality and style. Reviewing their past projects will help you determine if their aesthetic and storytelling align with your vision.
It’s likely most companies will have a portfolio page on their websites, but it won’t be an exhaustive list of all their past work, so don’t think of it as a full library of content. They may have a YouTube, Vimeo or other public channels you can review, or they can send you specific examples they think will be useful to your decision-making process.
3. What Is Your Production Process Like?
Understanding the company’s workflow—from concept development and scripting to storyboarding, illustration, animation and delivery—will help you assess whether their approach fits your needs and timeline.
Ask how involved you will be expected to be? What milestones will there be along the way? What steps are in place to ensure things are moving forward smoothly and on time?
Will the company provide you with a storyboard? This is a static visual representation of how the story will flow before the video is created. It enables you to see visual ideas before the time-consuming work of animation begins. Is this a full quality storyboard, or just a sketch mock-up?
Some companies will have specific tools for proofing, feedback and communication. Some companies might do things all via email. You might have a single point of contact overseeing the production, you might speak to each individual team member along the way, or they might be a combination of both. Ask how this works.
4. Is everything unique to me and my brand?
Again, it sounds obvious, but make sure you check if the animated video you are commissioning is going be created specifically and uniquely for your company.
A lot of agencies, particularly those who advertise low prices, are actually just modifying off-the-shelf templates, heavily utilising stock graphics, or repurposing old videos with a few minor adjustments to make it look slightly different.
If you have budget constraints this might be acceptable to you, but if you do want something fully bespoke and designed specifically with your brand in mind, then you need to ask if the video will be created from scratch.
5. How Do You Handle Revisions?
Revisions are a natural part of the creative process. Clarify how many revisions are included in the price and what the process entails to avoid unexpected costs or delays. Some companies will provide unlimited revisions as part of a package price, and others will charge additional costs every time you need to make a change. Make sure you are aware of these costs, and what a typical revision looks like.
How much can you change at every stage? What are the scopes of revisions? Is there ever a cut off in how many revisions you can make?
A common hurdle is changing a script late on in production. This can mean re-recording a voice over and making large material changes to the designs. Make sure you are fully aware of the ramifications of revisions and how it can impact costs and timelines.
Some startups have very fast-moving, fluid marketing departments. Things can change or be updated rapidly. Will this affect production? What happens if you need to update a video in a few months’ time?
6. What Is Your Pricing and Payment Structure?
Ask for a detailed breakdown of costs. Some companies offer flat-rate pricing, while others charge based on time and complexity. Understanding the pricing structure will help you budget effectively.
If you need multiple videos, you might be able to negotiate a lower price per video if certain assets can be reused across multiple projects. A retainer is another option for clients that have requirements for large volumes of work. This might work out cheaper on a per video basis, and provide a you with longer lasting relationship.
Make sure the companies payment structure aligns with your companies. It is typical for creative agencies to require a deposit up front before work is started. Will your company allow this? Will purchase orders suffice? Will you only pay in full on completion?
Does the company accept card payments? Do you need to send money across borders? Will there be any fees for this?
Make sure all these issues are discussed at the start of a project.
7. Do You Provide Scriptwriting and Creative Direction?
If you need assistance developing your story, check whether the company offers scriptwriting and creative direction.
Does the company take the lead on the creative, or will you be expected to come with fully formed ideas? Will you need to create an outline for them to work from, or will they be doing all the creative direction?
8. What do I need to supply?
At the very least you should expect to supply a logo, brand colours and links to other marketing material so your video can be aligned to your brand.
Some project might require software screen recordings to be made or logins to be provided. Will you be able to supply these? Will this incur delays?
9. Do I get production assets after completion?
Don’t assume you will be given access to the production files after the video project is completed. Some companies will charge a fee to supply assets or they may even flat out refuse to do so.
If you do want to be able to reuse or repurpose assets from your video for other marketing platforms, make sure you communicate this directly at the start of the process. It might help rule out certain providers.
10. What Experience Do You Have in My Industry?
Not all video production companies are experienced in every industry. Ask if they have worked with businesses similar to yours and request examples of their work. Industry-specific experience ensures they understand your audience and messaging needs.
Having said that, it may be that whilst a specific company may not have worked specifically within your niche before, they have created content that resonates with your brand elsewhere.
11. What Is the Estimated Timeline for Completion?
Deadlines are critical, especially for time-sensitive campaigns. Get a realistic estimate of how long the production will take from start to finish.
Timelines should include contingencies for things like feedback, revisions and unexpected delays such as hold ups in supplying briefs, illnesses or multiple people needing to feed into the review process. It’s also worth noting that most timelines will include requirements for clients to respond within a certain timeframe such as within 48 hours of receiving a proof. If this isn’t possible you should communicate this clearly at the start of the process as it will usually impact on the estimated timeline for completion.
12. Do You Offer Distribution or Marketing Support?
Some production companies also offer video marketing services, such as SEO optimization, social media distribution, and paid advertising strategies. This can be a valuable add-on to maximize your video’s reach.
13. Who Owns the Rights to the Final Video?
Clarify copyright and usage rights to avoid any legal issues. Ensure you retain full ownership or understand any licensing restrictions before signing a contract. This includes music rights, rights to stock images or stock footage, and sometimes affiliate logos that might be in the video. Some usage rights might be time limited to a year, or 5 years.
It’s also noteworthy that usage rights vary depending on the delivery of the video. Online only usage rights won’t cover you for broadcast TV, and some rights will be determined by how many people are going to vide the content.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right video production company requires careful consideration. By asking these questions, you can confidently select a partner who understands your vision, aligns with your budget, and delivers high-quality video content that achieves your business goals.
Mooviemakers give answers to all these questions during our initial consultation, many other companies won’t.
Looking for a professional video production company? Get in touch with us today to discuss your project.