While it’s totally possible to film video marketing content with your smartphone, the camera isn’t the only part of the equation.
Working with a professional videographer or video production company gives you a creative partnership that extends before and after your filming days. The best have skills that go beyond the cameras: They connect you with the people who need to see your message, through the power of video.
Learn more about what videographers and video production companies do to help you make an impact through video storytelling. Plus, get tips on choosing the right video production partner for your next project.
What Is A Video Production Company?
A video production company is a professional team that handles the full pipeline of creating a marketing video, from beginning to end. Different team members help you plan, film, edit, and even market your videos until your content achieves the results you want.
What Does A Video Production Company Do?
Video production companies can help you create nearly any type of video assets that help your brand get your message across. Depending on their niche and experience level, they can help you with start-to-finish production on:
- TV commercials
- Website content
- Social media content
- Training videos and tutorials
- Fundraising videos
- Internal communications
- Brand storytelling content
Oftentimes, your video partner can give you a longer cut that can be repurposed for different uses, like a full interview session with highlights for TikTok.
Videographer vs Video Production Company: What’s The Difference?
A videographer is typically a solo entrepreneur, while video production companies have a full team behind them.
Depending on the size of the production company, there may be a handful of employees who wear multiple hats, or a full-service team of professionals, such as a camera operator, sound technician, director, producer, editor, and more.
The larger team means video production companies have the bandwidth to take on more complex video projects, edit and produce your content faster, and work with more brands on a long-term basis.
The Video Production Process Explained
A video production company will walk you through each element of the video production process. A good video production company will keep your goals in mind from the very beginning of the project, to the moment you publish your content online.
First Meetings & Goal-Setting
During your initial meetings with the team, you’ll sit down in-person, on the phone, or via Zoom to brainstorm your ideas and discuss what you want the project to achieve.
For example, when we work with companies like the University of Rhode Island, the goal is usually to create content that encourages new students to enroll or that shows donors what their donations support.
Getting intentional gives you a clear target to aim for, and ensures that all your video team’s decisions are purposeful.
Creative Direction and Storytelling
You’ll also use your early brainstorming sessions with your video team to establish rapport and build a connection, so they can get a feel for your vision.
They can suggest particular techniques or visual tools to get your storytelling ideas across and help you explore ideas that you might not have considered before. Based on your decision, the production team can start working on scripts and storyboards or create a shot list.
Planning & Solving Problems
The team’s producer can help you solve any logistical challenges you might encounter on your filming site. For example, if you need to route power, get filming permits, or find specialized equipment for certain shots, like a drone. The producer should handle technical work like this for you, so you can rest assured that the shoot will run smoothly.
If you’ve ever wondered what a video producer does, now you know!
Interview Coaching
If you’ve never given an on-camera interview before, the director or producer can walk you through it. They might give you tip sheets to practice on yourself, or even do a practice interview with you to help you feel more comfortable and prepared.
A good interview will feel like a natural conversation, not acting, and will make your video feel more authentic and grounded.
Project Management & Communication
If you’ve ever had a hard time meeting deadlines for your marketing content, working with a video production company could help you stick to a schedule.
The video producer ensures that the production pipeline meets its goals without delay and keeps you in the loop. If anything along the way needs your approval, they can make sure it’s in your inbox ASAP. So, you stay informed and know you’re on track to meet your delivery date for the final video.
Post-Production
Once you’ve made it through principal filming, you’re past one of the biggest hurdles in the process. But raw footage still needs to be edited and polished before you can share it.
During post-production, the editor will assemble a rough cut of your video so you can review it and offer any suggestions. If you approve, they can go forward with final edits and refine it with more techniques like color grading, sound mixing, or even visual effects.
Marketing & Social Media Strategy
Once the company delivers the final files on a physical copy or in a cloud drive (or both), you’re ready to share them with the world.
Some video production companies don’t part ways with you here. Instead, they can stay and help you develop a social media strategy that gets you more online traffic, helps you connect with future clients, and builds your brand image.
How to Choose A Video Production Company That’s Right for Your Project
So, now you know how partnering with a video production company helps you fast-track a finished video. But how do you choose the business that's right for the job?
While you’re vetting your options, consider each of the following questions before you agree to a contract.
- How many years of experience does the owner have?
- Does their portfolio look like the type of work you want?
- Have they worked with brands or businesses in your niche before?
- How will they communicate with you during the production process?
- Will you be allowed to review video files before final approval?
- Do they have reviews and testimonials from past clients?
- How many members are on the production team and what are their roles?
- Will they help you market your videos on YouTube or TikTok?
Most importantly, you should also feel totally comfortable with the creative team members.
The people you’ll work with will help you create video content that shapes your company’s image and ensures your creative vision comes to life. So, they should understand your brand and your project goals, so you can rest assured that your video will meet all your expectations and more.
Work with A Video Production Company in Rhode Island
Want to work with a full-service Rhode Island video production company that can turn an initial brainstorming session into a final video file? McVeigh Media has you covered!
Over the last 25 years, we’ve gone above and beyond throughout every stage of the video editing process for our clients. We’ll strive to deliver the professional, quality videos that you can be proud of, and keep you in the loop during every step of the production process.
Contact us today to schedule a call with one of the best video production companies in Rhode Island.
