Capture Video – New Year Planning

New Year Planning

The first quarter of the year always seems particularly busy for businesses implementing or developing new strategies. If one of the items in this year’s business plan is a new or improved video, here are some things to consider so you’re ready for a productive discussion with the videographer you choose.

Budget

There are can be many reasons for not sharing the budget for your piece, but keeping it back may be interfering with you getting exactly the final product you really need. There are a wide variety of options and possibilities for every project. With a clear understanding of the true budget, your videographer will be able to streamline the options she presents for your particular project and help you understand exactly what you are getting for your money.

Purpose

What is the planned end use for this video? Will it be shown at the corporate annual meeting on a big screen? It might be destined for YouTube to inform clients about a new offering. Perhaps it is the latest in a series of well received training videos. How you plan to use your video will affect how it is created in many ways. For example, graphics that will be seen online are created differently than those that will be shown on a big screen. It can also affect the number of people in a shot and how much detail will be seen. What message will your content convey? Some purposes are well served with a single person talking or demonstrating, while others might require some extensive graphics or additional photos. Understand the full scope of your project so your videographer can help you make it a success.

Time Frame

This includes not only when you want the professional to come shoot your footage, but also when you will be available for edits and other questions from your videographer. You won’t want your project held up by not understanding the full scope of your time commitment. How long a project takes is extremely variable, but you can assume a minimum of 2 weeks to edit the raw footage after it is shot. Jobs can be rushed to meet a deadline, but that should be part of the schedule, not a surprise. Consider things like major holidays and personnel availability when creating the production schedule. December 10^th, for example, is not really a good start date for a project that needs to be done by the end of the year. Even if a month would normally be sufficient, it’s a safe bet that many of your participants aren’t going to be available at some point during the month. Be sure your schedule includes dates to review the video, as well as a date for final delivery.

Having a clear understanding of each of these facets is particularly important if you are looking for a quote that will be built into a larger project. Capture Video is happy to work with you on determining the requirements of your project and to provide quotes on speculative projects.