The very nature of making videos means problems are inevitable. Each video will have its own issues that arise of the course of the project. A good production company should be skilled in tackling most things that are thrown at them. However there are common problems that should be red-flags for anyone having a video made. Hopefully this will give you some idea of what to look out for when choosing the company to make your videos.
1. Bad sound
It hurts to see so many videos out there that suffer from this. Recording and outputting good sound is a skill. It’s not surprising to see people who decide to make their video in-house get it wrong. In those instances it can be slightly forgivable. But when you watch a video made by a production company that has poor sound I want to pull my hair out. It happens all too often. Again when choosing your team remember to not only watch their work but listen to it. Bad sound can kill your video.
2. Wrong delivery formats
Knowing what format you require a video in is very important. Otherwise you’ll find yourself trying to jam a square peg into a round hole. Sometimes this can be as precise as needing a certain pixel amount if you’re displaying the video on a screen. Or it can be a restricted file size if you are uploading to a bespoke video player. Even if you are displaying on popular video players like YouTube and Vimeo the formats are different. Seeing YouTube videos displaying incorrectly or enveloped by black borders is a personal bugbear. Make sure you know where the video is going first and your production company can deliver the correct format.
3. Miscommunication of a brief
This can always be a problem when getting someone to create something you want. What you want and see in your head may not be what the creator sees in theirs. That is why it is vital every part of the project is communicated clearly – on both sides. We always repeat a brief back to our clients outlining everything we are going to do. This includes addressing the audience, the formats, and the aims and messages. We also make it clear how we’ll be doing it and try to outline how the video will look. We do this to make sure everyone is on the same page and there are no surprises in the end. When you employ a filmmaker sit down and find out if you are singing from the same hymn sheet, otherwise you’ll have a film you don’t want.
4. Changing a brief half way through the process
This usually happens in the editing stage. Something you didn’t expect has come up in the first cut and you want to explore it. This can be a pleasant and amazing journey where you find new directions to take the project. On the other hand you may find yourself wishing for something that isn’t there. No matter how hard you try and change it, if the right footage wasn’t captured you cant edit it. The purpose of a brief is to explore the creative and technical possibilities of the idea. Editing should bring that together and make it a reality. Trying to change that idea when it’s too late can create a very confusing video.
5. Filming doesn’t go to plan
When you plan to make a video there are a huge number of variables that can go wrong. You may plan to film everything in 1 day to be more cost effective. But this puts so much pressure on making sure everything is perfect for that day. However if you run a business you don’t want things to stop just for a video shoot. This can lead to scheduling clashes. You may have lined up a series of interviews with staff but on the day some are called to away or off sick. You may want to film a certain activity, but come the day find out it’s rained off.
It’s always important to plan for as much as possible but also have a production company that can adapt to change and understands any restrictions you have. We know that our responsibility is to our clients and making sure we can work around your schedules and help solve any problems to pop up.