Life can be unpredictable, and this is no different in the corporate world. You may encounter a situation where your company is hosting an event, and the boss wants a highlight reel. And she decides this two days prior to the event.
Or, you may be pitching a job to a big client, and they want digital examples of what you offer. And the pitch is tomorrow.
You may have a product being released next week, and finally have the budget approved to make an advertisement for it.
No matter the situation, you will need to find someone to make your video in a hurry. How do you find a reliable video production company that can provide you the services you need in such a time crunch?
We have compiled these tips-and-tricks to help you (as a client) know what to look out for when hiring a last-minute video production team. We have also included how to put together all the information you’ll need to pass over to ensure a quick and smooth turnaround.
1) Look for 24-hour Service
Often with video production companies, they will have an in-house team that works typical business hours. (The usual 9 am – 5 pm.) If you want something filmed or edited outside of those times, most companies will charge a huge additional fee. We recommend that you look for a company that already offers 24-hour services. This way, you’ll know that the production company can meet your deadline and won’t charge you a large fee for unsociable hours.
Let us give you an example. We at Bold Content offer 24-hour editing, which can be extremely useful for clients needing overnight turnaround. Just before Christmas, we worked with a client who needed a video released in time for a film premiere. We were able to work late hours to ensure we put out exactly what they wanted on-time.
2) Look for a Company with Wide and Extensive Experience
The more experience a company has with film production, the quicker they will be able to put together a project. They will be able to provide you with competent service and results while working quickly, due to this experience. It will also mean that the staff will be aware of industry pitfalls to prevent or avoid.
For instance, we have an in-house production manager with extensive experience overseeing film projects. We had a last-minute event that needed filming earlier this year. We knew that we would need to coordinate with the venue to ensure we would have the sound feed from the auditorium microphone. This avoided any time wastage on the day, by arranging sound production ahead of time.
Experience also includes awards and recognition – for example, we have even been recognized as a top video production company on DesignRush.
3) Look for a Company Close to You
This is important if you are filming an event at your headquarters or in your city. Even if a production company offers 24-hour service and has extensive experience, they can’t film something quickly if they are 6 hours away. Find a local production company that won’t need to waste time transporting equipment and personnel to your location. This will also save you money in additional travel costs, which are typically charged by the mile.
We are based in London, and we offer a flat transportation rate for anywhere within the M25. We also have extensive contacts in most cities around the U.K., which means we can address any last-minute filming needs without having to charge crazy transport fees for our staff.
4) Have a Brief Prepared
Communication is crucial when you want something taken care of right away. We recommend that you have a clearly outlined idea of what you want filmed prior to contacting any production companies. Some questions to think about:
- What is your overall deadline?
- What type of video do you want filmed? (Promotional, event, animation, ect.)
- Is there a specific day you must have filming completed by?
- How soon after filming do you need the editing finished? Will you need overnight delivery?
- Do you have anyone specific that needs to be in your video? Do they have limited availability? If so, when?
- What is you overall goal for this video?
- Do you have any sample videos you can send to the production company? (This gives them a better idea of what you will need accomplished in the given time frame.)
We also recommend that you ask any questions that you may have a they arise. We can assure you at Bold Content, we ask many questions to our client to ensure we are on the same page.
Wrap-Up
There you have it. A quick, concise article for those that need quick, concise service. When searching for video production service in a rush, don’t forget to look for a company that offers 24-hour services, who has extensive experience, and is local to you. Make sure you have all of your information compiled prior to contacting anyone, as well, in order to get the project rolling as soon as possible.