Leveraging The Correct Production Partner To Up Your Videos In 2021

As we get through the first few weeks of 2021, one thing becomes abundantly clear. This was not the typical start to a new year; the challenges of 2020 did not fade into the rear view mirror. While things are certainly starting to look much better there are still challenges and more importantly, it’s not ‘business as usual’ anymore. For that matter, ‘business as usual’ has likely been forever changed.

So where does that leave small to medium business and their marketing teams that still have a job to do? Chances are these changes have you looking to increase your use and dependence on video content. If you haven’t been using video it’s time to start, if you have a small team it’s time to increase their bandwidth and skill set, if you’ve been doing small social content it’s time to look at branded entertainment, if you’ve been exploring webinars it’s time to look at live streaming event.

The bottom line, backed up by statistics, is that consumers want more and more video and that markets who use video are seeing the best ROI.

Ok, I’m not breaking any earth shattering news here. You already know you need video content and you already know it needs to be good. You’re seeing competitors and industry leaders put out compelling content and maybe you even have some in-house capabilities.

Much like a lot of business decisions however, if you really want to create effective content you need a production partner. The issue however is that there are a lot of options all at vastly different levels of cost.

Let me shift gears for a moment here. I’ve got this friend, great guy, my wife and I would meet him and his wife for dinner pretty frequently when we could. Anyway, one night he starts telling me about this place he gets his shirts from. Very nice, keeps him up with the latest styles all that and I gotta try it. Well, I’ve been wearing the same brand black t-shirt everyday for 15 years. Summer, winter it doesn’t matter. Point is, what works for him, what looks great on him, it's not what works for me. 

The same is true when you get into a relationship with a video production partner, who consequently will be helping you make the content that will carry your message to all those new clients that are going to make your sales this year. This is an important decision for your company. 

88% of video marketers reported that video gives them a positive ROI 

What this also tells, besides being more evidence of the power of video, is that video production is big business and that being the case there are a lot of options. 

As the economy has shifted the number of freelance filmmakers and production companies has only increased. And in most cases the videos they make are great...in some ways. With this many options how do you make sure you’re working with the one best suited for your company.

An effective video needs to do more than look great or have some cool visuals and the production partner you choose is going to play a big role in how big a role they play.

Let’s start by looking at some common types of video partners.

We’re not going to get too deep here and all these types have their place. What is important is to look at this as a way to determine the resources each type of partner might be able to put into your project so you can be sure to set yourself and your partner up for success. 

• The one man band. Always willing, always available and honestly good for some smaller projects. Our advice here is to set your outcome goals and expectations properly. You need to know that some of the logistics will fall on you, this of course should be reflected in the cost. 
• The Dynamic Duo. Their work will usually have a very definitive look and style, which by the way is probably their calling card and the reason you reached out to them. They are also the team that when they walk into the office everyone knows they’re the video team. Hell, one of them probably carries a LEICA in a well worn leather satchel. 
• The Boutique Production Company. We’re getting into a sweet spot here. Enough resources to scale up or down for your project yet small enough that you are dealing with primary decision makers regularly. 
• Agency Production Companies. Think top tier creative directors, sleek pitch meetings and national broadcast commercials with sound stages and trucks that look like a movie is being made. This level of course comes in at a pretty penny. 

The key here is not to say that one of these is better than the other. The key here is to seek the company that will best align with the needs of your project and the overall budget and to work with the most effective team at whichever level. 

A quick tip that applies to all these production company options. While you're looking at some of their past projects and noticing how great they look. Ask a few deeper questions.

• What was the budget of some of these projects?
• What was the timeline of some of these projects?
• What sort of a plan or overall process did they apply to projects?
• Will they be able to apply a process to manage and drive your project?

Something else to think about is that every production partner has a different approach to creativity. Over the years I’ve worked with many clients who pointed out that past projects came off the rails because the production partner was pushing for a creative solution or idea that was off brand, but would likely look great on the partners reel later on. 

So here are 4 principles that we would suggest you look for in a partner.

Principle 1: (This is 1st for a reason). Ensure your production partner will take the time in the planning phase to clearly understand your company's brand, need and audience. 

This is often one of the more challenging but important issues we have run into as a production company. Frequently, though not always, our clients are so excited for their ideas to come to life that they want to jump straight into the production phase. 

Now, we totally understand this. Shooting the video is always (except that one time when we were standing in 4 inches of ice cold water for 12 hrs) the most fun part of the process. However, we have found that having a fully fleshed out creative plan, a tested script and all the logistics and planning done ahead of time makes the shoot day much more productive and ensures a cohesive and effective final product. 

What does this mean for you? Your production partner needs to be comfortable setting the pace. They need to be able to balance deadlines with details.

What to look for? In the initial conversations where is there focus? What part of the process are they selling you on? If it’s all about the destination and nothing on the journey make sure you ask how they are getting you there.

Principle 2: Ensure that your production partner will follow your lead regarding who your customers are. Avoid production partners that believe they understand your audience better than you do.

This is a tricky one here. You want a partner that will follow your lead on the goal of the project and on who the target persona is but at the same time can take the lead in the execution and how best to communicate your ideas with that persona. It’s a lot of give and take so establishing good two way communication up front will help in the long run. 

One thing we’ve found is that many production partners selfishly want to make content that they think is ‘cool’, or challenging to do - which is great and will look amazing on their reel for their next client. However, that doesn’t result in keeping the script effective and focused on your message. 

We’re not saying your production/creative partner(s) shouldn’t have creative input, they need to bring creativity to the table. What we are saying is that your partner(s) should lean on your understanding of your product, service, target audience persona and script guidelines to present and execute creative that carefully matches your company’s needs. Now if those needs happen to be really ‘cool’ challenging shots than that’s even better...we’re looking at you RED BULL.

What does this mean for you? It’s all about give and take, you need to trust your partner when it comes to how to communicate the idea and they need to trust you when it comes to the overall message and who you are communicating with.

What to look for? This takes some proactive effort on your part but helps your partner and the project in the long run. In the early stages of your relationship before any scripts or ideas are going, offer them some data on your target audience and on who your customers are. If they jump at it and you see elements of it in the early stages of the outline you and your new partner are on the right track. 

Principle 3: Ensure your partner can stick to the plan. On the Fly adjustments and chasing shiny objects are great … in the development stage of a project

When you’re trying to prove the value of your newly launched endeavor, don’t reinvent the wheel creatively. When the visuals match the script and are purposefully planned and executed to support that script, your audience will be more inclined to take that leap of faith and answer that call-to-action.

We’re not saying that there are no unicorns out there where some moment of inspiration didn’t change everything for the better and make that amazing video. We’re saying the chances of it are low. It’s a big gamble to let the massive amount of hard work and planning you and your partner did throughout development get sidetracked by a ‘new idea’ that may or may not play out. 

Check out this blog on how critical planning is to creating viral content

Besides tracking away from your carefully crafted message and script these last minute changes can have massive impact on your production day. You can leave your team feeling unprepared and cause unnecessary delays as everyone shifts the plan. These delays could run you into sizable overtime costs or worse cause you to not get all the required shots before the end of the day.

What does this mean for you? Stick to the plan, trust that you and your team thought this through. Then once you’ve got what you need, it’s a good time to get an alternative take to experiment a little. Eat those veggies before dessert.

What to look for? This is a down the road problem that you need to figure out early so here’s our suggestion.

Production companies love to show you their reel, the really cool end result. Ask for some of the behind the scenes information. Do they have a production book sample? How about a final script from a recent project? If the script and what you see on the video samples are drastically different that may be a red flag.

Principle 4: Ensure your Production Partner will be bringing you the same ‘A Game’ in the last mile as hard as they did in the pitch.

Production projects are a marathon, not a sprint and you want a partner that will be there with you through all of it, including the couple of questions you will inevitably have long after the project is delivered. 

Much like everyone wants to get straight to the production phase many people see the post phase as a bit tedious. Editors are a strange breed to be sure, locked in dim caves like offices with twin monitors as the only source of light.

This though, this is where all the magic happens. This is where cutting at just the right frame and dialing in the perfect tone will take your video from good to great. Follow your plan as you go into post and see all the details you can tighten to get your video just where it needs to be, to be the most effective for your audience.

What does this mean for you? This one is a two way street and partners often feed off each other's energy. To help your production partner keep the machinery singing in the last phases of the project be on top of your end with the feedback and reviews. This leaves less opportunity for your project to slip at all from the original intent. One of the best things you can do in this phase it to keep the feedback specific and actionable. 

What to look for? Another down the road problem, what we suggest is having a conversation early on about what the post, delivery and wrap up process looks like. Asking questions on how recent projects were wrapped up can give you some insight into what to expect. 

A side note on the plan:

We keep making the point of making the plan early on and sticking with it and then sticking with it. The question comes up ‘If something doesn’t feel right with the plan do we stick with it because it’s the plan?’ Short answer, NO. There’s nothing wrong with reevaluating and potentially pivoting ideas. What’s important is to make it a deliberate choice and be aware that changes will cause some new planning.

Summary:

There’s a ton of options out there when it comes to having a video made, take the time early on in the process to get to know your potential partner. We don’t mean just what their work looks like but how they got the work done. You’ll be involved in this project for quite some time and whether it’s your company or you’re the team lead chances are your job and your company's profits will be heavily affected by this decision. So in short;

• Evaluate the type of partner and balance the resources they can offer with your needs.
• Evaluate the partner on the 4 principles:

1. It’s all in the planning
2. You know your audience and company best
3. Don’t chase the shiny object
4. It’s a long game

• Lastly, you’ll be spending a lot of time with your partner so work with people who you feel comfortable around and can have a regular conversation with.

We’re here to help!

We sincerely appreciate you taking the time to read about our principles of making effective video. You can find more about IndieWhip and see some of the work we’ve done for our amazing clients at www.indiewhip.com

We hope you learned a thing or two. Feel free to drop us a comment, or shoot us an email or ask us a question about anything production related at ask@indiewhip.com. We look forward to your thoughts!