Why use a 'full-service' video production company?

So, you want to make a video for your organization and you’re looking for a production company to take it from “start to finish.” Problem is… what is “start” and what is “finish?”

You may already have the script or the concept and just need a company to execute on it. Or perhaps you just need a company to edit some clips you’ve already captured.

You could try a freelancer or a production company that specializes in a particular part of the process, but here’s why a “full-service” video production company might be a better fit. But first, an overview of the video production process.

The Video Production Process

Because there are tons of different types of videos, the video process varies slightly for different media (e.g. 2D animation vs. 3D animation vs. live action). Below is a quick overview of the process for each. If you’d like, you can just click on any of the above links to jump down to the section most relevant to you.

So you can see there are slight differences to each, but the overarching structure of Discovery to Delivery is the same. And a “full-service” production company can usually take on everything between those two steps in the process.

But anyways, now that you know a bit more about each process, here’s why it’s a good idea to bring on a full-service production company.

1. You want to have a company that is aware of all of the parts of the production pipeline.

Video can seem as simple as just capturing pretty pictures, but what if the person shooting your video knows nothing about editing? The footage will be disorganized and very difficult to edit into a cohesive sequence. Or what if the company shooting or editing your video knows nothing about story structure? Eek!

Whether handling the beginning or a specific part of the production process, it pays to have a video production company that knows how all the pieces fit together and is well informed about the deliverables required in each section. This helps them accomplish and deliver the deliverables in the most efficient way possible and can help you to avoid cost overruns inherent in reshoots, additional revisions, etc.

2. You want to have a company that has a mastery of each part of the production pipeline.

Whether you just need an edit of existing footage or the full monty, it’s important to have a creative partner that can handle any part of the process and can operate fluidly in any of them.

This is important now, as well as in the future when the next video you create may involve more of the process than the first video. You may end up asking, “I know you guys only edited that video for us last time, but can you shoot this next one for us?” Or “I know you shot it, but can you maybe write our script next time?’

When you find out they can’t handle more than just their individual part of the process, it can be frustrating having to start from scratch to search for a new partner. This leads us to…

3. You want to have a company that flexes up or down with you.

Say you’re overwhelmed by the success of a previous video you made with your partner, and now you want to make another, but this time you’re too busy to write the script, etc.

You’ll want to know in advance that your video production partner is capable of taking on that part of the process. This goes for everything from Discovery to Delivery.

At Handshake, it’s been incredibly gratifying to be able to offer more services to our existing clients and to see them breathe that sigh of relief when you say, “Yep, we got you covered.”

Conclusion

So ultimately, whether or not you need very specific work done, or a whole video from “start” to “finish” it pays to have a partner who can do it all. And luckily a really great full-service production company is only a ‘shake away.

Just drop us a line here and we’ll figure out the best solution to fit your specific business need.

And hey, if this was helpful, please let us know and share it with anyone you know who might appreciate it. We’d love to help more folks figure out how best to market their products!