Answers To The Most Common Questions We're Asked

01. Production Process

What does the video production process involve?

Every project is different, but broadly speaking the production process can be broken down into three phases:

‍Pre-production: We work with you to learn all about your business and together define what it is you need from video. Some of the questions we might explore are: who is your target audience? What platforms do you want to publish on? What are the key messages you want to communicate? From there we’ll create a video outline and/or detailed script, confirm budgets and arrange any filming dates with you.

‍Production: AKA ‘filming’. This is the bit most people think of when they talk about creating videos. Our crew will capture all the required footage – such as interviews, event footage or product demonstrations. We might film at your premises, at our studio or at some other locations relevant to the video messages.

‍Post-production: Once we’ve captured all the footage we’ll get to work on the edit, crafting the footage into a coherent narrative and adding graphics, titles and music as appropriate. You’ll have a chance to review one or more drafts and give feedback before everything is finalised. An in-depth explanation about all these processes can be found here

How much input do you require from us?

At the outset, we’ll arrange a meeting and/or ask you to complete a short questionnaire to help us understand the project requirements from a predominantly business point of view. From there we will provide options for a creative approach for you to approve. We then consult you on scripting, filming and editing. We’ll keep you informed at every step of the process.

The stages for animation production are very similar. In the early stages we will also create style frames for you to choose from. Once again, we keep in close contact with you so that you feel assured the project is meeting (and hopefully exceeding) your requirements.

What kind of equipment do you use?

Our equipment produces broadcast standard pictures and sound. Our range of cameras includes an option to shoot 4K if you require cinema quality pictures. Great pictures and audio, creatively shot and recorded are not the be all and end all but will really enhance your story.

What type of space do we need for the shoot/filming?

This all depends on the nature of the shoot. We will discuss the requirements of the project together and advise on whether the proposed spaces are suitable. We have a number of studios we use regularly should this be required.

How long will the filming take?

Filming times are different for each project. A talking head film can take just a couple of hours and identity films usually take one or two days. We will provide a clear schedule at the time of proposing the budget.

How long does editing take?

We always aim to deliver films as soon after filming as possible. The length of time it takes will depend on the project’s complexity. An animation usually takes longer to put together in Post production. The schedule we provide when proposing a budget will clarify the timelines to ensure that we always meet your business requirements. We have never delivered a film late.

02. Pricing

How much does video (and animation) production cost?

The budgets we have worked with have ranged from between £500 and £41,000. Once we know the parameters of the project, we create a proposal with a defined budget. We have never gone over budget on a project. There are a number of variable factors a client needs to consider when deciding on their budget level: how many shoot days and locations there will be, the duration of the film, the complexity of the edit, etc. We explain more in this article.

03. Crew

How large is your crew for filming?

We keep crew sizes as small as possible in order to improve communication and to get the most from a client’s budget. We usually supply a 2 person crew but this may become 3 or 4 if the job requires any specialist kit such as a drone or an autocue.

We make sure that the Producer/Director and Camera Operator bring years of industry experience. In these roles in particular, we find that a high level of expertise is invaluable to ensure a high quality end product delivered on budget and on schedule.

04. Other Important Aspects

What about graphics and branding?

We know the importance of working within your brand guidelines. We will ask you to supply all the logos and assets we may need at an early stage. We will double check with you to ensure compliance. We want to ensure you are happy with the look and feel of all graphics, motion graphics and branding.

Do you add voice overs and music?

Yes, we have a long standing relationship with a voiceover agency to ensure we find the perfect voice for your project. We can offer you a selection of voices for you to choose from. We use music to complement and support the tone of your film which we select from a royalty-free music library to which we subscribe.

Can you add subtitles and captions to your videos?

Yes we can. You can either have the subtitles directly added to the video or a separate subtitle file that can be uploaded to YouTube (and other platforms). This gives the viewer the option of toggling on to select subtitles or not.

In what format will I receive my video files?

This is up to you. We can supply in most formats. Clients usually prefer .mp4 or .mov.

Do you keep copies of your projects?

Yes we keep copies of projects. You never know when they will be useful in the future. We can also archive your footage. We have a number of clients who think of imaginative ways to repurpose their footage. Sometimes there are concerns about data sensitivity. If you prefer, we can delete all media on completion of the project. For further information you can refer to our Data Policy.

Can you make our video go ‘viral’?

Some videos we have produced have gone ‘viral’. There is never a guarantee, however. Be aware of how you want to measure your return on investment for a video. We ask you to consider carefully who your audience will be and how you want the video to influence them.

This does not necessarily mean you need your video to be viewed thousands of times. We can recommend some of our trusted collaborators who specialise in SEO and social media if you want to explore this further.

Do you create interactive content?

Not all of our projects are ‘traditional’ video or animation. We’ve created phone apps and interactive training courses where the viewer determines the outcome of the storyline. We’re more than happy to take a brief and provide costs, and advise where we think the project would benefit from additional expertise from our partner agencies.

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