SERVICE IS THE FOUNDATION OF ANY BUSINESS
Video production is no exception. All stages of video production are accompanied by the most convenient service for the client. The scheme of work is designed so that in the shortest possible time the client received a quality video (whether it’s a commercial or a corporate film), without getting up from his workplace. Such a service is unthinkable without current Internet communications.
Let’s start with the very first stage of video production – correct calculation of the future video. Absolutely obligatory point is setting the client’s task by means of a brief. No exaggeration – that’s 95% success! Take this point very seriously. The ideal solution is an electronic brief. According to the main laws of business, real service is a minimum waste of the client’s time. Very often this brief is made by the managers of our video production.
The second point is to provide an estimate according to the Brief. A good piece of work, at the stage of which it is possible to make two estimates, which will be different and neither of them will cause the client any doubt.
FIGURE OUT “THE ROOT OF EVIL” OR HOW TO AVOID MAKING A MISTAKE
Let’s consider the technical components of any quality video sequence, which has the right to call itself an advertising video or short film.
What lies on the surface of the video production or as the client sees the production of the video clip: “The cameraman takes the video camera out of the closet and goes to shoot the clip, then hides behind a big monitor and gives the finished film for a lot of money“.
The fact is that the client perceives the production cycle only in three stages: preparation (preproduction), production and video editing (postproduction). In fact, a three-digit estimate and the sum total are quite enough for him, and it is the sum he is waiting for. But each of the selected items of video production has its own components, which change the order of cost of production as a whole.
Let’s start with the pre-production phase:
- Searching for a creative idea;
- Writing a synopsis;
- Writing a script
Without a script, you’ll never get an accurate calculation of video content production. The script directly affects the cost of video production and can both unimaginably inflate the budget of an advertising video, and vice versa – to make it cheaper, while the creative idea will be fully realized in both cases. To understand the price level, I will give an example: for one and the same idea it is possible to create a scenario that will change the cost of video production from $10 thousand to $250 thousand.
HOW DO YOU DO THAT?
Invite Billy Aylish to pair up with Arnold Schwarzenegger in a little video about the burning desire to eat chocolate right in outer space. Add details and liquids for the most complex 3d modelling, and the shooting should be located precisely in Germany and so that everything turned out well, to hire a world-famous director and clearly set the task: all stages of production only in the best world offices. At the same time we add the phrase: “The deadline, as usual, is on fire! Rest assured that you have already exceeded the budget of $250! The question remains: “Is this commercial better or has it increased chocolate sales?” What exactly – it is justified to inflate the budget, and how much justified let the client’s marketing department decide.
When ordering a script – be sure to indicate the budget allocated for the production of the commercial. Production of most promotional videos in Ukraine is manoeuvring in the range of $10 – 40 thousand, with an average price of $ 30 thousand. But here’s how this video to shoot and mount as well as possible at a given budget – this is let the decision itself the production, which you have entrusted the production.
Let us proceed to the first point of production of promotional video – PreProduction. Stage of preparing the filming process. And why can’t you just take a video and shoot it? Because shooting a promotional video is not easy anymore! Reading the script, which is the basis of the commercial pay attention to the actors, background and details that play each of their small roles to achieve a great goal – to make the client viewer believe. I write “commercials” all the time, but these uppercase truths are also suitable for producing short films in any direction.
So, the environment and terrain of the shooting are called a location, the cost of which cannot be determined immediately. This may be a normal field and river, or maybe specially built for the purposes of filming, studio or 3d model of the location, but then you need RIR pavilion. In any case, the location must be picked up according to the scenario, rather than the closest location to the office production. List of training continues to set props (details in the frame), casting actors, extras, clothing actors. All this completes the evaluation of the location, area and lighting. It is also necessary to write a director’s script and determine the sequence of the filming process. Only after that, we proceed to the very stage of production.
Now let’s go back to our estimates and review what was stated in the PreProduction phase. Have all the details been taken into account: communication (calls to organize casting and search for all the details), logistics to search for locations both in the city and outside the country, stylist services and fees of those responsible… Or PreProduction phase included only the preparation of filming equipment and won the tender only due to the low cost of preparing the filming process? And the contract was signed and the return of the advance payment is not provided. What to do, so that not to get in the way himself and not to frame the client in front of his management. Use an electronic estimate, which allows you to get an answer as soon as possible and, at the same time, takes into account all stages of video production: starting with the search for a creative idea and takes into account the cost of production in your currency at the rate of Euro on the day of the calculation. At the same time, the estimate itself is online and does not have general access, although you can get it absolutely free! How to do this, see the end of the article.
FURTHER DETAILS ON COST ESTIMATES FOR VIDEO PRODUCTION
The estimate is written in google spreadsheet and is part of a CRM system for video and photo production. Read the following articles about the system itself. Follow the news in RSS or any social media.
What problems have been closed since the publication of the cost estimate:
- Linking to the most stable currency given the current prices for video production and there was no need to convert each item manually. The exchange rate is checked in yahoo every time the estimate is opened.
- There is no need to rewrite the quote if the service points are constantly expanding. It is enough to hammer in a new service and everything is ready to work.
- Every project you calculate is stored online and closed from unauthorized access.
- After calculation, the cost estimate sheet can be easily exported to PDF and sent by mail or accessed by a certain person (and only him) through a mailbox.
- When exported, the estimate hides technical information and is ready to be sent to the client immediately.
- It is true that there is no possibility for people unfamiliar with video production to calculate it, but after a simple training scheme, any manager can do it.
- By creating the estimate, the human factor in the calculations was reduced as much as possible.
Directions in which this estimate can help: when calculating promotional video and event video.
The division of destinations was made to simplify the calculation of video recording of events, which can now be held in five minutes.
Calculations for video production, as an example, can be seen in our cases.
I have been testing the first version of the estimate since 2012. For today all possible transformations of the program for the most comfortable and operative work are already made.
As promised, I will explain how to get the estimate absolutely free (for advertising agencies and production studios).
