Working With a Professional Production Team on a Corporate Video: 13 Questions To Ask

A professional production team can provide expertise and guidance throughout the entire production process, so figuring out which questions to ask can help you make the best decision.

Before entering a partnership with a production company, consider asking questions that clarify: 

• The scope of your project
• The best production team for the job
• Details for the day of the video shoot
• Editing workflow for the videos; and
• Final corporate video delivery

Questions that cover these topics should give a good overall understanding of the processes involved in creating a successful corporate video project. 

Before you set out with a professional production team to create a corporate video to promote your company, it’s important to determine the goal of the video. 

Think about:

• How might this video fit in with an existing marketing strategy?
• Who is our target audience, and how will the video resonate with them?

That way, the team can have a clear focus when creating.

It may be helpful to start by asking yourself what your purpose and goal are. Is the video intended to be:

• Educational?
• Inspirational?
• Investigative?

Knowing what messages you would like your viewers to take away will help shape the narrative and visuals of your video.

Depending on how involved and creative you expect your team to be in the production process will determine how long it takes and what types of resources are needed. 

The answer to this question depends on who will do most of the work.

Will a core production team member or an entire board room full of multiple teams have input into the many video aspects, like scripting, shooting location selection, and storyboarding?

When considering a production team, ask them about their experience creating corporate videos. 

Ask whether they have created similar projects and if so, what are their years of experience on the team.

Knowing this information will help you know what type of creative solutions you can expect from them.

Though production companies tend to keep their clients confidential, it’s helpful if the team can share examples of videos or projects they have completed. 

Be sure to watch samples carefully and assess how:

• Well the footage has been edited
• Intriguing the narration is; and
• Good the lighting is

Look for evidence that demonstrates their experience with similar projects, as well as assessable quality indicators across all depicted work samples.

A reputable production team should provide a detailed breakdown of costs, including:

• Pre-production planning
• Day of filming
• Post-production
• Billing time
• Travel expenses; and
• Any additional service charges

Are you ready to work with a video production company that discloses its rates up front? 

Houston Video ensures there are no hidden charges later on which can derail a budget or timeline painfully close to completion.

Contact us today for your free consultation.

Imagine on the day of filming, realizing the production team hasn’t communicated well with your team or theirs — there are no scripts, actors, or cameras. 

When you finally begin to shoot, it quickly becomes apparent that nobody knows what they are supposed to do.

To avoid a disastrous day of production, it’s important to ask the production team how they ensure there is personnel onsite to manage the day of filming? 

It’s important to know who handles what and which crew members are responsible for:

• Communication with your company
• Sound and lighting technicians; and 
• Other stakeholders

A professional production team should have protocols in place for emergencies.

If something goes “wrong,” you need to know who to contact — such as legal counsel or insurance companies. 

Be sure your legal counsel has been consulted throughout pre-production, so everyone is aware of any potential hidden risks or liabilities throughout the project timeline.

Asking this question upfront will help save time and resources down the line. 

For example, the company may need permission to film:

• At local parks
• At historical buildings
• With drone technology; or
• With “extras” needed for the video

It’s smart to plan ahead and make sure the production crew is not inadvertently infringing laws or regulations pertaining to filming.

Any music or sound formats need to be compatible with any potential post-production software suites that may be used. 

It is also good to ask if they offer assistance in locating royalty-free sound downloads or library samples that can provide cost savings during production.

Any professional company’s system should include a way to secure active input from all stakeholders during the editing process that documents:

• Who said what
• Which notes have been addressed; and
• Which ones still need attention 

The editing team at the production company should be willing to talk through any questions or revisions before finalizing any changes to your corporate video.

Also, ask if there is an additional cost associated with making such changes.

The production team should be able to deliver final video projects to you in multiple formats. 

From web-friendly or streaming formats like …

• MP4
• MOV
• DVD; or
• FTP (or file transfer protocol)

… a good production house will offer a wide selection of choices for any video project.

Depending on their workflow and resources available, there may be extended lead times on certain parts of the project, such as adding custom graphics or animations.

Starting with a clear timeline for delivery will help avoid bottlenecks during development.

Are you looking for a corporate video production company you can trust and one that can deliver on your specific needs? 

Look no further, as the professionals at Houston Video are here to help.

Our free consultation is designed to ensure all of your questions are answered about our video production. 

Then, when you decide to work with us, our experienced team makes sure all issues related to pre-production are discussed to ensure every detail of your corporate video is handled properly.

Houston Video goes beyond creating professional videos for your product or service. 

We strive towards making sure customer satisfaction remains consistent throughout any collaboration.

Contact Houston Video today by clicking below.