Video FAQs

How much does video production cost?

Let’s start with the question we get asked the most! For video, the answer depends on several things, for example:

Whether we’re filming in one location or several
How long we need to allow for filming and how large a crew we need
How complex the edited video is
Whether we’re producing a single video or several related videos

Most importantly, we work with clients who have a range of budgets, so whatever your requirements we can find a solution.

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: This is when 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 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 chance to review one or more drafts and give feedback before everything is finalised.

How large is your crew for filming?

This depends on the type of job. For simple talking heads interviews or case studies we can provide a ‘self-shooting’ videographer, who will work alone to capture all the necessary footage.

However our preference is for a two- or three-man crew, consisting of a producer/director to oversee the filming and conduct interviews, plus one or two camera operators to concentrate on the visual and technical aspects. This ensures the key messages of the video are covered more effectively.

For more complex filming requirements we may also recommend extra crew members, such as additional camera operators, a sound recordist, or a drone operator. These will all be costed separately in our quote.

How much input do you require from us?

As a starting point we’ll arrange a face-to-face meeting or ask you to fill out a short questionnaire to help us understand the project requirements. From there you can have as much or as little input into the scripting, filming and editing as you’d like. In any case we’ll keep you informed at every step of the process.

For animation, we generally agree the key messages with you and then we work on a draft script and a suggested visual style for review. However we’re also happy to work from a full script or storyboard provided to us.

What about graphics and branding?

Alongside the filming we’ll create any motion graphics required for the video. These could range from a simple animated logo to a series of stylish infographics. We always use graphics in a way that complements rather than complicates the message of the video.

What kind of equipment do you use?

We film everything on professional broadcast-quality 4K video cameras and use additional kit – such as radio mics, lighting kit, or green screen – where appropriate. We continually invest in new kit and software to keep up-to-date with the rapidly changing standards of the industry.

In what format will I receive my video files?

We usually supply our finished videos in the most commonly used formats, typically .mp4 or .mov. However we’re happy to convert these into pretty much any other format free of charge.

Do you keep copies of your projects?

We generally keep backup copies of any footage and project files for a minimum of four years. We’re happy to revisit and update older projects – for example if you have changed your branding or want to update facts and figures about your business. If there are concerns about data sensitivity we’re happy to delete all our copies of the media on completion of the project.

Audio FAQs

When you’re creating a piece of audio, you generally follow a chain of 4 somewhat distinct stages. Each stage has a different focus and a different set of skills.

Stage 1 - Creation (Planning, preparing, designing and composing):

Here is where you decide what you’re going to do and how you want to do it. This might mean writing song lyrics, chord changes, plotting out sounds for a film sequence or setting up electronic instruments to put out the sounds you want. Key factors at this point are creativity, construction, and preparing to achieve the desired quality of performance on whatever you are using.

Stage 2 - Tracking (Recording and arranging the elements):

This is where you actually record the parts that build to realizing your ideas and arrange them. Key factors at this point are creativity, quality of instruments/performers, recording equipment on hand, the qualities of the space you’re recording in and the skills to make the most out of all of these. You can record all at once, or build up your piece, layer by layer on separate tracks. The idea is to focus on the tones you are recording and the quality of performance, making sure it has been recorded well.

Stage 3 - Mixing (Making all the elements blend, balance and work well together)

Now you have a bunch of elements arranged for your piece, you need to adjust and mix all of the elements the blend together in logical and pleasing ways. At this point, you will adjust the volume, the timbre/tone, the range between softer and louder parts, and the positioning of sounds in stereo (left and right, such as for a set of headphones) or surround sound (such as 5.1 sound for cinemas and home theatres). The key here is making sure that each part, especially vocals and dialogue, can be easily heard within the greater context, while still having the blend sound pleasing as a whole.

Stage 4 - Mastering (Polishing the whole)

This is where you look at the resulting final blend of all your elements as a whole, as a single entity unto itself. Usually requiring special equipment and training, and highly engineered listening studios, this process focuses on making subtle but important adjustments to the whole’s overall timbre using such processes as equalization and compression, to give the best possible polish to the final blend.

Often, the stages do overlap, depending on the workflow of the person doing it - sometimes folks compose while recording, and/or do a bit of mixing as they record their tracks. Still, each process requires looking at what you’re doing in their own specific focus and this is a system that has been adapted to various mediums, tried, tested and true for decades.