Producing Corporate Videos and Training Videos

Useful information about the video production process

Corporate video is a powerful media that can have a major impact on your sales campaign. Video production allows for versatility in that it can be played to a large audience at a conference or an exhibition or it can be used in smaller sales presentations or incorporated into a bid response. This document sets out to bring you a brief overview of some of the things you would need to know if you considering making a corporate video.

If you are thinking of a corporate video production, the first thing to do is arrange a meeting with a video production company. At this meeting the corporate video production company will aim to learn as much as possible about what you are seeking to achieve and will try to establish the following facts:-

(i)Who is the audience?
(ii)What are the objectives of the corporate video?
(iii)What is the likely lifespan of the corporate video?
(iv)How is the corporate video is likely to be used?
(v)What are the key messages?
(vi)Who and what needs to be filmed and where?
(vii)Does the programme need a script or can it be made up of interview clips?
(viii)Does the programme need a presenter or will voice over suffice?
(ix)Would the programme benefit from video graphics?
(x)What format will the programme be delivered in - CD ROM, DVD or web clips?
(xi)What are the timescales for the project?

It is likely you will not know the answers to all of these questions, but reputable video production companies will have a wide portfolio of work from other clients which they can show in the meeting to give examples of different approaches to programme production. Following this meeting the video production company will produce an initial draft scope.

A video production scope document is the reference document for all projects for both the client and the video production company. The document describes in detail the audience, objectives, messages, proposed treatment, filming schedule and budget for the programme. This budget is completely transparent in that it itemises the individual activities contained in the production process and states the daily rate and the estimate of time required for each activity.

The initial scope document produced may be agreed immediately or it may change as your ideas for the project develop and further meetings take place. However, once the scope is finalised the budget will be fixed and will not change unless you change the scope.

This process protects you from "budget creep" and protects the video production company from "scope creep". For example, if the video production company has underestimated one of their activities - editing for example - then this is their responsibility and no additional charge should be levied. If you alter the scope in any way during the project - adding an additional day of filming for example - the video production company will then amend the scope document, inform you of the increased charge and await confirmation of the acceptance of the charge before the additional work is undertaken.

Corporate and Training Video Production Costs

Corporate video is perceived as being expensive when compared with the development of other marketing collateral, though this is not necessarily the case. A corporate video can be produced for as little as