Creating the ultimate video production team isn’t just about what you do on the day of the shoot. There is a lot to take into consideration when you are either adding a video service to your existing business or starting a digital marketing company that features dynamic videos in their plan. Whatever the reason, you’ll want to ensure you have all you need to undertake the task of video production with ease.

10 Things Video Production Teams Need

1. Equipment

You will obviously need a quality camera, or two is even better. Video equipment is becoming more affordable so it isn’t impossible to find a high-quality video camera for $1500. A 3CCD camera will give you vibrant color and better resolution. Along with the camera, you will need a sturdy tripod and at least 2 wireless mics. Quality audio should be a top priority and the wireless mics can help you focus on where you want to capture audio from without all the unnecessary noise. Additionally, a wired mic and cable will allow you to capture interviews and isolate just what the person is saying without background noise taking over. You will also need a camera light and 1 hot light and stand, especially when shooting weddings since many venues tend to be low light settings.

2. Knowing Your Audience

This is a key step many video production teams tend to skip over or not give enough attention to. Knowing who you will be creating your video for will help out in a number of ways. It allows you to focus on more specific marketing which results in working for clients you actually want to work with. Know the persona of the person you are trying to reach, their act, their demographics, likes, dislikes, personality, the more specific you can get the easier it will be for you to find those types of clients.

3. Gain Experience

Agree on a reduced rate while you are still getting experience and building up your portfolio. If you want to be able to sell video services you have to understand what sells. For weddings, many couples are looking for the key moments that are captured nearly perfect. But what are those key moments? If you can’t answer that question than you need to gain more experience. Understand exactly who you want to be working with and what types of jobs you want to take.

4. Create a Demo Reel

Once you have a few solid jobs completed and you understand more of what needs to be shoot, you will want to start creating a reel to show potential clients. This really should include those key moments. The goal is to get your potential clients interested and excited about working with you through the work you already have produced. Create a short two to three-minute video that highlights the best moments from your most recent shoots.

5. Marketing

There are a number of ways you can begin to market your video services and many cost nothing to utilize. Social media is a great place to post short exerts of recent shoots that can easily be shared and viewed by millions. Posting new video content on your website or blog on a weekly or monthly basis can help your services being seen in search engines quickly. You can also use paid advertisements on social media or search engines. The idea isn’t to post your work everywhere it is to post it where your target audience is going to find it.

6. Stay Up to Date With The Industry

Technology and trend change at an alarming rate. You want to ensure that you and your team are staying up to date with what is trending in the video production world so you can use what you learn to put your own unique twist on it. Technology can help you be more creative or cut out necessary cost when it comes to shooting and post-production. Staying up to date on these kinds of things can help keep you separated from your competitors as well.

7. Have a Solid Pricing Planning

Whether you need to create a budget for a video marketing job or set a competitive price list for your wedding gigs pricing is a vital component for success. Not only do you need to consider all the cost that comes with video production but you also need to consider the message your pricing sends to potential clients. Since many clients view low prices as pore quality you can miss out on a number of opportunities if you try to offer lower prices than your competitors. If you set prices too high then you run the same risk of missing opportunities with ideal clients who don’t see the value in your video services. It may take some trial and error to find the ideal pricing list but as a good rule of thumb, you might want to start off a little on the higher end and then leave the possibility of discounts or special offers as an option. This way your clients will think they are getting extra perks or special treatment.

8. Know All Your Legal Matters

As with any business, there are a number of the legal component you want to be sure to have in line before gaining lots of exposure. Aside from choosing the type of business you will be operating and registering your business name you also have to consider insurance too. You want to ensure that you not only keep your team and equipment covers if anything were to happen but also your clients and their guest as well. With different equipment, cables and stands being used on location this can increase your risk of an accident occurring and you want to be sure that you can avoid any pricey legal actions that might be taken if anyone is injured or equipment is damaged. This also is just a sensible way to show that you are a legitimate and trustworthy business. Seeking out the advice from an accountant can also be a wise choice to ensure your business stay on the profit side.

9. Create a Schedule

Video production will take careful planning not just on the day of the shoots but those leading up to and after. You want to ensure that you have your schedule properly organized so that all team members know what is coming up and what needs to be done. Using project management tools and shared calendars is an easy way to ensure that everyone stays on the same page. It also allows you to set up notification and reminders when you have a meeting with clients, need to send invoices, or need to send out contracts.

10. Always be Professional

Even if your ideal clients is the fun, upbeat and go with the flow types of person you want to present yourself, team and business in a professional manner. You can always showcase how you can easily capture these key aspect of your clients without losing professionalism. If there is someone on the team who is excellent with their communication skills then they are the person you will want to send out to meet with potential clients. Whenever you meet with potential clients also makes sure the space you are meeting at is either your own studio with a designated area for meetings or a nice local business that will allow you to talk with minimal interruptions.

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