How to Commission Corporate Videos

The objective of the video forms the basis of all decision making, so its really important this objective is clear, concise and, preferably, measurable. It may well be that there is more than one objective. This isn't ideal as this can often dilute the effectiveness of the video and perhaps you should consider making different versions of the video. However, if this is the case then the objectives should be ranked.

By clear and concise we mean knowing the reasons why you want to make a video. Is it to increase awareness? Is it to communicate to all employees a new policy or procedure?

By making the objective measureable it means we can work out the effectiveness of the video. This can often be difficult with videos unless there is a tangible call to action, but having an idea of the success you want from the video is really helpful for the production company.

We understand, as a video production company, that you probably want to keep your cards close to your chest on this one. We also understand that you may not have commissioned a video before and have no idea of costs. But, following that poker analogy, we need to get an idea of what the ante is. Are you playing at the £50 or £150 table?

Do you have an idea of what your allocated budget is? There has been a rule of thumb in corporate video production that states you should allow £1k per minute of final video. This rule has been around for a long time now and it has become more and more general. The fact is that in video there are plenty of ways to skin a cat. The costs of producing an interview can range from £1200 to £3500. It depends on something called production values. In other words how good the final video looks.

This is the real question when it comes to budget. How much do you value the video? It's fair to answer that question with a "I don't know yet" but if you do that requires the video company to answer some more questions...

What is the single most important message that you want someone having watched your video to take away with them? The more simple and concise this is the more effective your video will be.

"I want our global sales team to know about a new commission structure." "I want to show our customers our company history." "I want to train employees on a new policy." "I want to inform prospects about a new product."

The call to action messages are always the best. "I want people to call our sales team for more information." "I want employees to visir our new intranet." "I want the public to know about our sustainability programme."

Do you have any example videos that you like? It's really useful to get a feel for what you like and dislike, so showing us any examples are really helpful. These may be from a competitor or from a completely different industry. They provide a reference for us to know what it is you are after.