Video Production Sydney FAQ

Claire Stretch 15 min radio interview on video marketing for business

Touches on the following points:

• why use video
• why and when to use a professional video production company
• what content works for business
• using video to show as well as tell
• how video creates connection and rapport
• what’s involved in the production process
• and more….

‘Why use a professional video production house instead of just doing it ourselves?’

Most businesses would  be well aware that it won’t do their brand any favours to use ‘happy snaps’ for team member photographs because that looks so unprofessional.  Well the same applies to video. So if your brand is high profile, or niched to a discerning market segment, or needs to create trust and look professional it will harm your brand if you go the DIY video route.

Viewers immediately notice when something is below par or done incorrectly in a video. They may well not be able to articulate what’s not working, but they’ll know it’s not working and this will cause disengagement and discomfort. We all understand ‘the language of film’ (the conventions that have been set up since film began), however we don’t all speak the language of film. Only a professional video production house will have the craft and expertise to create videos for you that work visually and that also have great lighting and audio

So if your brand values are about quality and professionalism, then beware the DIY solution.

‘Why does the cost of video production vary so much?’

With a video production house you are paying for a 3 stage process consisting of pre-production (what you are filming and why); production (the actual shoot); and post-production (editing, inserting graphics & text, introductory and closing animations and so on). And with online video there is also the final stage of delivery – the video production house will export the video into the right format and file size for upload to the web and, at Filmstretch, we even upload the videos for you direct to your video host of choice.

So with video production houses like Filmstretch, you are paying for professionals who understand the craft of film-making because of years of education and experience in the field.  Filmstretch’s high production values are the result of expertise in camera work, lighting, audio and direction. And we know that the quality of your final videos will also depend on the quality of your pre-production. So at Filmstretch we walk you through the pre-production process to make sure you have an overall video strategy that will serve your business needs, as well as digging down into the details of each video you want to produce.

So although the digital age has made video production available to us all, the craft of film remains something that takes years to hone, and at Filmstretch we have this professional experience.

There are plenty of videographers out there who just ‘point and shoot’, often only covering the shoot for you (the production phase). They may or may not offer post-production. At the shoot they will capture the footage you ask them to capture. Some videographers will have a grasp of the craft of film, so will input on what to film, so that the footage edits together into a good result.  Others will simply point and shoot and hope that something cuts together from the footage they capture.

So, as the saying goes, you get what you pay for! And not all video production companies are created equal.

‘I’ve got no idea how much shooting a video costs, can you give me some idea of minimum pricing?’

We offer an introductory package of three 1 min (recommended attention span) videos for $2,750 inc GST.

These videos are shot in a professional studio (Metro Screen in Paddington) against a green screen background, using two cameras and auto-cue. When finished they will feature you against a single inserted background (e.g. your company logo on white). Suggested topics are: Welcome, About Us,  and Our Products or Services.

With this package alone you can leverage the power of video on the web to make that all important personal connection with your prospective clients and boost your conversions. Call us now and we can tell you more.

‘I’m flat out running my business, how can I find the time to make a video?’

Because we’re making videos constantly you can leverage our skills and experience so that you won’t need to contribute more time than would be taken by a couple of meetings. We can write the script if you want, just blurt out the main points and we’ll do the rest.

Don’t forget the old adage about getting trapped spending all your time working in the business and spending no time working on the business. Many of our clients are surprised to find the process of shooting their video refreshing and enjoyable.

‘How is advertising on the web different from TV?

There are a couple of critical factors that need to be addressed when considering web video marketing or advertising.

First, given that people watching web videos are not a captive audience, it’s critical that you engage them from the outset.  Offering useful information is a good strategy. Additionally there must be a ‘feel good’ payoff from watching the ad, otherwise it simply won’t get viewed.

The ingredient most likely to engage people is humour (a huge proportion of web videos that go ‘viral’ do so because they are seriously funny!). Examine your favourite ads and see how this works.