What Questions Should You Be Asking Your Corporate Video Production Company Prior to Engagement?

Questions for your corporate video production company

The benefits of making corporate videos are plentiful. For one, they offer a great opportunity to showcase your brand and increase awareness about what you do, inform your customers and internal stakeholders. They can also help explain complicated processes or ideas in a way that is engaging and easy for people to understand.

If you’re considering starting a corporate video campaign, you must know what questions to ask your potential corporate video production company or corporate videographer before signing on the dotted line or committing to starting your project. To help you with this decision, we’ve compiled a list of questions that will help you find the perfect video production company for your needs.

What type of corporate videos do you specialise in producing (e.g., promotional or corporate brand videos, corporate interview videos, training or educational videos etc.)?

One of the first things to consider is what type of corporate video content you are looking to create. Different video production companies have preferred specialties and styles, so it’s important to find the corporate video company that suits your needs best.

For example, if you want a corporate event video showing how much fun your company has at its annual conference every year, then you should look for a company that specialises in corporate event videos or hire a corporate videographer. This logic would also then apply if you wanted to create other styles of corporate video. Look for companies that can focus on the kind of corporate video you would like to have made e.g. companies or videographers specialising in corporate brand videos, corporate interview videos and corporate training videos  etc.

How long have you been in business, and what is your company’s history?

You should also consider how long the corporate video production company has been in business and whether or not they have a history of producing quality work.

Companies that have been around longer will have a larger historical portfolio of work that will define whether they are capable of the scale of video project you desire. They will no doubt charge more than less experienced video production companies but you will have peace of mind in knowing that your video project will be in safe hands. 

Having said that, younger video production companies and corporate videographers may be perfect for projects with more limited budgets and may be looking for ways to prove themselves within the industry. You may get a great deal and a great end result too. 

Video Outcomes corporate video production team at work on film set, lighting and production equipement in studio.

Can I see samples of your previously completed corporate videos before we get started?

It’s important to look for a company that you feel confident in. One of the best ways to do this is by looking at their portfolio and seeing what types of videos they have done before.

If you’re still not sure if they are right for your project, then it’s always advisable to ask them about their past work and get a better idea of the visual style they have and what their process is like.

It’s never a good sign if you’re not feeling confident in your video production company before work has even started, so it’s essential to take these steps first to ensure that the project goes smoothly from start to finish.

It’s also reasonable to understand that the quality of results in the video production industry largely vary based on project budget. The higher the budget the better quality the camera, the larger the crew and the greater the likelihood more experienced personnel will occupy roles such as scriptwriting, producing and directing and editing etc.

What is the video production company’s process of creating a corporate video?

It’s crucial to know what process your video production company will follow because this will help you plan and budget for the production. The process is different depending on what type of video they are making for you, so ask them about their timeline from start to finish or if there’s an example of a project timeline they can send through based on a similar project to yours that they had previously worked on.

Key points here are:

  • Who will produce your video on the day? A team or an individual?
  • Who will work on the script/ questionnaire? Or should this or can this be provided by you the client?
  • How long will editing take?
  • How many reviews and amendments are you entitled to within your budget?
  • Can someone else edit the footage?
Graphic demonstrating corporate video production and multimedia creation process

What do they need from you to make your corporate video project successful?

When you’re about to create your corporate video, it can be difficult figuring out exactly what the corporate video production company needs from you. So it’s important that before investing too much time in planning anything that you find out if they need access to your office or employees for filming purposes and how their timeline works- do they shoot all the footage in one day, or will it be over the course of a week?

Ask them what they need from you to make a project successful: 

  • What kind of access will the production team need?
  • Do they need access to power? Or will everything be battery operated?
  • Where we are filming is quite noisy. Will this affect audio or dialogue?
  • Will the production team need chaperones on the day?
  • How long should my corporate video be?

You should also find out if they need any kind of script, storyboards, or outline from you. Some companies may require these things to get started, while others may work with what’s provided by you and collaborate directly with your company to create a successful project.

Do I need to arrange additional video production staff (lighting, audio or other freelancers) and equipment?

Your video production professional should be quite clear on whether your project requires additional staff or specialist equipment, what this may cost, and who needs to source them.

If you do need to hire your own team, make sure that your corporate videographer or production company are part of the production process from start to finish. If not, they may miss out on certain details and will increase the chances of miscommunication throughout the project leading to poor quality work and issues with meeting deadlines.

When working with freelancers or agencies contracted outside of your production company, it’s essential to make sure they know your vision for the video and keep in contact with them throughout the process.

Your corporate video production team should be able to handle all of these aspects. However, if you’re not quite confident that this is true, their website will probably give a better idea of their style for corporate video production.

What are the costs associated with video production services for your company video?

Video production services can be expensive, and the price is an important factor to think about before making a choice. It’s good to know about what you’re getting into, so it helps if you know the cost of video production and videography in advance.

Some companies offer packages with varying service levels for different prices, while others charge based on each specific task they are being hired for. Apart from this, some companies charge a set fee to put together the team necessary for your project, while others may offer an hourly rate or a flat rate per day with unlimited hours.

Moreover, the video production company may also require additional costs on top of what they have included in their quote if you want things like stock footage, music licenses, additional animations and more. So, you should find out what the total cost is going to be before you commit.

Woman asking how much corporate video costs from Video Outcomes

You should also know who owns the copyright of your video and when it expires. The company can keep a portion of any revenue generated from licensing or distribution, but if they are not actively working on getting new business for their videos, they may simply let the rights expire. So, make sure to ask what will happen if you do not renew the copyright.

Additionally, if you are a company that is not going to be using the video for promotional purposes, then I recommend that you buy all of your video’s rights. This will cost more, but it can prevent other companies from claiming their own copyright on what you have produced.

How long does it usually take to produce a corporate video?

It can take anywhere from one day to a week for a video production company to produce your corporate video. However, if you upload the videos as well, it may be longer because of all the post-production work that needs to be done on these files.

The length will also depend on how many people and locations they need to film at, what equipment they are using, and if there is any editing to be done. Some corporate videos can take up to a month because of how much time it takes for all the post-production work, but this only happens with more complex projects.

In general, you should expect your video production company to give you an estimate on when your project will be completed. This will provide you with a better idea of how much time is needed to produce the video and when it should be ready for you.

Wooden blocks spell deadline

Which formats does your production company work with (e.g., BluRay, AVCHD, MOV, H.264)?

A professional video production company should be able to work with different formats during the video post-production process and know what they are. However, it is possible that not all formats may be supported by the software your video company has or if you need other equipment for a specific format (e.g., BluRay).

Companies typically use industry-standard file formats such as WMV, AVCHD, H.264, and MOV for video editing or exporting to share the footage with you better. In addition, they will typically use JPGs or TIFF files for still photos so that all of your images are in a more common format.

In most cases you will receive your footage in H.264 (.mp4) format as it:

  • allows for easy distribution to due it’s file size.
  • is a preferred format for uploading video files to LinkedIn, Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, Twitter and other social media platforms.

Additional Note: you should always ask for a copy your footage, unedited, on a hard drive. This will allow you to use your footage at a later date in future projects or so you can get your footage re-edited by someone new if need be.

Will you be using stock footage from a library? Does this need to be licensed, or do you have in-house stock footage available for use?

If your video production company is using stock footage, you will not need to worry about long-term restrictions. So if they are using the images and videos that come with a license or from an existing collection, there are no worries of any usage limits as far as time goes.

However, this does not mean it’s free for you to use. If you are looking for a customisable video, then your production company must have footage available in the format and quality desired by the customer. If they do not have this custom-made content on file, then there will be extra costs associated with making them from scratch. from

Do you provide any post-production editing services?

Another aspect you should have clarity on is how much post-production is included in the package. Some corporate videographers and video production companies will offer basic editing services only.

Others may provide all of the standard services like colour correction, colour grading, compositing, titles, and graphics insertion—and they can even go as far as to include motion design or animation into the package.

The customer should also inquire about the turnaround time for post-production services. This can vary depending on how busy the company is at that particular moment and what type of editing needs to be done. If you’re allowed video editing services, such as colour correction and audio dubbing, you should also determine how much the cost will be.

Video editing. Professional editor from Video Outcomes editing video on Adobe software

Do you offer revisions on edits or changes in script; how many revisions are included in your service package?

Sometimes, if there are changes to be made, they cannot be done by the end of a project. This means you will need to pay for additional revisions or editing time.

Some production companies offer unlimited revisions with their service packages, allowing them to tweak and perfect their content until they fall in love with it! If this is something you think may be necessary, it is something to ask about before making final decisions.

Final Thoughts

Answers to the questions above and the needs of your project will help you determine what kind of services and equipment to look for from a corporate video production company. We here at Video Outcomes have also taken the time to create this list of Video Production and Videography FAQ’s if you want to know what kind of questions we encounter on a regular basis.

It’s important to do your research before hiring a video production company to take on your project. If you are looking for a production company that is experienced and ready to work with your team, we’d love the opportunity to chat.

Christopher Lichti

Christopher Lichti

Christopher Lichti is the founder and lead content strategist at Video Outcomes, a video marketing, corporate video production and corporate videography company based in Melbourne, Australia founded in 2017.

Christopher's background in developing video content for ppc campaigns on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn started in 2014. On the days he is not making videos he is making music and playing with his kids.

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2 comments

  1. Pauline
    July 1, 2021 at 11:51 am

    We’re a group of volunteers and opening a new scheme in our community.
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    1. Video Outcomes
      July 1, 2021 at 11:53 am

      That’s great to hear Pauline! We’re glad you’ve enjoyed our content!

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