Todays technology has made it possible to create video productions that would have only been possible by a larger budget studio production just 20 years ago. But how much production do you really need for your sales, promotional or educational video?
Here are a few of things to keep in mind…
1) Quality Content: More important than any production values the quality of your message matters most. If you are not conveying the message you intend to your audience production values won’t save your project. Does you message have a clear arc (beginning, middle, end), if it’s a promotion does it clearly articulate why a customer should do business with you rather than a competitor?
2) Video Quality: While a profesional video camera is a plus, most of our production are dones with quality consumer grade cameras. This not only lowers cost but it also serves the purpose of our projects which don’t require long lenes for depth of field. The real key to getting quality video is in lighting and being able to configure your camera (white balance, exposure, focus) to capture a clear and color balanced image. Framing your scene in a pleasing way is important too, but if your image is washed out, too dark or lacking contrast the artistic eye is lost.
3) Audio Quality: Believe it or not, audio is one of the most important factors to creating a professional video. Professional microphones whether they are shotgun mics, lapel remote mics or studio mics – they all outperform the typical on camera mics. Typical audio issues are background noise coming from the environment. An air conditioner, passing truck, birds signing or dogs barking can often be overlooked until you are down to editing your production. This is where professional audio products can deliver the win.
Production costs money…
The video below is an example of just what is possible with a handheld digital video camera today. It easy to go carried away and as a result go over budget. At Target Media Group we taylor our production quality to the context of where the video will be used and to the clients budget. Our job is to get marketing results or deliver a PR win while keeping costs to a bare minimum.