One of the biggest hurdles to getting any type of corporate video project “off the ground” comes at the initial stages. The approaches vary from “let’s just shoot it” to a long and winding process that leads to confusion, delay and scope creep. Cha-ching!
As a client who was running her first video project said to me at the outset, “we don’t even know what we don’t know”. In my years as corporate video producer the understanding of pre-production has run the gamut. A simple understanding of script writing, on camera talent, audiences and delivery is crucial but mostly absent from the process. They don’t teach this in business school.
When someone is designated to head up a project and deal with a creative agency, it can be a very awkward process. That person has to rely heavily on the agency to pull all the pieces together. They don’t usually understand the terms, the process or the hidden barriers to meeting a timely deadline.
“We just want a short 15-20 minute video” is what I hear a lot from marketers and business owners who don’t realize what that would look like. Zzzzz! This is where the intervention comes in. Projects can languish for days, weeks or months by the time details like legal, regulatory and promotional review raise their ugly head, when they should have been nailed down at the beginning.
This can cancel out the timeliness and whatever effectiveness originally intended.
For example, I get calls for rough cuts or related files of stalled projects months and years after they were shot because of the unfamiliarity with the process and how to proceed.
Video archiving systems. This is where video projects go to die.
As video makes it’s inexorable entrance into the business world, I have been “renting my brain” at brown bag luncheon meetings and conference calls and been having an enjoyable time doing it.
It’s a great way to help clients, potential and otherwise understand this new and unfamiliar terrain. Plus, it keeps me on my toes.
I cover everything from putting together a request for proposal, terms, gotchas and realities in the world of on-line video production.
So if video is on your horizon and you would like to get an idea on how to get started and what the vitals are regarding conception to execution. Let’s do launch.
Buy me a sandwich and I’ll follow you anywhere.
Please note: I welcome comments that are offensive, illogical or off-topic from readers in all states of consciousness.