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- How much experience do they have creating videos? Are they fresh out of school, or have they had any professional education? Is this a second career stemming from a hobby? The experience level of almost every crew member will impact every aspect of your video, so ask about them also. - Will
more experienced people actually be working on your video from start to finish, or will they delegate to less experienced people?
- What type of clients have they worked with in past? For example, I would not want a wedding video company to videotape my corporate video.
- Does video crew have good corporate manners? Can they work well with people who will be involved with your shoot? Video crews are notorious for vulgarities and inappropriate dress and manners.
- Can you get references from their other clients? Are they credible?
- Do they have an in depth understanding of type of video you are creating? For example, if it is a marketing video, do they understand marketing concepts? If it is a training video, do they understand training concepts? Having appropriate knowledge helps director plan, shoot and edit video for maximum effectiveness. - Do they seem to know how to create mood and atmosphere? Can they tell a story effectively? Are they able to create appropriate emotions? Look at their demos and see how you feel as you watch them. Do you feel “sold”, motivated, inspired, etc?
- Will someone who understands all phases of production work on your show from start to finish? As a producer/director/editor, I understand each phase and that impacts how I plan and create entire show. Many production companies pass project along like an assembly line. The show can become disjointed and ineffective. The right producer/director will know what questions to ask you, and then they will know what to do with answers! Shooting: As I mentioned before, if camera work is good, viewer usually won’t even notice it. They will simply experience message. Take a look at their demo and observe following: - The framing of shots. This means heads will not be cut off, and usually camera will have focal point centered on screen. If there is more than one focal point, they will be equidistant to sides of screen. These rules can be broken if there is a creative effect being achieved, but you will sense whether or not it works.
- The focus. You would think this goes without saying, but an inexperienced camera operator may go out of focus and may not be able to get image back into focus quickly. - Camera movements. They should flow smoothly, capture all important action and information, and add variety to screen, making show more visually interesting. Steady camera moves make camera work unnoticeable to viewer. An amateur may be shaky, zoom in too quickly or not quickly enough, and may have rough camera moves. They may not move enough to keep show interesting, or they may move too often. These things will become distracting. Again, these rules can be broken for effect, but watch for those who overuse these effects or do them poorly. Lighting: A poorly lit shot can make you look 10 years older! If you have a one-inch long wrinkle, poor lighting can extend it to be at least two inches. Great lighting gives your picture dimension and poor lighting makes your image flat and one-dimensional. Visible shadows should be kept to a minimum, and there should be no bright spots.
Sound: Great sound is essential. Today’s audience is savvy when it comes to good sound. If it is less than perfect, you will increase likelihood that you will lose them. Poor sound is like going to a fantastic movie but people behind you won’t stop talking! Professional sound is crisp, clear, not too loud, not too soft, and you hear only what you are supposed to hear. Add music to a less than perfect audio track and music will sound like an increase in noise. Add right music to a well done sound track and it can transform listener. Check following on their demo:
- Sound volume. Is it consistent and audible? Does viewer have to strain to make out words?
- Clarity of sound. It may be loud enough, but without clarity it still can be a strain to make out all words. Think about sound on cable access stations. You can often hear a kind of echo, like they are talking into a tin can. - Background sounds. For example, air conditioning, airplanes, lawn mowing, footsteps… Sometimes it is impossible to avoid, but whenever possible, these sounds should be avoided as they will be very distracting. - Music. Is it right for video? Is it playing at right volume? Music should never overpower or distract. Yet right piece can set tone. It can create excitement, calmness, etc. A long piece can actually seem shorter and more interesting with energetic music.
Video effects: Page turns, tumbling boxes with video in them, funky wipes - recognize those from your wedding video? Effects do have their place, but usually your video is not that place! The very occasional effect is fine in most videos. An abundance of them can make a video look very amateurish. Editing: This is an art form in itself. A talented editor will know how to choose right shots, cut them together smoothly to tell story, create a mood, teach a concept, and sell your product. Things to watch out for are cuts from same angle over and over, hard cuts that don’t make sense to brain, etc… It really takes years of training to be able to identify elements of a well edited video. However, once again I would say that when watching a demo, you should not even notice editing. The video should draw you in and flow smoothly. A well made video can be a powerful tool. When you are investing your time and money, it’s important to educate yourself so that you can get most gain possible. A savvy buyer can invest same time and money, yet get much more payback. For outstanding quality at competitive prices call us Ball Media Innovations today! We would be happy to discuss how we can help you create your high quality video at our competitive prices.
Copyright 2004 Ball Media Innovations, Inc. All rights reserved.
Greg Ball , Award Winning President of Ball Media Innovations, Inc. has been producing videos for corporate and broadcast clients for over 23 years. BMI provides national service. clients include Burger King Corporation, Club Med, Citicorp Latin America, Ryder Trucks, Burson-Marsteller Public Relations, Audi Corporation, Icelandair, World Communications Link. Contact him at (954) 432-1274 email granball@msn.com
