Don’t Undervalue Video
From my experience, having great video content is something a lot of businesses want, but they can occasionally be wary about paying for it.
Why is this?
Videos have become easier than ever to make thanks to the continuous evolution of smartphones and computer webcams. This may leave businesses assuming that creating a video is straightforward. And sure, if you’re creating a talking to camera piece and merely want to add subtitles, shooting on your phone can be perfect for this and was particularly prevalent during the UK lockdown. Here are 2 examples of videos we created for our client, Aspiring FDs, using solely mobile phone footage:
These types of videos do serve a purpose on social media and with some clever editing they can be transformed into a more professional piece as displayed above. However, creating a brand video that might sit on a company website cannot be compared to something shot on a phone. Building a story, getting the right shots, editing and providing appropriate equipment are all elements that are vital, but sometimes overlooked, when creating a film.
Video is one of those things where it can be as expensive as you want it to be. It can also be as cheap as you want it to be, but you have to be realistic when it comes to pricing. Expecting to replicate a video that has cost £1,500 with a budget of £150 isn’t going to happen. That being said, at FOSTER Studios we always aim to adapt to a clients’ budget. So, in the event a business did have a very small budget, we would still create something of high value that works, but is also efficient on our side. As an example, this could be a case of filming for merely an hour and providing a 30-second shot montage to music. This is relatively straightforward to do, but still provides that desired level of professionalism on the client-side. Below are two examples of videos we produced that both have the same objective - promotional. The Hearing Hub film was shot in an hour, whilst the Aristar Financial Consulting film was shot over the course of 9 hours:
Using these examples goes to show that quality can still be retained despite filming for a much briefer amount of time and with less cost involved. If your budget is tight and you want to keep things simple, then this is a great way to market a business easily and affordably.
I don’t think it helps that there is a certain stigma associated with the expense of a professional standard video either. This is a genuine and understandable worry for companies when you consider lots of agencies and production houses won’t touch a project unless it starts with 4 figures. This immediately alienates smaller businesses and may leave them thinking that they will never be able to produce something of that quality which results in them using drastically cheaper alternatives and creating content that perhaps isn’t benefiting them.
It’s about finding that sweet spot of affordability, but also great quality. A lot of people in video can be offended if a client comes to them saying what can you do with £50, but it has to be considered that not everybody is going to know how much it costs. Some businesses will see and understand the value, but others won’t.
Ultimately, any type of business can benefit from great content which is why it is a worthwhile investment that has longevity to it.