Video Production in Cleveland

A picture is worth a thousand words. Video is thirty pictures a second. We all know video is the most effective way of telling a story, sharing an idea or selling a product. Choosing what kind of video you want and figuring out who can give you the best result can be difficult. It's the truth no matter where you are, but it's particularly difficult in Cleveland. There are fewer options and the the level of production value can range greatly, we've all seen that creepy furniture guy at 1 am in the morning. The whole point of this article is to provide some tips and answer some of the basic questions people have about video production in Cleveland.

Your Goal

Be sure to establish a clear goal that you have in mind when communicating with a video production company. A well defined goal can shape an effective marketing campaign, it affects the message, production and delivery of your video. Here's some things to keep in mind.

• What's the driving purpose behind your video? Is it raising general awareness for your company? Selling a specific product? Or is it both?
• What in your experience is the current demographic you serve? Is there another demographic or audience you'd like to reach? These are important points to bring up in your meeting with the production company. They'll be able to help you through their own experience and knowledge, but the more you give them to work with the better the campaign or video will be.
• How do you picture the audience seeing the video, tv? dvd? online? Again the company you're working with will be able to guide you but it's good to have thought it through beforehand.

Your Budget

Establish a workable budget for yourself ahead of time. This will help the production company work within your limits and deliver the best possible product for your advertising dollar. Often times people ask "How much for a 30 second commercial?" This line of thinking will not help the process. It's very like asking "How much is a house?" in that you get what you pay for or what you can afford. Setting a limit helps to protect you and allows the production company to set realistic goals. If you ask for a bid on a project and a production company says $5,000, they'll give you what they think it's worth and you might not end up with what you wanted, you go back and want more work done, and they'll want more money. Now you're facing the prospect of not being happy with what you have or going over budget. If you want to shop around, you can put out your maximum price tag, take submissions and pick the best concept or offer from multiple production companies. 

Your Video Production Company

Picking a production company can be tricky, but here's some basic advice.

• Look at previous examples of their work, often referred to as a showreel. It's essentially their resume, an important factor to consider when they are going to be helping shape the face of your company.
• Consider their other services. Are they able to buy media (airtime) on your behalf? Can they effectively integrate your video online?
• Contact them well ahead of time. Video and media production are time and labor intensive, never mind the creative side. Don't contact a company a week or two before you want the video produced, give it at least a month if not more. The more time they have, the better your video will be. Give them the time to get to know what you need and to make it right.

Types of Videos

There's a video solution out there for you no matter what you need.  These are just a few

The Television Commercial

The most visible and the most used form of video advertising, the one we all probably understand the best. Also known as the thirty second spot, it represents the backbone of any marketing campaign. This is a pretty versatile marketing tool, it can used in a general branding campaign or it can feature a special deal for this week only. Almost any company dealing with the general public can benefit from a well produced thirty second spot. Companies often run a branding commercial on a consistent basis to raise public awareness of their product or service, and then accent the overall marketing strategy with another commercial specifically featuring a deal or message that helps convince the target audience to take immediate action.

The Industrial Video

This type of video is probably the least known of all the various options available to you, but it can be just as effective for the right company. Say your company doesn't deal with the general public, say you're in steel manufacturing and you produce ten foot sheets of high grade steel. People sitting at home don't want or need a ten foot sheet of steel, but a construction company might. So what do you do? There's no point in having a huge tv commercial campaign, you'll just have lots of people who don't need your product watching you spend money on airtime. This is where the industrial video comes in.

It has a couple of advantages for companies that don't have traditional marketing needs. An industrial video typically can run somewhere 5-10 minutes, it can be shorter or longer but that seems to be the average. It gives you more time to explain your product or service and the quality that your company brings to it. Since this video will be targeted towards people who are directly related to your industry, this in depth look at your company will make it easier for them to make the right call and go with you. You also have a number of effective publishing options available. While other companies in your field are still sending out brochures, you can be sending out customized DVD's. Your next trade show booth or public presentation will be infinitely more powerful and attractive to prospective customers. Remember, just because most people aren't looking for your product, that doesn't mean that you shouldn't be reaching out to those who are.

The Infomercial

If you are looking to attract the general population, want to be on air, but you're selling a product that's more complicated than a hamburger or shampoo, you should give serious consideration to the infomercial. It's essentially a half hour program broadcast on tv. We've all seen them, from self help guru's to the latest gadget this is a well established and effective way of demonstrating the use and effectiveness of you product. It's also used by high volume stores like car dealers to showcase limited current inventory and encourage immediate audience reaction to keep their product moving. It's important to establish a good working relationship with the production company to ensure a good workflow and consistent updates to keep your audience interested.

The Business Profile Video

You might be looking at the options above and be thinking that all of those are out of your reach. Most forms of video production and distribution need a reasonable advertising budget that you might not have right now, or you just might not need something that elaborate. You still know you need to have something that represents you well, but none of the above meet your needs, and this is where a Business Profile Video fits. Perfect for a restaurant, the small to medium retail store or chain, this video is typically 1-3 minutes long. It gives you the time and a forum to showcase the services or products you offer, and give the audience a good understanding of your company's approach to business.

The next question is what to do with the video once it's done. A good advertising and production company should be able to integrate the video into your website, giving a great first impression to anyone who visits it. There are plenty of other options available your vendor should be able to fulfill. The video can be linked to Google Maps so when someone finds your location, your video is right there to make you stand out and convince them you're the best option. The video can also be uploaded to Youtube and other video aggregate websites to further boost your presence on the web and increase the chance that someone looking for your product will find you.

Typically the production cost is lower than most and you're not paying for airtime. This gives great bang for your buck, ideal for the smaller business or for your first steps in video production and improving your company's image.

Get it Right

Whatever option you end up going with, take the time to do it right. Video can be great communications tool, enhance your company's image and increase sales. It can also be an embarrassing waste of money. Carefully choose a company that you are confident will produce a video you can be proud of. Make sure you have a clear goal, come to them with your ideas and work with them to make sure that goal is met. Do these things and you'll be on your way to changing you company's public front for the better.