Six Common Misconceptions of Video Production

No one can dispute that video plays a significant and growing role in marketing today. The digital revolution has opened the door to video across all mediums; it is certainly not limited to television anymore. Despite this growing trend, the video production process is often times misunderstood.

To better understand what goes into and what goes on behind the scenes of a typical marketing video, I have listed below a few of the common misconceptions of video production that I have encountered in my years as a TV/Video Producer.

1. The Cost is Not Worth the Value in Your Marketing Strategy

What you gain from using video in your marketing is invaluable. There are the obvious facts, such as:

1. People love to watch videos and love to share them 
2. They can watch them on any device and from anywhere
3. Video is simply more powerful than text because it is easier for people to comprehend and remember  

If you are still skeptical, there’s been a ton of research done on this subject. If you need to see some evidence, here are a few of my favorites stats from Hubspot:

• Video is projected to claim more than 80% of all web traffic by 2019
• Adding video to marketing emails can boost click-through rates by 200-300%
• A third of all the time people spend online is dedicated to watching videos
• 64% of customers are more likely to buy a product online after watching a video about it

2. There is Little Planning or Client Input That Goes into Production

Once a production company is hired, the client has no input and the cameras start rolling: MYTH

There is in fact A LOT of planning that goes on before the cameras start rolling.

A good production needs to be well thought out and should have everything laid out and in place prior to the point when you are on set and ready to roll. One of the key elements is of course the client and their story. In fact, the client is the story, and if they are not, they should know it well.  

What a good production company will do is spend the time in pre-production to learn the story, learn the message and to come up with the appropriate way to craft a video around this message.   

The video production company ideally acts as a guide – helping the client craft the perfect video. And, there should be client involvement from the first meeting, to scripting, to scheduling and planning, to filming, to post-production and editing the final product.  

If everything is NOT planned out ahead of time, this could mean trouble during production and then of course in post-production and editing. While some believe that everything can be fixed in post production, it’s simply not true.

3. Once the Camera Stops Recording, the Video is Done

The editing process is actually one of the most time-consuming parts of the production process. Editing is where you create the style and substance of the video and where you bring all of the many elements together. First and foremost, you need to know what you have to work with. This includes going through all of the raw footage, finding your soundbites and b-roll to form your story. Then, finding and/or creating the additional elements (the perfect music bed, narration and graphics). Once you have all of your materials together, it is a matter of blending those elements into a concise, captivating and moving story.

Once the first version (sometimes called a “rough cut”) of the video is complete, the client will screen the video and give the final approval and/or request edits.

4. If the Video Looks Really Good, Audio Won’t Really Matter

While the look of the video is extremely important, no one will want to watch it and nor will they glean anything from the video if they are distracted by bad audio. Bad audio is a clear sign of an amateur production.

It is extremely important to capture pristine audio while you are on set. A good production company will use high quality microphones and a professional audio person to capture great sound from your subject while you are filming.

There are a few ways to clean up bad audio, such as getting rid of background noise (an air conditioner for example), but if the audio was say over-modulated during the recording process, it is going to be hard to fix for even the best editors.

5. I Won’t Sound or Look Good in a Video

At InnerAction Media, we produce a lot of marketing videos for businesses, and we have experience working with both actors and non-actors. Our work in video production includes:

• Testimonials
• Virtual tours
• Image films
• Commercials
• Videos for social media

In my experience, there have been a few things that people sometimes get nervous about prior to a shoot. Sometimes, the interview subject worries that they won’t sound right or look good or be able to express what they want to say in an articulate and concise manner.

This is where a professional production company comes in handy because we are there to guide you throughout the entire process – including the on-camera  interview. And, unless your video or commercial is heavily scripted and you have hired actors to play roles, we are not going to expect you to memorize lines or to be perfect on camera.

We are always prepared with a script because we have talked with the business owners and anyone that is taking part in the video, and we know the story; we know the key elements and important messages that we want to get across in the video. Our scripts help us and the business owner stay focused on getting the message right. We don’t ask anyone to memorize lines but rather know the message they want to get across and then have them say it in their own words.

Additionally, interview subjects do not make up an entire video. If say, you are being interviewed for a 2-3 minute image film about your company, at least half (if not more) of the video will be comprised of b-roll (the corresponding footage to your interview) and possibly additional interviews.   

6. You can do it Yourself and Have the Same Quality Production

Yes, of course you can do it yourself, and you can probably do a pretty good job. However, thinking your viewers won’t notice the difference between a professional video and novice video is being shortsighted.  

As video production professionals at InnerAction Media, we have been fine-tuning our production skills long before everyone and their mother had access to video capabilities on a smartphone. We know what works and what doesn’t work, and we are here to help guide our clients and give them the best quality, most impactful video for their business, their product, their services or their story.

InnerAction Media | Video Production in Morgantown

These are just a few of the common misconceptions about video production that we’ve heard, but there is definitely more! If you have any questions about video production, let us know!

We do video projects for our clients all the time and love being able to do this kind of work including: 

• Testimonials
• Virtual tours
• Image films
• Commercials
• Videos for social media

If you need help with your video production strategy, give us a call.

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