1. Make sure you have plenty of time to produce a successful video. I get calls all the time from professionals who want to produce a video in a matter of days…in some cases in less than 24 hours! From the perspective of a corporate video producer, it’s nearly impossible to create a quality presentation with such short notice. It can be done, but you will almost always pay a lot more money for a finished product that will have trouble meeting or exceeding your expectations.

Every corporate video you produce needs to go through the proper planning stages to make sure your goals for the project will be achieved. An ideal turnaround for the average corporate video production company is 6 to 8 weeks although my company, Fire Eye Productions, Inc., typically turns complicated video projects around in 3 to 4 weeks. Turnaround time depends on how many projects your production company has in their queue and the level of difficulty associated with your corporate video.

By all means, if you need a video ASAP and don’t have a lot of time before you have to show it to your audience, call the video producer anyway. But, the rule of thumb is to give the producer and yourself plenty of time to plan and produce a successful video presentation.

Questions about producing a successful video for your business or organization? Contact Kris Simmons at 423.757.9585 or send an email.

2. Decide whether you want your finished presentation to be produced and mastered in High-Definition (HD) or Standard-Definition (SD). There is a lot of confusion among business professionals regarding which format is the best for showing their corporate videos. Obviously, HD video is a hot topic right now and I get a lot of customers who want us to produce their videos in HD. A problem with this…and a major problem at that…is that even though we produce and deliver the finished video in HD, the client rarely ever has the ability to show the video in High-Definition.

They may have an HD screen in their conference room but they won’t have a BluRay player that can play the HD DVD. Or, they may have a BluRay player or a computer than can playback the HD video but the projector they are using in the meeting isn’t a digital HD projector. So, before you move forward with producing a corporate video for your business, decide how you will deliver it and to whom before choosing HD over SD. For instance, if your plan with the finished video is to send it via DVD to thousands of members, customers or prospects, the best delivery option will be SD. The reason for this is because the majority of people out there DO NOT have the ability to play HD video in their office or home.

The other thing to consider is how long will you be using this video as part of your communications strategy. If the video will only be in the marketplace for up to two years, I’d seriously consider producing it in SD. If you plan on showing the video beyond 2 years from now (8/26/09) then I recommend you produce the video in HD and down convert it to an SD DVD for your short-term delivery solution.

A compromise, and one that many of our clients are choosing at this time, is to shoot all the footage in HD but edit the video in SD. That way, if you want to come back in a couple years and update/re-edit the corporate video project, you’ll have all the original footage in HD and can remaster the edited video in HD.

One more thing to consider regarding HD video production. It takes quite a bit longer to edit an HD video than an SD video. So, if you ask your corporate video producer to develop an HD presentation for your business, don’t be shocked if their estimate is about 30% higher than what the fee would be for an SD presentation. HD videos contain files that are almost 3 times the size of SD files. This causes our edit computers and software to work a lot slower than when processing SD content. In a world where time is money, the longer it takes for computers to process HD footage, the more if will cost you as the video client.

HD what? SD who? Need someone to give you the Tech-to-English translation? Call Kris Simmons at 423.757.9585 to schedule a free consultation.

3. Make sure you schedule the time and resources necessary to help the corporate video producer make your project a huge success! As a corporate video producer, my job is to quickly learn as much as I can about your company or particular initiative so that I can produce a successful video that speaks to your target audience. It’s sort of like cramming today for a test you have to take tomorrow that you just found out about yesterday. Okay, so its not that bad but its close.

Your job as the video client should be to help the producer collect as much information as possible about the company or initiative as soon as possible so they can get up to speed. The other things you should be doing as the video client is rounding up any images, graphics, logos, video footage, etc. that your video producer can use or should use in the project. There is often a huge disconnect here.

Clients assume that once the video producer is on board that they will take care of everything. This is only true IF you have armed the producer with the necessary resources inside your company or organization. Who can provide a high-res version of your logo and branded graphics? Who on the inside will help coordinate interview shoots with company executives? Who will sit down with us to make sure we understand EXACTLY what you want to accomplish with the video? Who will be responsible for reviewing all versions of the script and edited video to make sure those goals are being met?

Sometimes its best if the video producer has a single point of contact for all questions and issues related to your video. On other occasions, it’s better to give your producer the names, phone numbers and email addresses to the exact people responsible for certain things inside your company. For instance, I have a large client that I produce videos for regularly and in order for me to meet their tight deadlines, I have the contact information for several people within their internal creative and marketing departments. This gives me the freedom to work with EXACTLY who can get me what I need instead of going through a project manager (middle man). Some companies prefer to always go through a single point of contact but I’ve found that its easier to get things done faster if I have access to multiple people inside your organization. Now, if the project manager is a rock star, and many of the people I work with are, a single point of contact is great because as the video producer, I only have to make one call or send one email to get multiple things done.

Finally, try to return phone calls or emails from your video producer immediately during the course of your project to answer any questions or to address any issues. Waiting several hours or even a full day to hear back from the video client can either delay the video project or force the producer to continue working in a direction that may not be what you were hoping for. The video producer has to deploy resources in order to meet a deadline within a particular budget. Any delay in response from the video client can create problems that may pop up later in the project as missed deadlines, miscommunication regarding expectations or an increase in budget. Dealing with any of these issues isn’t fun for you or them so do your best to communicate often with your corporate video producer to make sure your project results in a successful video for you and your business. If they are worth their salt, they will return the favor. Frequent communication regarding project goals and milestones will ALWAYS result in a better experience for everyone.

Want to produce a corporate video for your business? Need a video producer with years of proven experience? Call Kris Simmons at 423.757.9585 or send an email to arrange a discussion.

Simple fact: taking a preventative approach to avoiding workplace accidents will increase productivity and reduce associated costs. The most effective safety training programs incorporate Safety Videos.

Did you know? Increasing numbers of top manufacturing, construction and printing companies are turning to Safety Videos for their first source of training. Gone are the days of requiring managers to provide training, and make-up training, and training again – only to lose incredible amounts of their own productivity. And for those companies with a high employee turnover, training may seem endless.

The answer is turning to Safety Videos! Customized video training will ensure unparalleled success rates in decreasing workplace accidents. Utilizing the services of a professional Video Production Agency team to develop a comprehensive, customized Safety Video means ensuring that employee training gets done right, each and every time.

Every job has hazards and every employee has a role in their own safety. But it is the employer that is required, by law, to adhere to applicable federal and/or state regulations for safety training. Does your company have a strong Safety Rules & Procedures program designed for optimum training? Is your company currently doing its best to comply with OSHA recommendations and regulations? Do you have to perform regular training on the use of fire extinguishers, CPR, HAZMAT, PPE, security or food safety practices?

Many companies are finding that incorporating effective Safety Videos into their training programs can lower their cost for insurance premiums and Workers’ Compensation payments!

Want to learn how your current safety training materials can be converted into a safety video presentation? Email your safety presentations to kris@fireeyeproductions.com and receive a free analysis and written proposal.

Use this link to watch an excerpt of a professional safety video produced for Astec Industries, Inc. >>>

Safety Videos Work to:
• Ensure machinery and equipment misuse is kept to a minimum
• Ensure lifting devices, machine guards, scaffolding are used correctly and any potential malfunctions are identified right away
• Ensure effective & safe use of protection equipment like masks, respirators, protective eyewear and hardhats
• Train employees to respond to toxic vapors and hazardous materials according to OSHA regulations

An effective, professional Safety Video will address the different aspects of potential workplace accidents or problems, and offer solutions customized to your facilities and/or employee’s needs. Professional video production means high quality, effective workplace training. When the goal is to prevent harm to employees, property and the surrounding environment… turning to an accomplished video production company to develop your Safety Videos is essential.

Want to learn how a professional safety video can help you reduce accidents and increase productivity? Call 423.757.9585 or email your current safety presentation materials to kris@fireeyeproductions.com to receive a free analysis and written proposal.

Fire Eye Productions, Inc
“Helping You Bring Safety Training To Life With Videos and Interactive Media!”
http://www.fireeyemedia.com

Related Links:

The American Society of Safety Engineers

OSHA

The purpose of the video project was to kick off the employee’s 2007 United Way Campaign at Unum. The video featured several interviews with employees that had either benefited directly from a program funded by the United Way or had played a role in supporting the efforts of the United Way. Each interview was supplemented with photos provided by the interviewees and motion graphic treatments created by us.

Need to solve a corporate communications problem immediately? Call Kris Simmons today at 423.757.9585 or send an email to kris@fireeyeproductions.com for a free consultation.

My creative team developed opening, transitional and closing motion graphic sequences using the home video concept as our inspiration. The photos were shot against a light green poster board so we could place them on a virtual chalkboard in the finished video as well as wipe them off the table to reveal a digital “still” frame of each interviewee. The desired effect worked extremely well and Unum was pleased with the results.

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“Our United Way campaign has become a focal point for community relations, Unum executives, and our employee population. 2006 was our first year making an internal video focusing on employee involvement with the non-profit. The final product was fine but the process was difficult with interviews being rescheduled many times as well as editing issues and not receiving the final product on time. This year, Fire Eye did all of the taping in half a day and provided the video within one week.

The final product exceeded our expectations and the Fire Eye team was responsive and receptive during the whole process. It was a pleasure working with them.”

Suzanne Rodgers, Senior Consultant – Community Relations

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Need to solve a corporate communications problem immediately? Call Kris Simmons at 423.757.9585 or send an email to kris@fireeyeproductions.com for a free consultation.

Fire Eye Productions, Inc
“Helping You Bring Corporate Communications To Life With Videos and Interactive Media!”
http://www.fireeyemedia.com