What should I look for when hiring a videographer?
Hiring a videographer is a bit of a minefield. With lower-cost, high-quality equipment now common, the barrier to entry has been slashed, resulting in a deluge of videographers – some better than others. So how do you decide who to go with? See below for my five tips.
Videographer hiring tip 1: find out about their process, not just the end product
Embarking on a video production process can be the start of a fun, stress-free journey, or the beginning of a nightmare of endless revisions, missed deadlines, and poor planning. Ask about their process – what does working with them look like? Do they have well-defined systems that’ve been tried and tested? If not, you might be in for a bit of a rocky ride. Before you agree to anything, you should know what the coming months are going to look like, and there should be a tailored plan in place for you. You can find out about my process here.
Videographer hiring tip 2: always meet them first
Sending a brief and going with whoever has the best balance of good portfolio and the right rates is no longer enough. You’re going to be working with this person for weeks at least, probably months, possibly years: you’d better make sure you get on with them! It’s also impossible for a video professional to really know they’re right for the job without meeting you, and if they’re keen to get a contract signed without a discovery call, then that can be a red flag. They should be asking a lot of questions, finding out about your business, your audience, and your goals, to not only carry out the brief but suggest what might really be the best use of video for your organisation.
Videographer hiring tip 3: cheap doesn’t always mean good value
It’s tempting to go for the cheapest, especially if their work looks okay. Often, the cheaper option might be the best for you – nothing wrong with that. But if a quote is radically cheaper than the rest, question why they’re pricing themselves so low. The best in the business don’t need to compete on price because they know they deliver real value to their clients. Even if the work turns out fine, you may be letting yourself in for a difficult process – bare in mind that the barrier to entry is lower than ever, and there are plenty of creative people who get that side right, but haven’t nailed the professional, commercial elements of video production. For more on pricing, have a read of this.
Videographer hiring tip 4: beware the videographer who talks too much about gear
Video people love talking about their toys: who wouldn’t?! Cool cameras, lenses, gimbals, drones… it’s all fun stuff. But I barely ever mention that to clients, or potential clients, because I know that it’s not really what they’re after. They want great results, with an easy process and a fair price. The technical bits around equipment aren’t really relevant to that. Anecdotally, I find that video people who sell themselves heavily on their equipment, or the technical aspects, don’t necessarily have the sort of commercial, strategic thinking embedded in their process to get you the best results. I know that, because I used to do it in my first year or so in business.
Videographer hiring tip 5: decide what you want – someone to execute a brief, or a strategic partner
There are two types of videographer: one will take a brief and create what you’ve asked for. The problem with this approach is that the majority of businesses don’t really know how best to use video. They know it’s ‘the big thing’ and ‘all the competition are doing it’, and rush into it without truly understanding why. What’s the desired outcome? Who’s this for? Will anyone watch it? That last one’s particularly important as the vast majority of video out there never really gets watched by anyone – how many commercial videos sit on an unlinked, unused webpage? The second type actively combats this by making recommendations and working with you to make sure not just to create something great, but to produce the right thing. I do that with an extensive pre-sale process, with discovery and proposal phases.
Want to explore commercial video that actually works for your organisation? Drop me a line.