This is the 4th in a series of 12 blog posts that examines things that you need to think about before you contact a corporate video production company in Toronto. This post takes a look at your branding and graphics options for you corporate video.

Branding and graphics play an important role in the overall production of your video. So, ask yourself, “Do you have specific branding and graphic elements that you want to incorporate into the video?” Knowing what you want to include from this perspective will help to determine the complexity of the video.

Consider these questions:
• Do you have company graphics, logos, and designs that you want to include?
• How much of a role will graphics play in the video?
• Do you require animation, special effects, or sound effects?
• Will graphics and branding elements be provided by your company?
• How do these elements factor into the message and overall goals of the video?

Answering these questions and understanding the role of branding and graphics will give you a better idea of how you can enhance your video by adding special effects, graphics, and images at the right time to have maximum effect.

Key Takeaway: Don’t overlook the role of branding and graphics to enhance your corporate video.

The post Branding and Graphics Options for your corporate video appeared first on SignatureGold.

The Toronto Video Production Guide

Signature Gold Blog Series : 12 Steps for Planning your Corporate Video

Establishing a budget for your video project

Your budget will impact everything else in the project. This is why it is so important to establish a budget as soon as possible. You need to know what you are working with and realistically what type of video you can afford to make with the money you have to spend. Your budget impacts when and where you will shot, the effects included in the video, and all additional services that are provided by the video company.

Even if you do not have an exact number, you need to provide the video production company with a range to work with. When production companies have a ball part figure to work with, they can help you reign in your expectations and what you can actually accomplish with your budget for your project. Most companies will give you a number of video options to consider that will help you achieve your goals for the video, and without exceeding your budget.

The post Establishing a budget for your video project appeared first on SignatureGold.

The Toronto Video Production Guide

Signature Gold Blog Series : 12 Steps for Planning your Corporate Video

Determining internal involvement

Outside of coming up with the concept for your video, the internal involvement of our company in the creation of the video will vary based on how you want to approach production. Some companies simply turn things over the video production company and await the finished product while others have a more rigid and formal involvement in the development of the project

When it comes to your video project you need to think about who is involved internally? What people are required to sign off not only on the video, but also the budget that will be allocated for the project? Is there a review process that you have to go through to approve drafts, and finalized versions of the video?

These are all valid questions that need answers and need to be brought to the attention of the production company. Approval processes require additional time to be added to the project, let alone planning for edit based on the comments of the internal reviews. So, don’t forget to factor in how much influence your internal approval processes will have on the production of the video.

The post Determining internal involvement appeared first on SignatureGold.

The Toronto Video Production Guide

Signature Gold Blog Series : 12 Steps for Planning your Corporate Video

Setting a Deadline

The importance of setting a deadline cannot be overlooked. If you don’t set a deadline for project completion, then you risk having the project carry on too long. It could also lead to a lack of focus for the project, which could impact your ability to clearly communicate expectations to the video production company.

When you set a deadline for your video you need to be realistic. Setting a tight deadline could force things to be rushed and cause things to get overlooked and setting a deadline that is lax could cause things to linger too long. Therefore, you need to establish a logical time frame for the project and this will vary based on the scope and complexity of the video you want to create.

One of the most effective methods for setting a reasonable deadline is to determine:
• The start date of the project
• The completion date of the project
• Important milestone dates throughout the video project

Breaking the project down into smaller, more manageable, chunks will help you stay on track and complete the video by the deadline. It also provides a more clear direction for the video production company.

Key Takeaway: Setting a realistic deadline and a series of mini milestones will keep your video project on course.

The post Setting a Deadline appeared first on SignatureGold.

The Toronto Video Production Guide

Signature Gold Blog Series : 12 Steps for Planning your Corporate Video

Where to shoot your video

One of the most important things that you need to determine when planning your video is where you will shoot it. The location will vary depending on the type of video you are shooting, but in general, you will either be shooting in the studio, or you will be shooting on location. If you are shooting in the studio you will need to book studio time, and if you are shooting on location you need to make sure that you have the proper approvals and documentation in place.

A third shooting option is multiple locations shooting. If it makes sense for your video to be shot in multiple locations, think about how many places you want to shoot in and where they are located. Remember that shooting in multiple locations requires some logistical planning to ensure everyone is where they need to be, and when they need to be.

And, don’t forget the investment that will be required. Shooting in multiple locations takes more time, effort, and resources, so make sure that you have factored this into your decision.

Key Takeaway: Figuring out when and where you want to shoot helps to establish a time frame for the video project.

The post Where to shoot your video appeared first on SignatureGold.

The Toronto Video Production Guide

Signature Gold Blog Series : 12 Steps for Planning your Corporate Video

Do you need onscreen talent for your video?

Depending on the style of your video, you may be required to have some onscreen talent featured in your video. Obviously, their role and what they will say in the video is dependent on the message and goals for the project. However, you need to first start by figuring out your need for onscreen talent.

Do you need onscreen talent? If you do, how many people? In what role? Just like a character from a television show you need to define their role within the context of the video.

A second thing that you need to determine is how and where you will get the talent for your video. Will the video feature someone internally? If so, who will it be and in what role?
If not, do you need to hire actors? If you need to hire actors, is this something that you will handle or do you want it to be the responsibility of the video production company? And, when hiring, are there certain traits and characteristics you are looking for in the actors you want to hire?

Key Takeaway: Knowing the onscreen actors that you want to cast makes it easier to define their role within the video.

The post Do you need onscreen talent for your video? appeared first on SignatureGold.

The Toronto Video Production Guide

Signature Gold Blog Series : 12 Steps for Planning your Corporate Video

Determining what video production services you need

There are many different elements at play with video production. Therefore, before contacting a video production company you need to think about the services that you will need.

Do you require full production services for your video? Are you looking for the video company to manage all facets of the video production? Or are you simply looking for them to provide more technical services such as recording the video and then editing it to your liking?

You also need to factor in the components that are going to be done internally in your company. What role will your company play in the production of the video?

These are all important questions that need to be answered to create an effective work flow and establish responsibilities for project elements. Create a list of the services that you are interested in using from the video company. Do you need a:
• Producer and director?
• Script writer?
• Camera Crew?
• Post production and editing services?

Key Takeaway: Understanding the video production services that are required will help the video company better establish their role for the project.

The post What video production services you need appeared first on SignatureGold.

The Toronto Video Production Guide

Signature Gold Blog Series : 12 Steps for Planning your Corporate Video

Defining clear goals and objectives for your corporate video

Every corporate video needs to have a clear goal. There needs to be a specific reason why you want to invest the time, money, and resources into video production. The truth is that there are many different reasons to create a video. But, you need to have a clear goal to ensure that your video achieve what you want it to do.

Make sure that you set aside some time to think about the goal of your video. Is your goal to:
• Educate viewers about a specific topic or subject area?
• Influence or persuade public opinion?
• Offer training to a targeted audience?
• Provide support for a cause or charity?
• Reach out and engage viewers?
• Sell or market a product or service?

While there may be elements of each of the goals listed above, you need to clearly define the purpose and goal for the video. To do this, all you have to do is answer a simple, yet powerful question, “Why am I creating this video?” Answering this question will provide you with some clear direction for the goals of your video.

Key Takeaway: Understanding why you are creating the video will help you clearly define your goal for the video project.

The post Defining clear goals and objectives for your video appeared first on SignatureGold.

The Toronto Video Production Guide

Signature Gold Blog Series : 12 Steps for Planning your Corporate Video

The importance of providing examples

This is the 5th in a series of 12 blog posts that examines things that you need to think about before you contact a corporate video production company in Toronto. This post takes a look at the importance of providing examples to your Toronto video production company.

Examples create clarity. This is why they are used in all contexts as a tool to provide further understanding. When it comes to your corporate video, examples play a significant role in your ability to effectively communicate the elements that you want to include in your video to the video production company.

It is your ability to clearly communicate your concepts and ideas that will make it come to life in the way to concept appears in your head. If possible, show a number of examples of the concepts you like and would like to include in your corporate video. Keep in mind that you can provide examples for many of the elements you would like for your video such as:
• Stylistic examples
• Sample locations
• The look of actors
• Examples of effects, production, and graphics

Provide examples that you think will improve understanding for you and for the video company. The better understanding that both parties have, the closer you will get to creating the concept your envisioned for the video.

Key Takeaway: Examples provide clarity and the more specific the example the better.
The next post in our series will take a look at defining a clear and concise goal for your corporate video.

The post The importance of providing examples appeared first on SignatureGold.

The Toronto Video Production Guide

Signature Gold Blog Series : 12 Steps for Planning your Corporate Video

Branding and Graphics Options for your corporate video

This is the 4th in a series of 12 blog posts that examines things that you need to think about before you contact a corporate video production company in Toronto. This post takes a look at your branding and graphics options for you corporate video.

Branding and graphics play an important role in the overall production of your video. So, ask yourself, “Do you have specific branding and graphic elements that you want to incorporate into the video?” Knowing what you want to include from this perspective will help to determine the complexity of the video.

Consider these questions:
• Do you have company graphics, logos, and designs that you want to include?
• How much of a role will graphics play in the video?
• Do you require animation, special effects, or sound effects?
• Will graphics and branding elements be provided by your company?
• How do these elements factor into the message and overall goals of the video?

Answering these questions and understanding the role of branding and graphics will give you a better idea of how you can enhance your video by adding special effects, graphics, and images at the right time to have maximum effect.

Key Takeaway: Don’t overlook the role of branding and graphics to enhance your corporate video.

The next post in our series will take a look at the importance of providing examples to a video production company so they can better visualize what you are trying to achieve with your video.

The post Branding and graphics options for your corporate video appeared first on SignatureGold.