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London Production Company Alternatives

When it comes to choosing a production company in London especially Soho, you really are spoilt for choice, it can be overwhelming. Planning well ahead and thinking about your objectives when making a video are going to save you time and money...

Author: The IMP
Date: Aug 23, 2009 - 3:03:28 PM

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When it comes to choosing a production company in London especially Soho, you really are spoilt for choice, it can be overwhelming. If you are thinking about having a professional Video, Viral, Corporate Film, Music Video, Electronic Press Kit (EPK), Showreel or Wedding Video made to publicise your organisation, music, venue, campaign or product there are a number of questions you need to ask yourself before you commission a production company in London.

What is the aim of the video? Having a clear idea of the audience you are trying to reach it will make it much easier to make decisions about style and content. Is it to promote a product or service? Is it a corporate video with sensitive information? What is the age range, sex, social status and intellectual level of your audience? How will you engage the audience and hold their interest?

How and where will the audience view the video?
Technology allows us countless ways to view videos today. Computers, Mobile Telephones, Blogs, Youtube, DVD's, IPTV, Games consoles and the Internet are but a few. Will it be viewed by a group with a live introduction and the opportunity for discussion afterwards at a seminar, webinar, conference or even a bar? Will it be viewed in isolation over the Internet or on a company intranet or network? Will it captivate its intended audience? Is audio important? Will it need subtitles?

Having watched the video, what do I want the viewer to do?
Right from the get go it is good to decide your main objective and remember that video is good at painting a broad picture and showing how things look but not so good at lots of detail. You can, of course, have more than one objective but the more you have the more compromises you will have to make. It's sometimes good to go with the old adage of a narrative Start, Middle and End, taking the viewers on a journey.

What format will I need? Some variables should be addressed from the outset while overlooking or leaving them to the last minute could be expensive. If the video is mainly for Europe, PAL is the system in use while in the USA, NTSC is universal?  Do you want it in widescreen or 4:3? This could be a stylistic choice but if you wanted to incorporate it into a power point it will look better if it fits with the rest of the presentation. Do you want it on HD, HDV, DV or Film?  Do require music and if so do you need to clear rights or commission a composer to create a original score? At the end of the production do you need your video in Mpeg4, WMV or another DVD format?

How much will it cost?
A good London Production Company and producer will work with you to maximise value for money as well as achieving your creative ambition. You should approach several companies and view there work. It's important to get a good working relationship and to have a clear brief and objectives before a frame is shot. Fixing things in post production can be timely and expensive, like wise adding additional footage can look clunky and unprofessional.

How to choose a Production Company in London?
Many production companies rely on recommendations and repeat work for the bulk of their business. So find someone you know who has made a video and ask to see the work and if you like what you see get a referral. Websites are a good place to start - search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo will provide you with a good stream of suitable companies in your area. You can view their existing clients and see what kind of work they do. How long they have been established? How experienced are they? Read their testimonials. In the end it may come down to choosing the company you feel comfortable with. Here are a few suggestions of what to look out for:

• Track record. What have they produced before? Can you see examples of work in a similar vain to yours? Where possible, talk to their clients in person. Every commission is different and requires a unique approach and feel. Out of the box solutions rarely work well in this creative industry.


• The Producer.  You need to establish a good working relationship with whoever is going to produce the video. Ensure this person will be on the shoot and in the edit and will not produce from behind a desk.

·         Big or small? A large London Production Company will have the resources to ensure continuity throughout the production but this often comes at a high price. The higher the overheads generally mean less of your budget appears on the screen. If money is no object go for a Gladiator production with one of the major production houses of Soho. However, with smaller production companies throughout London you will deal with the producer directly who will have a small, dedicated team, often consisting of a network of freelance technicians. This can work in your favour because you won't get passed around the company and they can focus on your production more intently.

When having chosen a London production company it's a good idea to work with them to produce a well-researched, creative treatment. This may include a script, storyboard and other notes specific to your project. If you wish, you can just pay for the treatment initially and only commit to the full production when you are happy with it. The main advantage in working this way is both you and the producer have the same goals in mind. Once you have a treatment that meets all your aims and objectives, the producer can budget and production of you video can start in earnest.

So if you are searching for a London production company to help you realise your creative ambitions firstly decide on why you want to make a video, who is going to see it, how they are going to see it, what you want the audience to do having seen it.

Work out how much you can budget for the production and then research your London production companies by Google, referrals and personal taste.

Once you found the London production company you are happy with keep up a good communication throughout the process

 

Your next production need not cost the earth! IMP Film Co. are not a large Soho production company so their overheads are a lot lower, that's big savings that can pass back to you which we know are important in this day and age of the squeezed budgets!

You can save money by utilising your staff to take part in the production instead of hiring actors or models. And as you're in London why not make use of the stunning landmarks freely available but remember to get to carried away and always focus on the true intent of the video.

 

IMP Film Co. are a small collection of focused, creative professionals who have worked with the great and the good from the independent sector to large blue-chip companies, from emerging names to household brands, from classic rock through to Mongolian 'Chinagrass' folk artists!

View all articles by The IMP

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