Film For Thought: What to Know Before Booking a Videographer
Just like the weddings that we often shoot, any good relationship — whether it’s a marriage or the relationship between creatives and their clients — requires clear communication. Hiring a videographer can be a streamlined, straightforward, and fun process if you know what you are looking for and agree upon important details in advance. Here are some things you should discuss with your videographer to ensure that you get the most out of your videography experience:
Pre-Production
Pre-production refers to the logistics-planning your videographer does prior to the shoot to ensure that production runs on time, smoothly, and culminates in the type of film you envision. Whether you are planning the logistics yourself or are working with Clicke to plan them for you, you should communicate the following to your videographer prior to the shoot:
Vision and Narrative
Regardless of whether you’re trying to film a wedding, a conference, or a promotional video for your new fashion line, you should have a baseline idea of what story you’re trying to tell and how you want it to be told. It is often helpful to browse online for YouTube videos or other materials that illustrate the style of videography you are looking for. Ask your videographer for samples of their work to verify that their style and capabilities match what you are looking for.
Desired Deliverables
Decide how long you want your video(s) to be and how they should be formatted (for TV v. computer v. social media). If there are particular shots you want to see in your video, provide your videographer with a shot list in advance.
Date/Time/Location
While it may seem obvious, the first order of business in talking to a potential videographer should be whether they are even available for the location, date, and time of your desired shoot. Once you’ve established availability, it is important to discuss the time limitations of your shoot (e.g. how long you have the location rented for, how much time they have with the bridal party before the wedding). Give the videographer the opportunity to scout the shoot location, or at least browse through photos, to plan the shoot and determine what kind of equipment they will need. If the location is outdoors, work with your videographer to create a rain/foul weather plan.
Budget
Most clients have a preset spending limit in mind, so it is important to (1) research industry norms in advance to ensure that your spending limit is compatible with the video you want; and (2) agree upon a budget in advance. When seeking quotes, we recommend revisiting your Vision and Desired Deliverables to determine your minimal viable product (i.e. the most basic video you would accept) and your ideal product (the video of your dreams). Ask for quotes for each to determine an expense range, and work with your videographer to agree upon a comfortable middle ground. For transparency, the typical costs included in a videography package include an hourly videography rate and a slightly less expensive hourly editing rate. Other costs can include travel expenses, equipment rental fees if your videographer has to acquire additional equipment, additional hourly rates for production assistants, and licensing fees if you want your video to include licensed music.
Participants
Most videography shoots have several moving parts, so it is best to discuss who is in charge, who will be present, and how everyone present will work together in advance to make the most out of your time. For example, if the videographer is sharing their time with a photographer, we recommend putting them in touch in advance so they can design a plan to share resources most efficiently.
Coronavirus Safety
All participants should adhere to the most current coronavirus safety guidance. Set clear safety expectations regarding mask usage, testing, and exposure risk beforehand to ensure that both you and your videographer feel safe.
Post-Production
Post-production refers to all of the work your videographer does to transform raw footage into a professionally edited video. Just as clear communication is essential in pre-production to ensure your videographer gets the right raw footage, clear communication in post-production is essential to ensure that the raw footage is transformed into the video you envision. Topics to discuss with your videographer include:
Timeline
What is your desired turnaround for the video? It is common practice to set deadlines and a production schedule in advance to ensure the timely delivery of the final product. If you are working with a tight deadline or outside of normal business hours, you may need to pay your videographer overtime.
Revision Rounds
It is common practice for videographers to provide clients with draft deliverables throughout post-production so the client can course correct and provide feedback as necessary. Since every edit creates new work, we suggest that you structure one to two revision rounds into the production schedule, setting a deadline for the videographer to provide a draft and a set turnaround time for you to provide comments. Scheduled revision rounds provide much-needed structure to workflow, and client comments organized in an email provide both parties with a clear reference point, reducing misunderstandings from revision notes given orally over the phone or through multiple channels, i.e. Instagram DM, text, etc.
Intellectual Property
Most videography contracts include provisions allowing the videographer to reuse the material for portfolio use. If you would like to have exclusive rights to the video and raw footage, you should discuss this with your videographer beforehand. Exclusive rights typically entail a buyout fee for the videographer.
Lights, Camera, Action!
We recognize that the questions raised by this article, while necessary, can be overwhelming, which is why Clicke offers a simplified and streamlined booking process to make booking a videographer as easy as possible. When you book through Clicke, we help you work through your vision, we research industry standards, we provide you with multiple quotes, we help plan the logistics, we provide the contract, and we provide you with a secure transaction, holding the funds in escrow until the videographer delivers the final products. Contact Clicke today to learn more about booking a videographer through us.
