by Seth | Apr 29, 2022 | General
When you’ve decided to embark on a video production project, your next step is to decide who you’d like on your team to help achieve your goals. There are two main options for your project: hire a freelancer or partner with a video production company. Each organization will have unique needs for its project, and some types of video production partners will fit better than others in terms of sharing aspirations and meeting requirements.
Knowing the differences between a freelancer and a video production company, specifically the nuances of working with each, is very important in understanding how they will help your project move forward.
Benefits and Downfalls of Hiring Freelancers
Freelancers are individuals who offer their services for hire. They do not belong to a structured team of people under one company name – they work alone or collaborate with other freelancers or companies you’ve hired. Sometimes, companies hire freelancers as subcontractors if they need someone with a specific skill or to help alleviate the workload.
As one person, a freelancer typically has one or two main services that they offer as their specialty. For example, you could hire a freelancer for filming, editing, motion graphics, or animation. While this means that they are highly specialized in a particular skill, it also means that they generally lack experience in other areas. If they do offer to help in other areas, it can be difficult for them to deliver on all the necessary tasks within the timeline you require or meet your standards. Unfortunately, these issues often lead to production delays, sending your budget into a tailspin.
One benefit to hiring freelancers is that they tend to be more affordable because they typically lack the overhead of working with companies. At the same time, they mainly focus on creating the content. They won’t be able to provide the same well-rounded business experience as companies when it comes to assisting with organization, production, marketing, and distribution. If you choose to hire several freelancers to meet all your needs, they will likely be unacquainted with each other, leading to creative differences and an inability to get on the same page. Time spent collaborating, scheduling meetings, and sharing content over email can lead to costly delays and frustration.
Reasons Why You Should Hire a Video Production Company
Video production companies can consist of small or large teams, but overall, they are comprised of several individuals who each bring their own assets to the table. Instead of being limited to one or two specialties, a video production company will work with you from the beginning to the end of your project, offering a fully organized experience.
From the start, a video production company will discuss your goals with you and help to build an overall strategy. They can help you organize your entire project from start to finish and fill every need that you have for production, editing, and distribution. If they don’t have a team member who can meet your needs, they can hire and manage subcontractors to fill those gaps.
With a full team of professionals and a structured organization, video production companies are often more expensive than freelancers due to overhead costs. The extra expense is usually worth the money, however, as these companies can be more efficient and make for more reliable production partners. As an organization leader, you’ll enjoy your experience with a video production company much more because they can act as a professional project partner throughout the process.
Looking to Hire a Video Production Company?
When you’ve made the choice to hire a video production company, your next step is to find one with the experience, passion, and reputation to satisfy your project goals and exceed your expectations. If you’re looking for more information about what your experience with a video production company would be like, or if you’d like to get started on your project, contact Monzo Media Productions.
by Seth | Apr 21, 2022 | General
Embarking on the journey of creating an online course is exciting, but a lot of preparation and forethought are required. On the administrative side, you’ll need to set up the structure of your business and file the necessary paperwork before you can begin operating and selling products to others. Aside from that, there is substantial work to be done in production.
As experts in the field of video production and strategy, we’ll begin this overview by focusing on the production side of your online course.
1. Set the Goals for Your Online Course
When you’re an expert in your field, it’s easy to get caught up in the intricacies of your knowledge, but when people buy an online course, they expect a well-structured curriculum that can take them deliberately from beginner to expert in the topic. The best way to ensure your online course works well is to keep your audience in mind and set goals.
If you’re teaching a skill, you’ll want to make sure you start from the beginning such as necessary materials, prerequisites, and basic first steps. If you are teaching a topic such as art or marketing, you’ll want to ensure you’re clear about approaching the topic from a literal, basic sense or a more abstract, conceptual sense. Providing a preview of the course, either written or video, can help your audience decide if it’s right for them.
2. Write Your Video Scripts
Once you understand your goals, break down your online course into smaller units and sections. Set a goal for each video, ensuring the videos can logically follow into each other and build on the knowledge or skillset. Then, write out a script for each video.
In general, it is wise to have a full script for every video rather than just an outline or notes. Most people are not skilled in ad libbing, and if they are, it’s still helpful to reference a script so that you don’t miss any key points. If you’re worried about looking detached, try using a teleprompter or screen recorder with notes.
There are times when you’ll need to stay more flexible, such as when you’re demonstrating a manual skill or cannot exactly control the environment. Even then, you should have a script and be ready to react to anything that doesn’t go exactly as planned.
3. Design Your Filming Studio
Once scripts are finalized, it’s time to design the studio. Your designated filming space can be an office or room at home, but don’t use a bland background. It might be tempting to find a blank wall to avoid distractions, but adding design to the background will enhance the online course experience.
Use inventive lighting, plants, and nice decor to enhance the visuals for your students. Think about the topic of your online course and add some relevant items, like gardening equipment for your beginners’ gardening class or models of human anatomy for a wellness and fitness course.
4. Film in Batches
Filming in batches is one of the best ways to increase productivity. In doing so, you can cut down on time by only preparing your studio once for several videos. To give the illusion of time passing, you can change shirts and shift things in the background. Once you’ve perfected the lighting and frame on film day, you’ll want to take advantage of it for as many videos as you can.
Before you spend time filming, make sure you practice. Run tests of all your equipment to make sure all the settings are correct, such as for high-quality audio. While you’re shooting, do a few takes for each video to ensure you’ve filmed everything you need and can pick the best take. You should immediately review your videos and refilm if there are any mistakes to avoid trying to recreate the scene at a later date.
5. Edit and Finalize
In editing, avoid looking like a talking head for long periods. Add stock photos and videos that are relevant to the topic to enhance the video and reinforce the meanings behind your lessons. Use text, effects, and other appropriate additions to make the videos as interesting and helpful as possible.
The length of your videos really depends on the topic and the skill level of your audience. Regardless, try to cut down your content to be concise while also covering all necessary material.
Inspire Minds with a Well-Produced Online Course
Congratulations on your decision to create an online course and good luck on your journey! Remember, there’s a whole business side to creating an online course, but we hope this article will help you improve the production side of your project.
If you’re looking for more advice for your online course production, contact Monzo Media Productions.
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