Hello everyone. My name is Tim Stoddart. I am thrilled to be able to put forth some content for Plum Productions Media. I am the CEO of Stodzy, Inc. Over the years, I have witnessed the rise of video content. Creating quality video for your company or brand is more important then ever. I know what you’re thinking. “Can I do this on my own without hiring a production company?” The answer is yes you can. But whenever possible, I would recommend hiring a video production company. We live in an amazing new world. Every other day it seems that there are new inventions, new technologies and new innovations designed to streamline our lives. We have more options then ever. The smart phone is at the top of the list of “most important inventions of our lifetimes.” One area that the smart phone has really impacted has been video production. iPhones now shoot and record at 4k which is an extremely clear video quality considering how small the camera is. It’s no wonder so many small brands are taking it upon themselves to start creating their own video content.
“But just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”
I would agree that there are advantages to shooting video on your own. Speed is a factor. If you shoot a video on your phone you can have it posted on Facebook or YouTube in a manner of minutes. Also, spontaneity plays a role. It is very important to be able to hit record on a moments notice just in case you are a first hand witness of something amazing. Aside from those reasons, I still recommend using a video production company whenever possible. Let’s take a look at a few reasons why.
I would argue that editing is more important then shooting the actual footage. Raw footage is the foundation to any good video. Without the footage you have nothing to work with. However, it is the editing that will truly make a video come alive. Video production companies understand the importance of incorporating B roll, transitions, music and other sound effects. This is where the magic happens. For a video to be an effective marketing tool, it needs to hit an emotional chord. Videos have the power to truly leave an impact on someone. They can make you think, they can inspire you, they can make you angry and even make you sad. Music and sound effects play a HUGE roll in how a video will effect a viewer from an emotion standpoint. There is no doubt about that. One of the best examples of this is from Gary Vaynerchuk. Vaynerchuk is a famous social media personality. He hosts two successful YouTube shows. One of which is called #AskGaryVee, the other is called The Daily Vee. #AskGaryVee uses very little editing. The show is a simple round table discussion in which Gary answers questions sent to him from fans. It is very good and valuable content but the informative nature of it isn’t meant to leave an emotional impact. The Daily Vee however is a daily video blog in which Gary and his team record their adventures and turn it into some kind of lesson for the viewer. These videos capture footage from drones and handheld cameras. They capture candid footage, great B roll and use background music and sound effects as a great add on to the content. The Daily Vee truly hits you in the feels. That’s why these videos have such an impact on his brand.
You don’t realize how important audio quality is until you start recording your own footage. I’ve seen this happen many times. Some brand or company gets very excited about an idea for a video. They pull out their phones, they hit record and they feel good about what they have done. Unfortunately, when they upload the video they quickly realize that the sound is hard to hear and in some moments of the video there are loud bursts of “fuzz” when someone may have rubbed their hand over the microphone. If your sound quality is poor, your video will not get nearly enough views as it potentially could. Not putting the effort into good sound quality is a huge mistake. A video production company will be able to nullify this. Ideally, you want to record your video and your sound in two separate tracks. Once you have all the raw footage, you can pair it all together so that you have high quality sound that matches the high quality footage.
Have you ever tried to hold your hand completely still? It’s almost impossible. You can try it out yourself. Pick up your phone and start recording some still footage in your home or in your back yard. In the moment it may feel as though you are holding the camera still, in reality there are tiny little shakes and bends in the footage that will most definitely impact the finished product. Video production companies have ways to remedy this. Their cameras are equipped with shoulder harnesses, tripods, stands and shoulder straps to ensure that every video is shot with still unwavering footage. All the little details really add up. If you are shooting a commercial, a product shot, an informative piece or even a collection of still frames you want to make sure your video content is as professional as possible. Poor video quality will make you come off as very amateur.
When I was growing up, I spent years doing carpentry for a small business. My boss was a big man named Mike. Mike had been a carpenter his entire life, he didn’t have much patience for mediocrity. Any time I find myself wanting to cut corners I think of Mike and his view on hard work. Mikes philosophy was simple. If you do things right the first time, you never have to do them twice. Simple enough, yet very profound. Having the patience and the discipline to do work with 100% effort and quality is very difficult. We all have moments when we look to cut corners or to find an easier, softer way. In the end, if you pay attention to detail and you take the time to create excellent work, you will be further along then you would have been otherwise. Every little bit counts. The quality of your work is reflective upon the quality of your life. You may be reading this thinking “I think I can still do this on my own.” That may be true, but the question you should ask yourself is “do you want to do it twice?”
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I agree that you will be further along in the end if you take the time to pay attention and not cut corners with video productions. It’s important that you have high quality video because it will leave a memorable impression on viewers. I think it’s a good idea to find a company who can help edit and compile a video production in good quality so that your viewers are intrigued and impressed favorably.
I really like that you mentioned how even if you know how to do it, that doesn’t mean you should. If my dad were a business owner I think he would find great value in promotional video production done by professionals. I’ll be sure to talk to him about it in case he is ever in need.
There really are a lot of advantages to hiring a production company to handle your video production over doing it yourself. As the article points out, one of the big things is that they know how to edit footage. After all, the right edits can either make or break a video, so it helps to have a professional that knows what they’re doing.
I am really impressed with your article and I will share this as much as it will be possible for me.
I didn’t know that raw footage is the foundation of any good video. My brother has an art project and his group needs to make a music video. My sister suggested having a video production company and shared this article with him.
I appreciate how you said that hiring a professional videographer will mean that your videos shouldn’t be shaky at all. I also like how you said that the sound will turn out a lot better than doing it yourself. If someone with a business was looking into video production services, I would think they should remember your post.
You made a great point about how the sound on phones is still sometimes poor. I have been thinking about making a few videos this summer. It would make sense to have professional help so I end up with a video I can actually hear.
I appreciate your advice on the benefits of hiring a video production service. I am looking to create a commercial for my home business but I want it to be professional. Being sure that the editing will turn the raw footage into a great commercial is something that I am looking for. I think I will look into multimedia companies in my area.
Hi Jenna,
Thank you for your comment! You are right…having the right footage is crucial to getting a great edit. If we can help you in any way, please don’t hesitate to ask!
The Plum Team
Thanks for pointing out that production companies will be able to have the right kind of tools to get your sound and video in two different tracks so that they can be edited separately. This would be especially important for any productions that you’re making, especially with the music you pick.
You have wonderful views which are evident from your writings. Keep posting such kind of blogs as they are really informative, wish you good luck for your future blogs and hope they receive as much appraisal as you have got now.
I do agree with you when you said that even if the phone is an iPhone, there will be chances for the video to come out as shaky, so it is better to hire professionals to do it as they have the equipment that will prevent this from happening. If that is the case, then I will ask my friend to hire a videographer to help him. After all, he wants the commercial to come out successfully. Thank you!
It’s great that you’ve mentioned how editing is what makes a video come alive, as video production companies understand the importance of incorporating music and sound effects, transitions, and other techniques to make the video appealing. My sister is thinking of starting a business and she wants to have a unique marketing video. I’ll mention this to her so that she can consider getting in touch with a commercial production company that can provide the best quality of work by incorporating all of their skills in the video.
I like that you talked about how hiring a video production company can ensure quality audio compared to using a smartphone. My friend mentioned that their company is planning to have their first online video ad, and he’s part of the production committee. I’ll remind him that it is best to hire video production company so that their commercial will have the best audio and video quality when it is uploaded.
I am so thankful for what you have shared about hiring a video production company instead of just doing it. From my point of view, we should just entrust them of the special event to ensure that we are getting the best out of it. You are right in saying that they are masters at editing and they know how they can give you the best as expected!
Joy,
Thank you. While it seems strange that you’re comment matches several others on this thread, we appreciate the comment.
Rob
The line “if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right” is a quote worthy to remind ourselves with. Why settle for mediocre when you can do it great, am I right???? It also saves you time doing the grunt work of learning how to get it right, give it to the experts my friend. It’s important as well knowing how visual a lot of things are nowadays (even those instagram video ads need to look good!).
I found it really interesting to learn about how having your audio and video on two separate tracks can be beneficial to your final edit, since the audio will come in more clearly. I don’t work for a video production company, but I have filmed a lot of amateur footage on my smartphone. The audio quality on a smartphone is not ideal, so I totally agree that having them on two separate tracks would overall improve the quality of your video.
I really appreciate your tip that hiring an audiovisual specialist will help you avoid having shaky footage. My wife and I have been thinking of getting a photographer to film our daughter’s wedding, and we want to make sure that the footage is pristine. I will be sure to hire an audiovisual specialist so the footage isn’t shaky!
Thank you for your comment. We hope this post helped you better understand why a professional can sometimes be better than doing it yourself.
I totally agree when you said that it could lead us to create a second video if we try to do it on our own. With that in mind, I will be hiring a professional to do it for me since I don’t have the luxury of time to have any mistakes. This is because the video will be for my mom’s birthday which is just a week away. So I am really tight on time.
good site and posts
Thanks!
I’m glad you pointed out that audio quality in smart phones isn’t great, and you may not realize this until watching the completed video. The company I work for wants to make a promotional video for our new product. I’ll pass along the info you shared here and suggest we hire a production company with good audio equipment.
Thank you! Let us know if we can help!
It is really helpful for us. It is essential that you have a high-quality video for your business growth, marketing, and promotion. So, it is the good thing to hire a video production company that can help in creating valuable, impressive, good quality and impressive video content.