Hiring Freelance Filmmakers - Pros and Cons
Now that you read all the above posts, you might wonder if it is possible to just hire an individual freelance filmmaker and cut costs. Depending on the type of project, it is possible and it makes more sense to hire a freelance filmmaker; here are some considerations. It is possible to hire a freelance filmmaker if your business needs minor media coverage for exhibitions, if you want to capture simple customer testimonials, simple product shots, and other minor filming without too much risk or complexity. If the freelance filmmaker owns their equipment and the filming is conducted in private property that is pre-authorized for filming by the client/owner (exhibitions, private events and corporate offices of the client), this is usually possible. The hidden risk when hiring a freelance filmmaker is that these freelance filmmakers often do not obtain liability insurance, which means that all liability issues are up in the air. If something happens, the client will be asked to cover unexpected costs. The other consideration here is skillset and professionalism - one person can only do so much at a given time.
When to Hire a Production Company
You should always hire a production company or an experienced, independent producer to produce your video content if your project demands higher quality. It is more difficult to find independent producers than to find production companies because independent producers usually don’t have a website, and often don’t carry their own liability insurance. We suggest you work with companies you like creatively and who respond to you quickly so you can communicate efficiently within your busy schedule. One often overlooked aspect to consider is how much internal infrastructure and efficiency a company has - when you can tap into an existing “machine”, things can go quicker than when each project requires major start-up effort.Feel free to reach out to us with questions and we are happy to consult free of charge.
Shorter Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Cheaper
It is human nature to assume that costs are lower if we make shorter videos. That is true to some degree. But - like with many things in life -it is not always that simple. When we make shorter videos, it can mean two things. Firstly, it means there will be less post-production required unless the project has heavy visual effects planned. A shorter filming schedule can cut labor costs in the production. But overall, if the video becomes shorter, it means less work in post-production, which can save costs inpost-production labor. However,a shorter video needs to condense content by enriching each second of the video without compromising the quality of information communicated with the viewers. This requires a lot of creative planning and pre-production. This process demands professional filmmakers to spend lots of time thinking creatively to find a way to make a video that can resonate with people and make them remember it. When you make a good short video, it requires perfect shots and perfect performance delivered by a professional crew and cast. This is one of the reasons why TV commercials are so short yet cost a lot to produce. Given the restriction in airtime, all filmmakers will have to create something new and unique; a continuously more difficult task as more video content saturates the market.
