20 WAYS TO SAVEMONEY ON YOUR
NEXT VIDEO

214 Overlook Circle, Suite 180 . Brentwood, TN 37027 . 615.866.3150 . www.ComprehensiveMedia.com

Only 20% of visitors to your website
will read a document, but 80% will
watch a video.

TABLE OF
CONTENTS

Chapter 1: 10 Reasons You Should Care About Video........4
Chapter 2: Find the Right Balance...................................5
Chapter 3: How This E-Book Can Help You.......................6
Chapter 4: Before Production..........................................7
Chapter 5: Pre-Production..............................................9
Chapter 6: Production................................................... 13
Chapter 7: Post Production........................................... 15
Chapter 8: After Production.......................................... 17
Chapter 9: It’s a Wrap!.................................................. 18
Chapter 10: Helpful Resources...................................... 19
About Comprehensive Media......................................... 20

Chapter 1

10 REASONS YOU SHOULD
CARE ABOUT VIDEO
Everybody loves video! They watch it,they share it and they use it. Why?
Because of the results!

1. Online video delivers 10 times the response rate of static text and graphics. ~ double click
2. People stay on websites 5.33 times longer with video. ~ DigiDay
3. Online shoppers watched 40% more videos on retail websites in 2011. ~ Internet Retailer
4. YouTube sees 4 billion video views globally every day. ~ YouTube
5. Product videos make consumers 85% more likely to buy. ~ Internet Retailer
6. The human brain absorbs 50% more information through moving pictures and sound than thenext best medium. ~ Forrester Research
7. People are 75% more likely to watch video than read print. ~ Forrester Research
8. YouTube is ranked as the #2 search engine in the world. ~ YouTube
9. Buyers are 98% more likely to watch a presentation on video than to listen to a sales rep.
~ Forrester Research
10. 85% of people choose to watch a video about a company online rather than read the rest of thewebsite. ~ Forrester Research

4Chapter 2

FIND THE RIGHT BALANCE
You can’t have it all.

There’s an old adage in the world of production that says,“Cheap, quick, and great .... pick two.”

The concept is simple—you can’t have it all. You can’t sit on the couch eating potato
chips all day and be a world-class athlete. You can’t spend more money than you makeand still go on that European vacation next summer. So it is with video production; youhave to decide. For example, do you want . . .
• A great quick job? That won’t be cheap• A cheap great job? That won’t be quick• A quick cheap job? That won’t be great
Why do you have to choose? Because every video project, even yours, has constraints,
whether quality, time, or budget. A change to one affects all the others, so find the balance
you’re most comfortable with and the outcome you expect. Or as Stephen Covey said,“Begin with the end in mind.”

How Would You Like Your
Video Production?
(YOU CAN ONLY PICK TWO)QUICKDIPPED IN
UGLY SAUCEWITH HASTE AND
CARELESSNESSCHEAPIMPOSSIBLEUTOPIAYOU GET
WHAT YOUPAY FORJUST IN TIMETO BE TOO
LATE

GREAT

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Chapter 3

HOW THIS E-BOOK
CAN HELP YOU
You’ve probably heard of the three stages of video production:
pre-production, production, and post-production.
Well when it comes to saving money, you really need to consider the
5 stages of video production. In this e-book, we’ll give you twenty
practical ways to save money throughout each of these stages.

1. Before Production

Where you begin preparing for your video project.

2. Pre-Production

Where your producer prepares for your video.

3. Production

Where your producer shoots your video.

4. Post Production

Where your producer edits your video.

5. After Production

Where you evaluate and track the progress of your video.

6Chapter 4

BEFORE PRODUCTION

Taking the first step to saving money on your video.
STEP 1: Prepare Your Production Brief
A Production Brief is a simple, one-page summary of your project. You’ll need your Production Brief in hand before yourproducer can give you an estimate for your project.
A Production Brief answers the following 9 questions:
1. What’s the objective of your video?
6. How will the video be distributed?
2. What’s the desired outcome of your video?
7. What is the length of the video?
3. Who is your target audience?
8. When is the video due?
4. What is the key message you want to convey?
9. What is your budget?
5. What has to be included in the video – the required content?
Take your time! Don’t rush through the Production Brief. Include key decision

makers in the process and get their buy-in now, before you start spending money. Remember,solutions are always easier once the real issues have been identified.

How does this save you money?
By getting you started on the right foot andmanaging your expectations.

You can download a FREE copy of our Production Brief here!

7Chapter 4

BEFORE PRODUCTION Taking the first step to saving money on your video.
STEP 2: Expect the Unexpected
Face it, the unexpected will happen. But if you’ve planned for it, it’s less likely to have a major impact on yourpocketbook. Give yourself some padding for both the budget and the schedule. Plan for the worst case but work
toward the best case.
STEP 3: Plan for Economy-of-Scale
Economy-of-scale is an easy way to save a LOT of money on your project. For example:• How much would it save to shoot multiple projects at the same time, with the same crew
and talent on the same location?
• Can you use the same footage for multiple projects?
• Can you team up with another department to split production costs?
Each of these can help to stretch your budget dollars and make you look like the hero you really are!

How does thissave you money?
By giving you a bit of wiggle
room now so that you don’t
have to throw more money at a
problem later on.

How does thissave you money?
By spreading the cost overmultiple projects.

STEP 4: Select the BestIn Chapter 2, you were asked to select the kind of job you would like to have done. Will your project be?
A. A great, quick job
B. A cheap, great job
C. A quick, cheap job
Now pick a video production company based on A, B, or C. Just as people come in all different shapes and sizes,
video producers range in size, experience, capability, and expertise. You want to select the producer that is thebest fit for you and your project. In the end, you have to decide based on your budget, timetable, and the qualityof their work. Who will you select?

How does thissave you money?
By finding the right fit for you
and your project.

BUT REMEMBER you get what you pay for, and sometimes cheaper costs MORE in the long run.

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Chapter 5

PRE-PRODUCTIONYour producer gets your project ready to shoot.
STEP 5: Be Brief
Remember that Production Brief you completed in Chapter 4? Your
producer will take that and go a little deeper with a Creative Brief. The
Creative Brief is not a creative document (I know, I didn’t name it), but itis the foundation of all the creativity that will follow. So don’t succumb
to temptation and rush through it. You need a solid foundation.

How does thissave you money?
By making sure your video is
on-target and on-message.

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Chapter 5

PRE-PRODUCTION Your producer gets your project ready to shoot.
STEP 6: Be Invested
Approach your project as an investment in a solution to a problem versus just throwing moneyat a video. The difference is significant – investing offers a return on investment; spending
doesn’t. You want your video to produce specific results and solve the problems you identified
in your Creative Brief.

How does thissave you money?
By your willingness toinvest versus spend yourway to a solution.

STEP 7: Be OpenYou take your car to a mechanic because that mechanic has skills and expertise that you don’t. It’s the same
principle with video production. One of the great assets your producer brings to the table is an ability to see yourproject, its problems, and possibilities in a fresh light, and in ways you hadn’t considered. Step outside yourcomfort zone and be open to new ideas or approaches.
STEP 8: Be Engaged
Your producer is an expert in his or her field, but they need you. Communication can be thedifference between so-so and super. And that same engagement needs to happen with yourcompany’s leadership and decision makers as well.
What you think, how you feel, and what your gut tells you are important. As the parson would say,“speak now or forevermore hold your peace.”

How does thissave you money?
By giving you a fresh
perspective and agreater return on
investment.

How does thissave you money?
By clearing up any issues
before they become
problems.

10Chapter 5

PRE-PRODUCTION Your producer gets your project ready to shoot.

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STEP 9: Be Prompt and Be Responsive
Two of the most important things you can do to save yourself money at this stage is tobe prompt and responsive to the requests of your producer. Throughout the process
your input will be needed on a variety of levels to keep the process on-track and on schedule.
Think of it this way, if it takes you three business days to respond to five different items, you’ve
just lost fifteen days of production.

How does thissave you money?
By keeping your project
on-budget and onschedule by eliminating
costly delays.

s!

Day

STEP 10: Be on PointYour producer will need a single point-of-contact for your project. This point person should have theauthority to speak on behalf of you or your organization. Nothing takes more time and creates more
confusion than having a bunch of cooks in the kitchen, all adding their special ingredients to the recipe.

How does thissave you money?
By streamlining
communication between
the client and the producer.

This doesn’t mean that other people from your organization have no voice, only that their voice
should go through your single1 point person. Think of it as unity of purpose.

1

Actually, they can be married too.

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Chapter 5

PRE-PRODUCTION Your producer gets your project ready to shoot.
STEP 11: Be Informed
Expect a lot of communication from your producer in the way of emails, conversations, and documents.
There’s an assumption that you will read and understand those communications.
Remember, there are two simple ways to be informed:• Read your proposals, agreements and emails• If in doubt, ask questions
Finally, make sure your agreement clearly covers everything. It should include:• What’s included in your project;• The project deadline;• What’s not included in your project; • The size of your crew; and• The number of shoot days;• The included equipment.
• The number of post hours;
If you don’t understand, ask or educate yourself. Ultimately, it’s your responsibility to be informed.
STEP 12: Be Prompt
One of the ways you can keep the project on schedule is to promptly process all scheduled payments.
Video production requires a lot of capital and cash, and since most video production companies aren’tbanks, they don’t like financing other people’s projects. So don’t bring your production to a halt.
Read the terms of your agreement and make sure your accounting department understands and is preparedfollow those terms.

How does thissave you money?
By eliminating surprises
and giving you clear
expectations.

How does thissave you money?
By keeping yourproduction on-budget andon-schedule.

12Chapter 6

PRODUCTION
Shooting your video.

STEP 13: Rely on Experience
A little gray hair on the set is a good thing. After all, you’re not buying a widget; you’re buying the experience and expertisenecessary to produce a video that connects your vision to your audience. Expertise and experience on the set can address
those last minute surprises that inevitably arise.
Director of Photography, Matt Coale, tells a story that illustrates the importance of experience.
There was once a woman who owned a very expensive cuckoo clock. One day the clock stopped working. She called a
repairman who promptly came to her home. The repairman took the clock off the wall and carefully set the clock on a table.
He slid off the back panel of the clock, stared intently, and scratched his head. The repairman pulleda screwdriver from his back pocket, removed an old screw and replaced it with bright, shiny, newscrew. He returned the clock to the wall and started the pendulum. The clock worked perfectly.
The repairman handed the woman a bill for his services. The woman was shocked. “Fifty dollars!?”
How does thisshe exclaimed. “I want you to break down this bill and show me exactly how you’re charging me”.
save you money?
The repairman handed her a new bill that read: Screw: 5¢
By avoiding extra time and expenses as a
Knowing which screw to replace: $49.95
result of the challenges that your project
Total: $50.00
will encounter.

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Chapter 6

PRODUCTION Shooting your video.
STEP 14: Your Role
There’s a chain-of-command on set. As the client, your role is to offer input, feedback,and approval. The good news is that you aren’t expected to be the Director – whichmeans you get to be the client. No one expects or needs you to direct the crew or talent.
Doing so creates a lot of headaches for everyone.

How does thissave you money?
By keeping yourproject on-target
and on-schedule.

STEP 15: Verify Protection
In the course of a production there are lots of things that can go wrong. Some of them will happen through error or
accidents, and some of them happen as acts of God. In any case, you want a Producer who protects you withproduction insurance, minimizing your risks. If in doubt, ask for a Certificate of Insurance. No one ever wants to
use it, but if you need it, it’s priceless.
Your producer should have the following types of insurance:• General Production Liability Insurance• Third Party Property Damage• Negative Film/Videotape• Personal Injury• Faulty Coverages• Fire Damage• Props, Sets & Wardrobe• Medical Expense• Equipment Owned & Rented

How does thissave you money?
By protecting you frompotential risks.

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Chapter 7

POST PRODUCTION

That wonderful stage when ALL of the elements finally cometogether into your finished video.
STEP 16: Minimize Changes
It’s helpful to understand that post-production is the culmination of
everything you’ve done so far. That means any changes at this stage can costa lot of time and money.
Think of your approvals as a pyramid. The next level of production is built
STUFF
on the foundation of your approval, over and over again, until the pyramid is
YOUR APPROVAL
complete. If you suddenly decide to “unapprove” something that you signed
off on two weeks ago, then a lot of layers have to be removed, which costs
STUFF
you time and money. So, here are two suggestions:
YOUR APPROVAL
STUFF• Understand the scope of the changes you’re requesting. Is it a fiveminute change, a five-hour change, or a five-day change?
YOUR APPROVAL• Changes beyond the script or the scope of the project will cost extra.
STUFF

YOUR APPROVAL

How does thissave you money?
By making you awareof the costs associatedwith changes during thepost-production process.
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AP
YOUR

STUFF
F

STUF

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Chapter 7

POST PRODUCTION That wonderful stage when all of the elements finally come together into your finished video.
STEP 17: Have Peace of Mind
We all want peace of mind, so select a Producer that understands the value of yourdigital content by…
• Having automated redundancies built into the process;• Having your assets backed up; and• Having your assets archived in a secondary off-site vault.

How does thissave you money?
By minimizing the chancethat an act of God or harddrive failure will eliminate
all the fruits of your labor.

STEP 18: Understand Ownership
A lot of elements are brought together for your project. Some of those elements you will own (original
footage shot for your project), while other elements will be licensed for use within your video and for its
particular use. Elements like music, sound effects, stock footage, and more can all be licensed.
Unless you paid for custom music or other copyrighted items, you don’t own that licensed content. If
you want to use that licensed content again, either in another project or for another use, it will require
an additional licensing fee. (Other uses may include taking the video that was originally licensed foryour website and using it on a network television broadcast, or selling copies of the video beyond theoriginal license.)
So why even use elements that you can’t own? Because of the Chapter 2 discussion of cheap, quick,and great. Most clients can’t afford to hire a composer to score and record an entire orchestra for a
two-minute video—it’s just not cost effective. But your producer has access to great music that can belicensed for your project.

How does thissave you money?
By making you aware of
the boundaries of yourlicense.

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Chapter 8

AFTER PRODUCTION

Evaluating and tracking the progress of your video.
STEP 19: Evaluate
Now that your video is complete, take the time to evaluate the process. Sit down withyour Producer and discuss your observations. What worked? What didn’t? What can be
improved next time? The more open that communication is, the more you can takeaway from the experience. By the way, this is something your Producer will do at no
additional cost to you.

How does thissave you money?
By learning from yourexperience and looking
for ways to apply thatexperience the next timearound.

STEP 20: Track
In the very beginning of this process, you probably made some assumptions about your objective, your audience,and your outcomes. Now is the time to track and measure those assumptions. Did the video really impact X, Y, or Z
as you anticipated? If not, why? Did it pay for itself? What was the return on investment?
If you’re going to answer these questions and validate your video, you’ll have to track that video. But before you
can track it, you’ll need to have a baseline measurement of what was going on before you started the project.
Only if you take the before and compare it to the after can you truly track the effectiveness of your project. And in
the end, that’s what you want to know.

How does thissave you money?
By measuring theimpact of your video
investment.

17Chapter 9

IT’S A WRAP!

What the Director will say at the end of your shoot.
That’s it. It’s not rocket science – it is an investment. It is a collaborative effort that
requires both your time and attention. The more you can invest in the process, thegreater your return will be.
Like a golfer who knows the importance of lining up his shot to get the ball on thegreen, your video production will hit its mark only if you’re prepared.
You can save money on your next video if you . . .

It’s

!
p
a
r
aw

• Remember the 10 Reasons You Should Care About Video (Chapter 1);• Learn how to Find the Right Balance (Chapter 2); and• Review the 5 Stages of Video Production (Chapter 3).
Video can do more to establish an authentic connection to your business than almost
anything else. In fact, video can be the most effective tool in your arsenal.
Use the suggestions in this e-book as a guide to the practical ways you can save money
on your next video production.

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Chapter 10

HELPFUL RESOURCES

We’ve got a few blog posts that you may find helpful....
8 Ways to Make A Really Expensive VideoThe 5 Characteristics of Our Perfect Client
5 Things to Make or Break Your Video Production
Saving $50,000
Creative Briefs, Your Roadmap to Success
My First Ferrari
How a Production Brief Can Save You Money

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Comprehensive Media is a full-service video production company. Ourrole is to break down the communication barriers between you and youraudience by offering a fresh perspective of who you are and what you do.
In short, we help you establish deeper client connections through video.
HAVE QUESTIONS?
NEED HELP FIGURING OUT A REALISTIC BUDGET?
DON’T KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN?

We’re glad to help. Contact us:

Comprehensive Media, Inc.
214 Overlook Circle, Suite 180
Brentwood, TN 37027
615.866.3150
www.ComprehensiveMedia.com
questions@comprehensivemedia.com© Copyright 2012, Comprehensive Media, Inc.

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