Not everyone can produce a video that has a real impact in today’s busy world. It requires professional talent and years of experience to produce an animated explainer video.
To help you choose your next agency, we have elaborated a list of company selection criteria. You will find the details below in the article.
Enjoy reading!
Why use a video production agency?
Do you really know the value of a video production agency?
You might decide to go with a freelancer or a video creation platform for reasons like convenience and budget. And these solutions are fine if you have no goals to hit with your video.
Unlike other alternatives, a communication’s company develops a real strategy for your explainer video. Based on your goals and needs, they create THE video you are looking for. A personalized video that attracts YOUR target audience and addresses a problem with a solution.
A video production company is your go-to destination for any audiovisual content, regardless of the type. At Pharos Digital we offer you a variety of designs to satisfy all your needs: 2D animation, 3D animation, and even live-action!
We have professionals with different backgrounds: copywriters, graphic designers, animators, dubbing actors and sound experts. They all work hand in hand to produce an original video for you.
Videos that are made by a communication agency allows you to stand out from your competitors, to increase the traffic of your page, but also to generate leads.
Now that you know why you need an explainer video from a communications company, you need to know how to choose one…
How to evaluate a digital creative agency?
The more options we have, the harder it is to decide. We live in a world that offers us great diversity in all areas, which can sometimes leave us unable to decide.
Most companies are confronted with this kind of situation when it comes to choosing their next communications agency to create an explainer video. If you consult the search engines, you can find a wide range of prices, from a three-figure investment to larger sums.
So, how do you select a company to work with? Should it be based on price alone? Are there other criteria for selecting a company?
We have the answer to all your questions. Here are the elements you can consider when evaluating a video production company:
In-house skills
Producing an animated video requires more than one skill. It involves at least five skills: content writing, illustration, animation, sound design and voice-over.
Some companies outsource some of these production steps, which can sometimes be harmful to the production of the video. For example, if an company outsources a major part of the production, it no longer has control over the delivery time or the quality of the results.
🔸 Make sure you work with an agency that has at least 80% control over its production.
Project management
Imagine having to talk to more than one person about your project? At every step, you have to re-explain your vision and goals? It will take forever and will probably end in frustration.
Good project management is one that has a project manager. It may seem obvious, but not to many. At Pharos Digital, you won’t have to talk to more than one person to get your ideas executed. Every change or comment you have will be passed on letter by letter to the parties involved seamlessly.
🔸 Make sure to ask questions about project management before you commit.
Portfolio
This is probably the first thing you have done, and you are right. You should check previous work before contacting the company, but there are certain things to know when reviewing a portfolio.
Check the quality of the work (animation, design, creativity, originality) but never judge by the content. The videos they have created are meant for someone else, for another purpose that often differs from what you had in mind.
Even if this company hasn’t produced a video for your industry, it doesn’t mean they can’t. They specialize in graphic design and animation, and these talents can be applied to any sector and activity.
🔸 If it is not in the portfolio, you must approach the company and converse with them about how they can bring your idea to life.
Production Process
Make sure you know what your next agency’s production process looks like.
It should be one that is simple, straightforward, and most importantly; INCLUDES YOU.
You should have an overview of all the steps that contribute to creating your video, and you should be given the possibility to modify it before it is too late.
At Pharos Digital, we divide our production process into five essential steps:
- Brief
- Script and scenario writing
- Storyboard (illustrations)
- Animation
- Music and sound effects
At each step, we send a proposal to our customer for feedback and approval to move forward. Unless the customer is satisfied and no further adjustments are required, we do not initiate the next step.
This process has allowed our client to trust us even before we start working with him. The fact that he is involved at every level of the production process means there are no bad surprises with the final delivery. The client knows that he expects exactly the video he has imagined with us.
Customer reviews and feedback
Another fundamental aspect to consider when evaluating a video production agency is to search who they have worked for. You can read the reviews left by their clients. The number of reviews, comments, and stars obtained will give you an idea of how committed they are to their clients.
🔸 You can check the customer’s experience on their Google Mybusiness, Trustpilot, Crunchbase, etc.
Delivery time
When comparing different agencies, it is good to know their options for final delivery. Do they have a standard delivery time? Or does it depend on each project? Are they flexible or not?
In our case, for example, we have two options. A standard delivery that takes between 4 and 6 weeks and an express delivery option.
- Standard delivery (4 to 6 weeks) is the norm in the market. It may be surprising to some, but it is what is needed to create original work from scratch, and not creative work taken from online libraries.
- The quick turnaround option is for those who have urgent needs, those who require a video for a specific event or product launch. With this option, we rearrange our work schedule to give your project the highest priority.
Offer and pricing
This part is given a lot of importance in the decision-making process; however, you should be very aware of what you get for each price range.
We have combined price and offer in the same section because the price is low for a specific reason; it does not include everything.
You may choose a company or freelancer because they are the cheapest. Then, face additional charges for lacking voice-over, or script writing, or even additional changes.
🔸 Make sure you compare the price and the offer to get the best deal.
Freelance or Creative video agency?
A freelancer can certainly be an experienced person with a serious portfolio and a lot to give. There are several advantages to working with a freelancer. Among them is the very attractive, competitive, and affordable price that no company can offer, no matter how hard they try.
The offerings and benefits of agencies and freelancers are extremely diverse.
Let’s take an animation freelancer as an example. An animation freelancer is, in most cases, someone who has experience exclusively in the world of video animation. This means they won’t be able to write a script for your video, they won’t be able to design the artwork, and they probably won’t record a professional voice-over.
But most likely it will be someone who knows someone else who can do it for you, Great, isn’t it? Not really, you will pay more, and you will have to explain to each service provider what you are looking for.
So, eventually, the initial price becomes unattractive considering the complex production process, the number of suppliers involved, and the additional hidden fees that are uncovered along the way.
Working with a freelancer can be an excellent experience for a one-person company should they be looking to execute a particular task that requires only one or two related talents. However, it is not as interesting for complex projects such as animation and filmed videos.
🔸 You need a team with different talents and competencies for those projects to deliver the expected results.
Pharos Digital, your corporate video production agency
Our promise to you is: We take care of everything, you worry about nothing.
That’s what sets us apart from other agencies. We have developed a production process that requires no effort on your part, but allows you to have the final say on every stage of production.
With all the talent in-house, we excel at more than one task. Our team members work together to deliver a video that works and achieves your goals.
Closing thoughts
Choosing a supplier can be an arduous task for many companies. We hope this article has helped you discern the important criteria to consider when choosing a company.
Make sure you take the time to compare different agencies and their offers before taking a decision.
Thank you very much for reading us, and don’t hesitate to contact us for your next project!
