5 ways to cut video production expenses

It is no secret that video production can be quite expensive. Creating a corporate video or a TV commercial is a lengthy process that takes a lot of time and resources. However, cutting down on certain aspects of the production can result in terrible video content, that will be a sore sight to your client’s eyes. For example, you don’t want to use the cheap, low-tech equipment because the quality of the image won’t be anywhere near what you had in your mind at the beginning. Regardless, there are ways in which video production expenses can be made more affordable while maintaining the same level of professional video quality.

Create amazing concepts

It all starts with an idea. There are different kinds of ideas and some of them are much more expensive than others. If your concept includes car chases, explosions or any other visual effects that take weeks to create, you are looking at a huge budget, that most of the video companies simply can’t afford.

If you decide to use a simple but effective concept you are much more likely to save a lot of money while creating an engaging, amusing and above all memorable video that you will be proud of in front of your business associates. Don’t go for huge productions and stay away from the complicated scenes as much as you can, because the greatest stories are usually the most simple ones.

Strive to tell the story of your product in a simple but effective way. No amount of money can make your video good if this first basic step isn’t done correctly. Go for the quality of an idea, not the flashy effects that don’t tell stories.

Hire aspiring actors

Face recognition can be an excellent technique for marketing products, but the fees celebrities charge for that kind of work can be overwhelming for the budget. If you have a good script, you can use young actors or even amateurs that fit into the characters of the story.

By choosing the actors that fit the role best, instead of looking for the superstar cast you can save significantly and create an equally effective video. The trick is to find people who naturally look like the characters you envisioned for your video. Also by giving a chance to a young actor who doesn’t have a ton of experience under his belt, you are enabling a young person to continue moving forward in their career, while they give you the energy and hard work in return. Having a high costing actor on your budget doesn’t guarantee that the video you are producing will be successful, so if you are looking for a way to save money on your budget cutting down on talent fees from your video might be a good idea.

Low-cost Locations

The locations can mean the difference between a great and a miserable video. Location scouting is probably one of the most important steps in preparing the video shooting. Spending excessive amounts of money on locations can be counterproductive.

If you just want to create a corporate video use the facilities of your own company, that way you won’t have to pay for the location or go through the endless stream of permits to shoot at a certain a location. It is also a good idea to spend as little time as possible in a studio. A day in the studio can cost a lot, and given the fact that it is never just one day of shooting, alternative solutions are probably better than spending tremendous amounts of money to film an actor in front of a green screen.

You need to pay attention to which locations you plan to use while you are creating the concept because once the script is finished it is hard to use locations that don’t fit the script.

Crew members working in several positions

Large crews are difficult to coordinate and their per diem can add up to a large chunk of the budget you have at your disposal. That’s why it’s better to have crew members who are capable of performing more than just one task.

For example, if you are paying a set photographer it is certainly an advantage if that photographer can also be a camera assistant or give advice on light or costume issues. An average video production team has approximately ten to twenty members. For large productions, this number is significantly higher and by hiring experienced professionals who know how to do more than just one role on the set you will most likely save some money. There are a host of new platforms aimed at helping connect crews around the world, we often use movidiam, people per hour and fiver.

Smaller groups of people also have the tendency to work better together, because it is easier to get to know other crew members, which in turn lessens the possibility of quarrels and bad atmosphere on the set.

Use free musical scores

The invention of the Internet and digital media lowered the costs of production significantly. While using the stock footage is a risky proposition at best, using free musical scores and sounds that are available for download can save money and reduce the expenses during the post-production period.

The music and sound, in general, can play a vital role in a video, even though they are mostly in the background and the viewer isn’t likely to notice them first. However, they set the atmosphere of the scenes and add to the realistic impression a video should make. If not done properly sound can ruin the video, which is why the director and the producer need to pay a lot of attention to it.

The digital era has allowed the production companies to use already existing material that saves a lot of time and money. If you are not planning on creating a masterpiece, but just a standard corporate video or a commercial using the existing score and sound effects might be a great idea that will spare you from spending a lot of time on creating an original score. When used properly stock sound footage can be utilized creatively and it can produce stunning effects that will contribute to the overall effect your video makes.

On location in Grand Cayman, Beast Producer: Mel Klapp and super PA: Rochelle