How to Hire a Producer for Your Promotional Video

Great! Your product is ready to launch. Your logo and branding really stands out. The packaging is perfect. Now you just need a great promotional video to explain what your product does and why it will be great for your customers.

This should be easy enough but as we all know, hiring a producer for a promotional video can seem like a murky swamp where you just aren’t sure where your next step will take you.

The good news is it doesn’t have to be that way at all!  A good producer should be able to lay out costs and the process of production in clear steps.

I have created this step-by-step guide to keep you on track while you manage a project. Here we go!

Step 1: Interview at least 3 candidates.

This can be done by phone. The idea is to get a feel for their personality and see if they will be a good working fit. Ask yourself the following questions after the interview:

• Did the producer really LISTEN with interest to what you talked about?

• Did they ask about your target audience and your goals?

• Did they ask about what emotions you would like your audience to feel when watching the video?

After the interview check their websites for examples of other videos they have produced.

Step 2: Require a written script.

Too many times I have worked with advertising agencies or clients who only give me a rough script or a “concept board” and expect me to fill in the gaps.

Although this may seem to save some time in the beginning, it will cost both you and your producer a lot of time and money making adjustments to the final production.

A quick Google search of  “TV Commercial Script examples” will return results of examples in many different formats.  This should give you an idea of how most script will look.

One can feel like they are reading a foreign language when viewing the variety of formats.  I prefer an animation, TV, or Movie Script format.  The “who, what, when, where and how” is very clear and is spelled out AS you read. A Promotional video should only last 30 seconds to 2 minutes. A script written for this length of video should be a quick and easy read.

What is written in the script should reflect EXACTLY in the storyboard.

Step 3: Require a Storyboard

As an animator, I am BIG on storyboards. A producer we should be able to imagine every shot BEFORE filming. This will save time, money and avoid surprises.

The storyboard should be easy to follow with the script. It’s just a plan for production, a map of every shot.

Some producers think that since they can’t draw, they can’t do storyboards.  This simply isn’t the case. There are some great storyboard software and websites out there which require no drawing. Here are a few examples:

https://www.storyboardthat.com/

http://generator.acmi.net.au/storyboard/byo-intro

http://storyboard-pro.en.softonic.com

If a producer can’t provide a storyboard, you are simply relying on what he/she might have in their head. I don’t know about you, but I am no mind reader.

Step 4: Require ownership of Music and Sound Effects:

Your producer should give you royalty-free music and sound effects options to purchase. The music should flow well with the scenario and rhythm of your video. There are a million websites (literally) which offer great royalty-free music. It’s my advice that you require your producer to purchase the music or suggest music that you purchase yourself and keep for future projects. Sound is also and important part of branding.

Step 5: Know your voice talent and/or actors.

Just like with music and sound effects, the actors and voice talent needs to be purchased and kept in contact with for future reference. In the same way your customers expect consistency with your product they also expect it with your promotional materials. A long-term vision of how you will present your brand and the person or voice representing it is important.

Step 5: Production and Post-Production

Once, you have approved the script, storyboard, sound and actors. Please, please, stay out of the way!  Video producers dedicate themselves to perfecting their craft and should be given room to work. If you have chosen your producer well this should be easier to do.

One extra you might ask for is photography during the production process or, if your project is animated, requiring stills from the illustrations used. These materials will come in handy for brochures, blog posts and social media. I suggest a minimum image size of 2560 X 1546.

Step 6: Approval and Delivery of the Final Product.

If you and your producer have followed the above steps you both should be smiling at this point. The final product should be exactly what you expected.

I suggest asking for the final version in 1920 X 1080 (HD) .mov format without compression. And a version with .h264 compression, optimized for video streaming (YouTube, Vimeo etc.).   The .h264 format will also play well on just about any TV from a USB Flash drive.

That’s about it! I hope this guide has shed some light on the process and can change your perspectives on working with video producers. Good Luck!