Frequently Asked Questions about Video productions

  1)  How long does a video take to make?

Videos can take between a week and many months. This all depends on how long the videos are, how much editing will be needed and how many filming dates and locations there are.

A single filming day for one video with a standard edit can take one to two weeks.

A conference video filmed over a few days can take months to complete.

Social media content can be made in just a day or two depending on the extend of the content needed.

  2)   Do I need actors for my video?

Many companies who have corporate video productions made for them make use of their own staff. Actors can be expensive and are often not needed for company video. Big brand who do high end big budget marketing videos often use actors but it is not as common in company online marketing videos. Video production companies in Johannesburg will often make use of your company staff as actors for your videos.

  3)  What video format do I need?

HD videos the most common as it fits almost all video requirements. However larger and smaller formats as well as different aspect ratios are also very handy for different viewing situations.

For example 3GP is a low res video often used on mobile devices and for social media marketing. Many videos though are provided as HD and the hosting platform will downgrade the video to fit the device and line speed. 4K video is good for future proofing your videos. In this way the high res video footage can be used for video productions later on.

   4) Where do I host my videos?

Many people think firstly of YouTube but there are many other video hosting services both paid and free. They each have their own benefits but for example Vimeo is a hosting service which does not allow other people to use your videos in their productions. YouTube on the other hand often has the right to resell your videos.

Also features such as password protection and other services are not available on YouTube like on other video hosting services.

    5) What does it cost to make a video?

The cost can range from very small amounts to giant budgets. There are many factors to what affect the price. To see more detail and comprehensive price breakdown click here: for How much does video production cost?

   6) Can I use other peoples videos?

In most cases video productions are protected by copyrights. Even if a video is publicly available it does not mean that you have the right to use it in your own production. You can purchase the right to use videos and in certain cases “Fair Usage” applies under specific conditions as dictated by American Copyright law.

    7) Can I use well known music in my video?

In the same way that most videos are protected under copyright law, so is music. You can’t simply take your favorite POP song and put it in a video. Just because you paid for the song does not give you the right to use it. In most cases buying a song only gives you the right to listen to it and not to use it in any production.

    8) How long must a video be?

The length of a video is mostly determined by the purpose of a video. A marketing video can range from a few seconds to a few minutes. In very rare cases they can be longer. Training videos can range from a few minutes to many hours. Conference videos can be many days long.

An online advert video generally ranges from 12 seconds to 90 seconds but there are also many variations depending on the advertising platform.

    9) How do I market my business with video?

There are many ways to use video for marketing but the most common are adverts, How-To videos, product videos, About-Us videos and informational videos about a product or service.

These can be used on marketing platforms such as YouTube or hosted on your own website.

  10)Who is best video production company?

There is no way to determine who the best video production company is. What matters most is the best fit. The company that provides the video production services you need at the price, quality and speed that suits you would be the best one for your business.

    11) Why do I need video for my business?

Video is one of the fastest growing types of marketing today. This is as a result of the effectiveness of video. The effectiveness of video for marketing any business service or product should not be underestimated. Many companies have found video to be one of the most cost effective and highest conversion sales tools available.

    12) Can I get someone to edit my videos that I filmed?

While it is possible to have someone edit your existing video footage, it is not normally advisable. The reason being that the filmed footage may not be of high enough quality to be used in a video production. Often small business simply use their cell phone or a professional camera with no filming experience. While the technical specs may be good, the actual footage may be shaky, out of focus, poorly lit, badly framed or have poor sound.

While some editing can fix many problems, in most cases the video footage is of no use and would have to be re-filmed.

     13) How do I get started with video?

The best is to do your homework on how video productions happen. Simply rushing in can be costly. It is most important to know what oyu want to achieve with the video.

Too many companies simply think that they need a “company video”. They don’t know why they need it or what it will do for them. They have simply heard that they need a video. This is a place to start but gaining insight into the best type of video, vest us of video and getting the best results from a video matter greatly.

14) How do I choose a video production company?

This is an important question. Choosing the right video production company can make or break your production. For a comprehensive look at how to chose the right video production company for your next video click here for:

10 questions you should ask your video production company