Want to produce a great online video without paying a lot? Here’s how…

Nov 19 2007

I’ve gotten some really nice comments about our new Zero-G video and several people have asked how they could get something similar made for their businesses. Everyone loves the idea of being on YouTube with all the cool viral stuff, but not everyone knows how to make it happen or how much they should pay.

As far as the cost goes, there are a lot of variables in video depending on what you actually want to accomplish, but the short answer is that your short video will cost anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand. This depends largely on the experience of the production people you hire, the complexity of your shoot and whether or not you use professional acting talent or not.

But if you want to do video (even in this viral media overload that we’re in, it’s STILL very underused as a small business marketing tool which is a shame) here are some tips for doing it right on a small budget:

If you are on a small budget, say between $500-$2000, don’t call a studio or a film/video production house. You’re likely not going to get a call back for less than $6-8K. They’ll never work in your budget. If you ever DO have the budget though, don’t hesitate for a minute to call one of those companies, they are absolutely worth it. And if a “professional video company” DOES say they can meet your budget, disqualify them immediately. Think local car commercials. Your best bet is to find a good freelancer. These are people that usually do a lot of work for the big production companies that you can’t afford but cost a fraction of the price.
Get free locations to shoot at: friend’s houses, colleagues’ offices, etc. We got a location for our shoot thanks to the generosity of the Johns Creek Chamber of Commerce. If you need to pay for permission to shoot somewhere, it is likely to cost you $1-$2K.
Hire young/inexperienced actors and don’t go through an agency. They are looking to build portfolios and will likely do your video for free in order to get the experience and the credit. Don’t know where to find actors? Try local acting schools or colleges that have acting programs. It’s also likely that the people you hire to shoot your video will know someone.
In non-critical/non-speaking parts, use friends/family/employees
There’s lots of royalty-free music available at low cost on the internet. If you happen to have a friend who’s a musician, original music adds a LOT of production value to a video and the ability to get it free or cheap is too good an opportunity to pass up.
Don’t want to pay for the freelance videographer/editor? There are lots of student filmmakers out there who are talented and creative but, again, inexperienced. They may help you make a video for next to nothing plus the cost of renting professional equipment. If you go this route though, treat them like professionals — come with a clear vision and make them submit shot lists and storyboards so that you know you are going to get the product you want.
If your video doesn’t require any recorded live audio (i.e., it’s just music and/or pre-recorded sound effects over video), you don’t need professional equipment to shoot your video. High-end video is absolutely wasted on the internet where everything is played at such a low resolution. Our video was actually shot in HD. It’s great if I ever wanted to show it on a big screen or run it as a commercial on regular TV, but it certainly didn’t need to be in order for us to run it on YouTube. So if the best you can do is your neighbor kid down the street who has aspirations of going to film school one day and a five-year old mini-DV camcorder, PERFECT! No one will ever know. But if you’re recording live audio, it’s a whole different story. You’ll be sorry you used a consumer camcorder in that case.
Budget up front for incidental expenses… Figure out what you need in props and any special wardrobe. Also make sure that you bring lots of snacks and drinks for everyone on the day of the shoot and plan on bringing in lunch for everyone as well. And then once you’ve set your this budget, increase it 15%.

With our new YouTube video and the commercials we just made for the Reel Helper, a few people have asked if we can help with video projects. The answer is yes and if you’d like an estimate, feel free to contact us through our web site. But the best way to keep the budget small would be to use the tips I’ve outlined for you here. If this sounds like too much work, we’d be happy to help… But it will definitely lift you out of that magical $500-$2K price range I mentioned earlier.

Online video is a GREAT medium for small businesses to get their message out and it is definitely worth the effort. Especially when so few are even using video, it’s a great way to add value to your web site or get some extra “oohs and ahhs” at your next presentation.