Video has played a huge role in the marketing of Australian business. Every company uses video for their website, social media, internal communications, product demos, recruitment/training and customer education. But just owning a camera and filming footage does not necessarily mean you will produce great video. Companies require the right equipment, planning skills, technical expertise, editing abilities, and time for mastering the production process. This raises a crucial question: should your business develop a video production internal capacity or work with third party video production agencies? There is no one answer for every organisation.
Understanding In House Video Production
In house production is where you use your own employees to create videos utilizing company equipment and resources. An organization could even have a video specialist on staff or more frequently, the marketing team may ask people with a talent for filming and editing to take the time aside from their regular job duties. The main advantage is control. You are exposed to the company, its products and brand guidelines, customers and the communication style. They can also be fast to respond when a new video is due. For companies that have many social media clips, internal updates or simple product demonstrations, a house setup can be convenient. Aside from the initial equipment purchase, individual productions can also have relatively low direct costs. Yet businesses should be looking at the cost of ownership, and not only on equipment. There is a lot of talent, experience and money invested here: salaries for staff, software subscriptions, training costs, equipment depreciation not to mention precious editorial time and production management.
Considering External Video Production Agencies
Video production agency: When you work with a video production company, you are outsourcing part or all of the production process to an external specialist. An agency can also offer creative development, script writing, filming, lighting and recording sound or animation services. You may get editing, colour correction/colour grading as well as possibility of post production as well depending on the project of course. It allows businesses to access specialist skills without having to hire an entire production team. So, if a company is creating a big brand video, they might hire a director, camera operator, sound person, editor and motion graphics designer. But if the company only runs a handful of big campaigns each year, paying for these specialists inhouse may not be feasible. A business can have a lean internal team whilst bringing in an external production partner to offer the expertise that is needed for particular pieces of work.
Comparing the Cost
Price is often the first consideration for Australian companies. A team in house is a continuous expenditure. Some other stuff that a business may need to purchase are: Cams, lenses, lighting, microphones, tripods; Computers, storage systems and editing software among the many accessories. You also incur the cost of employing people and a continual need for ongoing training. However, for businesses that churn a piece of content every week, these costs could be reasonable as the equipment and skills are being utilized regularly. Most external video production agencies have different rates, based on the scope and complexity of a project. National advertising campaigns, corporate documentaries or product launch videos> a simple social media video. Depending upon when a particular project launches, outsourcing reduces project management costs. But, frequent production can cause the agency fees to accumulate over time. The best analogy isn’t even the cost of equipment versus an agency estimate. Have businesses been able to work out the internal cost of production, including employee time and overheads, and compare that with the anticipated external production cost?
Quality and Creative Expertise
Quality has far more to do with the people doing video than whether it is in house or outsourced work. With proper equipment, expertise, a planning process and creative direction, experienced internal teams can produce great content. Brand is- Internal employees are really good with what you have. Video production agencies, on the other hand, have scattered projects across a plethora of industries. Teams may have experience in cinematography, storytelling, lighting, sound design, film production and animation & commercial production. Such expertise might last well in instances that involve a project with some sophisticated visual execution or any hard-line production work. It has been useful for businesses to keep in mind that hiring an agency does not equal result gods. Companies should go through relevant instances of examples, become familiar with the production process and check that the agency clearly understands the brand and audience before choosing a provider.
Speed and Flexibility
Depending on the situation, speed may favour one approach or another. An in-house team will often work fast to create simple videos when no external crew is required, i.e. A marketing staff can simply record a quick announcement or clip for social media and go straight into editing. But internal teams can also be overwhelmed. If video is one of many responsibilities, other marketing deadlines can get in the way and push production timelines out further than expected. When internal resources are scarce or specific skill sets cannot be found internally, agencies can fulfill that gap. A professional team may have well-established workflows, equipment, editing systems and specialist roles. Outsourcing may take a little longer to plan with larger projects, though (production schedules, locations, crew availability, approvals and revisions must be harmonized).
Equipment and Technical Resources
Alternative professional video equipment is usually costly and not everyone knows how to use it properly. A team within the company may begin by working with lower-end equipment and slowly build up to better cameras, microphones, lighting, and editing technology. And this tends to work well for companies that mainly produce simple digital content. This is something that a lot of video production agencies would already have and know how to use. Thus businesses can access professional pieces of equipment without having to buy them outright. But ask businesses how often they actually need those resources. Buying a high priced equipment and using it then for similar use may certainly not be cost-effective.
Skills and Team Requirements
There are many different skills that go into video production. These include creative strategy, scriptwriting, directing, camera operation, lighting sound recording and mixing editing motion graphics colour grading and project management. An internal marketing team of 2–4 people can manage some of those tasks but rarely do they have specialist high level understanding in all the areas of production. Hiring an external video production agency can help you access folks with other skill sets. However, this can be a useful option when you need more advanced storytelling or technical execution during the project. For companies pursuing a more internal approach, investing in training your employees is key. Staff requires time to acquire production skills and remain conversant with evolving technology and content types.
In house production: When it works
When a business creates video regularly, it can be ideal to have a proprietary model ( in house). This may be ideal for social media updates, internal communication, employee interviews or behind the scenes videos as well product updates, tutorials, and other low production quality focused videos. It might also be appropriate for businesses that have employees with strong filming and editing abilities. The main benefit is that they are reliable and available. The team delivers content without having to organize an external production crew for every little project.
When Outsourcing Makes Sense
For example, you could do television commercials, large corporate videos, brand work, property production, customer case studies and so on like training programs product launch mass promotion campaigns. Outsourcing can also be helpful for businesses where internal resources are limited as their marketing staff become fully focused on strategy, distribution and more. To compare video production agencies, companies should consider portfolios, industry experience, communication methods, production timelines and revisions policy as well as what is included in the price quoted.
Hybrid Approach Can Truly Do Wonders
Australian businesses do not need to permanently choose one model over the other. A hybrid approach can enable in-house production, interspersed with external skills; or it may include only partial outsourcing of specific functions. An internal marketing team may do many more social media videos on a regular basis, and work with an external production partner for big campaigns. This model can provide flexibility. Ongoing content stays in-house with control, whilst specialist projects get professional production. The latter can also enable businesses to start developing internal capabilities over time, without the need for a fully-fledged production department from day one.
Conclusion
Whether you want to produce in house or outsource is also dependent on the type, frequency, complexity and budget of your needs for a video. For businesses producing regular, straightforward content an internal team offers control, speed, brand familiarity and potentially lower production costs. Generally, outsourcing allows you to access specialist skills and professional equipment that you may not be able to afford, as well as increasing production capacity on very large or complex projects where you would like to have experienced hands supporting creative teams. Perhaps the most viable course for many Australian businesses will be a hybrid solution. This wider perspective provides a context by which it is much easier to select the best type of video production model for your organisation.
