From the Cohn Creative Group Newsletter How to Choose a Video Producer Looking for a professional to make your training video? Here’s a shopping guide. By Roy B. Cohn Originally Published in Training Magazine Y ou’ve identified a training need and decided that video is the best medium for the job. Now you need to hire someone to make the video. But with literally thousands of production companies plying their trade in the corporate marketplace, how do you choose a producer who understands the special needs of training and development and can deliver a production that gets results? Before you pick a producer, it’s important to understand the playing field. Producers generally fall into one of six categories. Here are the usual suspects: • Full-service business communications company. This type of vendor is primarily a meeting-services company that offers video along with other services including staging and event production. The specialty of a full-service house is producing large corporate meetings and trade shows. However, for the right price they’ll produce your video and wash the windows, too. Fullservice houses offer high-quality work and handholding provided by an account representative. Remember, though, that those marble lobbies don’t come cheap. Often these vendors rely extensively on freelancers and subcontractors. If these subs understand training issues and know your industry, you’re in good hands; if not, be wary. You could be paying top dollar for a video that puts style over substance. • Production Companies. These are generally smaller creative services shops and come in a wide variety. They may own their own equipment or work closely with a facility (see below) to assemble a production package. The principals of these houses are usually experienced producers who maintain a lower overhead by serving as both producer and account representative. On the plus side, if this vendor has the background in training for your project, the quality will be high and the price should be less than a full-service house would charge. The downside is that smaller production companies may not have the resources to juggle more than a handful of projects at one time. • Independent Producers. In this category we find the one-person shop whose quality depends almost entirely on the talents of a single individual. Often working from home, the independent producer may be a multitalented ―hyphenate‖ – a writer/director/producer who can flawlessly execute a broad range of projects. If this person happens to specialize in training videos, you may have found a great source for a professionally produced video at a reasonable price. • Videographers. These vendors own their own equipment and earn a good portion of their income from event photography such as weddings and bar mitzvahs. While they may be a great choice for inexpensively taping a meeting for archival purposes, do not expect them to add much value to a training video by selecting or shaping the material. • In-House Departments. Many companies maintain their own production facilities staffed by in-house personnel. If your company has such a facility and you’re not looking for an outside perspective, one big advantage of working inhouse is that the staffers will already understand your corporate culture and will know what has worked reasonably well in the past. Also, depending on the nature of your charge-back system, the cost of these services may be available to you at below market rates. The drawback is that internal departments, with some notable exceptions, do not offer the same level of How To Choose A Video Producer service or creativity as their more profit-oriented counterparts. effects that overwhelms your content can be equally distracting. • Facilities. A facility is an impressive looking place containing rooms of equipment that resemble the bridge on the Starship Enterprise. Facilities are either studios (where your video may be shot), ―post houses‖ (where your program will be edited), or a combination of the two. In addition to your corporate video project, the facility may be working on more glitzy programs for cable, network television, and ad agencies. For the most part, facilities do not act as producers. In some cases, however, facilities may have a separate producing arm. Be careful if you choose this type of vendor; it’s easy to be seduced by showbiz glamour and high-tech equipment, and lose sight of the fact what you really need is an effective training video. “DON’T WORRY, WE’LL FIX IT IN POST” If you had to choose a trainer to lead a diversity workshop, you probably wouldn’t begin your search by interviewing consultants specializing in sales training. Similarly, video producers have different areas of strength and weakness. The producer who shows you an award-winning video about a Mt. Everest expedition is not thereby demonstrating that he can produce an effective video that illustrates how to conduct a performance appraisal. “MY BROTHER-IN-LAW KNOWS A GUY ...” You’ll probably begin your search for a producer with at least one or two names in hand. These may be gleaned through personal contacts, advertisements or referrals from colleagues. If you don’t already know someone, ask a training professional who works regularly with video to refer vendors in your area. Be advised that with video, as with life, you generally get what you pay for. If someone tells you they know a guy who knows a guy who can do the job cheap, chances are a cheap-looking video is exactly what you’re going to get. As you begin to contact producers, don’t be intimidated by your lack of technical knowledge. Although video technology can be complex, a good producer will shield you from most of the jargon. The only major technical decisions you should have to make relates to desired level of ―production values,‖ or overall program quality. If your program is going to be beamed via satellite to an audience of millions, you should select a producer capable of delivering a ―broadcast quality‖ production. This generally means shooting in a High Definition format (there are several types of HD) and editing your final product to a high-end digital format.. On the other hand, if you’re just taping a meeting as an archival record, a low cost format like DVCAM may be perfectly adequate. As a rule of thumb, the quality of your program should be high enough so that the viewer doesn’t notice it. The production values should be invisible. If poor audio or lighting make it difficult to understand your message, you’ve got a problem. On the other hand, a slew of expensive digital The producer you want will have previous experience with training subjects and will grasp the basics of instructional design. Above all, she will understand your underlying business issues and will be able to deliver a script that addresses them. Ninety percent of what ails most training videos can be traced back to the script (see box below). Your producer should have strong scriptwriting credentials or work regularly with a writer who does. A writer/producer with a background in training can be a tremendous asset. Not only will he have a feel for dialogue and narrative structure, but he will collaborate with you to clarify objectives and suggest creative ways to achieve them. A good writer/producer will also use the potential of the video medium to take the training to a new level—whether through comedy, drama, or simply editing together taped interviews in a narrative structure. Beware of consultants moonlighting as scriptwriters. Although they may have excellent command of the subject matter, this does not always translate into an engaging, tightly crafted script. Novice scriptwriters usually lack a feel for dialogue, as well as the ability to tell a story visually. On the other hand, it’s helpful for the writer/producer to meet with your consultants during the project’s instructional-design phase to develop a sound creative approach. Remember, no amount of special effects will overcome a poorly crafted script. TAKING A MEETING Before you meet with prospective producers, you should take a look at their websites (don’t consider a producer who doesn’t have one). These sites contain samples of producers’ better work and will cue you in right away about their overall professionalism, as well as their core competency. If the website features lots of dramatic vignettes, 2 How To Choose A Video Producer chances are the producer considers this type of program their area of strength. But websites can be misleading. While the work samples are often provocative and fun to watch, they may contain just enough of a program to entice you -- but not enough for you to evaluate its effectiveness. If you see something that looks impressive, ask if you can view the program in its entirety. Also ask the producer about her role in the project. Whose idea was it? Who actually wrote the script? How did she work with the client? What did the project cost? Of course, it’s also helpful to talk directly with the producer’s client to determine the effectiveness of the video and to gain additional insights about the producer. If you don’t see exactly the type of program you’re looking for on a producer’s website, don’t necessarily write him off. Just because a producer normally works, for example, in the financial services industry, doesn’t mean they won’t have the capacity to deliver an effective video for a consumer-products company. A true professional is a quick study, and will hone in on your business issues by asking good questions and bringing his problem solving ability to bear. A FEW GOOD PROPOSALS After meeting with several producers, you may find that one stands head and shoulders above the rest. If the fees are within your budget and the producer comes highly recommended, there’s nothing wrong with engaging that person immediately for your project. If you have several good candidates in mind, it’s customary to ask them to submit competitive bids. The proposal process need not require a formal RFP document, but it’s often helpful to write down your objectives, timetable, and other pertinent information. Most producers view the preparation of proposals as a necessary cost of doing business. If your program requires a creative solution, good producers will recognize this and submit a ―treatment‖ that will sketch out how they propose to address the challenge. If your project or account is large, a producer will expend considerable time and effort to develop a creative approach that will win your business. Be clear with a producer if you’re still awaiting budget approval or if the budget may be limited; it’s unfair to make a vendor jump through hoops for a job that isn’t real. Another question of proposal etiquette may arise if you find yourself preferring one producer’s creative approach, but feel that another producer may offer superior pricing or quality. You’re under no obligation to pay for proposals written ―on spec.‖ However, if you’d like to incorporate the first producer’s ideas without actually engaging him for the project, it makes good business sense to compensate him for the treatment. That way, you won’t be burning any bridges. It’s (Almost) All In The Script It has been said that a film is actually made three times: once in the scriptwriting, once in the production, and once again in the editing. Nowadays it’s increasingly rare to find a professionally made video that fails because of shortcomings in either production or editing. Our society has produced enough competent video pros – directors, editors, camera people, sound engineers – to ensure that most productions are competently executed. Of course there will always be instances where misguided direction, poor casting, or some sort of technical glitch will mar a production, but these cases are rare. It is far more common to find a handsomely made production that flops because it either lacks the necessary content or does a mediocre job of communicating that content. This type of problem almost always can be traced back to the script. By ―script,‖ I mean not only the document containing the dialogue and camera direction but also the overall creative approach. Some common video-script problems: * The writer has failed to clarify the program’s objectives, so the script meanders without a strong focus. * The writer has failed to limit the number of learning points, so the script becomes an endless laundry list of information. * The writer has a poor sense of dramatic structure, so the script lacks a beginning, middle or end, as well as a sense of pace. * The writer has a poor sense of dialogue, which detracts from the clarity of the message as well as the credibility of on-camera performers. How many training videos have you seen in which the people modeling the desired interpersonal skills come across as repugnant androids whose speech and behavior no sane person would wish to emulate? * The writer tries to spice up the script with humor or drama, but chooses a concept that is either tedious or hokey. * The writer succeeds in spicing up the script with humor or drama, but does such a good job that the entertainment value buries the learning points. * The writer fails to spice up the script, and the audience tunes out the message because the delivery vehicle is so boring. –R.C. 3 How To Choose A Video Producer THE PRICE IS RIGHT Buying a creative service like video production is different from purchasing a commodity or even from purchasing other services. Yet many clients approach video pricing as if they are trading in pork bellies; then they’re surprised by the wide range of bids they sometimes receive. Although some version of standard pricing may apply to camera rentals or editing, there is no easy rule of thumb for the more intangible creative services. Is an excellent director who commands $2,000 a day really worth four times more than a competent journeyman who charges $500? If the success or failure of a $100,000 project hangs on the director’s unique talents, the $2,000 may ultimately prove to be a bargain. Variances in pricing are sometimes due to the size of the producer’s mark-up. Most producers charge a mark-up on their services, which can range from 10 percent to more than 100 percent for some fullservice houses. This amount is what they have determined they must charge to earn a profit and cover such overhead expenses as office support, insurance, marketing, and their own professional development. In general, producers with lower overhead will charge less of a mark-up. A high mark-up is not necessarily a sign of bloat or excess, but neither does it automatically translate into higher quality. Another source of differences in pricing is the assumptions producers build into their job estimates. Producer No. 1 may assume that taping a teleconference with the company’s CEO will require a minimum of four cameras; Producer No. 2 may assume that two cameras will be adequate. Unless you dig into their underlying assumptions, you may be comparing apples and oranges--and jump to the conclusion that Producer No. 1 is wildly overpriced. In the event that an otherwise solid proposal is beyond your budget, ask if the producer will work with you on price. Producers are loath to cut their mark-up, but they can often lower their price by fine-tuning the assumptions used to arrive at the budget totals. For example, a producer’s budget may provide for four days of location shooting. By working with the producer to tighten the schedule, it may be possible to compress the shoot into three days. Such creative problem solving is often the first indication that you will be able to work with the producer as a true partner. THE SATISFIED CLIENT Like other professionals, producers sometime grouse about unreasonable client demands or expectations. For some producers, the expression ―satisfied client‖ may even be an oxymoron. When the common goal of both producer and client is to produce an outstanding training video, how is it that relations sometimes break down? By selecting a well-qualified producer, you will certainly minimize problems. But now the work is only beginning. You must manage the clientproducer relationship by infusing it with the same ingredients necessary for any successful partnership: honesty, respect, and enthusiasm. Step to the other side of the table, and you will discover that what really motivates producers is the desire to create good work. Give them the freedom and support to do their job, and they will produce a video of which you will both be proud. Roy B. Cohn is president of Cohn Creative Group LLC. He can be reached in New York City at (212) 333-3241 or roy@cohncreative.com. © 2010 Cohn Creative Group LLC 4