Let's Talk Price - Jay B. Childs

What am I buying?

Pricing for a video or interactive production is often compared to pricing a car because costs can vary so widely. Price can depend on the type of car you are looking for. Were you thinking of a Chevy or a Mercedes? Both will get you from point A to point B. Price is also affected by the "options" the client chooses. The problem with this analogy is that a car salesman can let you test drive the car before you buy it. Even if that specific car you test drive is not the one you purchase - you know yours will look and perform almost exactly like the one you are test driving.

Producing a video or interactive project is much more like building a house from scratch. The architect can show you samples of his or her work and show you blueprints and discuss how he or she works - but none of them are YOUR house. It has to be custom created. In hiring a video producer this does require that you find a producer and a production company you feel you can trust to take the vision you have in your head and translate that vision into reality. The producer can show you samples of work he or she has done for other clients and give you a clear idea of how he or she envisions tackling your project. In the end, however, you will be buying something that you will have plenty of input in creating, but will only be able to see and hear and "touch" after it is created. This is a key point to understand as you consider a
creative project - even before budget. Make sure you can establish that level of trust with
the production company, in a similar way you look for a good financial advisor, accountant or attorney.

Yes, but how much will it cost?

Ok back to price. Of course there are many exceptions, but a good starting point for gauging the cost of a video project is around $1,000.00 to $1,500 per finished minute. So a 10-minute video can start from between $10,000 to $15,000 (and yes we have done them for less and more). What you may be surprised to learn is sometimes a client's view of what an appropriate running time for a video may be and our view may differs. Often when a client believes a video may need to run, and be budgeted for 15 minutes - we believe you can communicate the same messages in 8-10 minutes. Our job is to tell your story thoroughly - but also concisely - to be impactful and persuasive and have others connect and respond accordingly to your strategic goals. You may find you can say what you need to say in less time than you think.

Budgeting is at its most basic level factoring how much pre-production (planning and scripting) time is needed, how many days of production will be needed to capture the images and sounds we need, and how many postproduction days will be needed to add graphics and titles and edit the piece together. On interactive projects there is are a couple additional steps; authoring (adding interactivity and formatting the video to work on CD-Rom) and rigorous testing to make sure the project is "bug-free" when delivered to you and your audience.

What can I bring to the meeting that will help in the estimating process?

How you can help is to have at least some form of a rough outline covering the key messages are you wish to communicate, the key visuals we need to shoot, capture or find, how far we may need to travel to get them, and the core objectives for what the audience should know or do after watching the program. These components will be further discussed, possibly reworked, and finalized when we move forward as part of preproduction, but anything you bring to the first meeting that constitutes planning on your part is valuable.

What if I do some of it myself?

Sometimes a client may think they can save money by taking over a major part of the process themselves. Most often these roles are scripting or videography. The first one can often work - the second one rarely does. One of the factors that differentiates JBC Communications from other production company is that the principle people involved are trained in the science and art of communications and writing...first. The importance of writing is paramount to delivering a clear concise but dynamic message. At JBC we tend to front-load a project in preproduction, to make sure we and the client are in full agreement about the strategic approach to the project before the more expensive production phase begins. Sometimes a client will present an outline, ideas and a rough script that is far enough along that we may mutually agree all that is needed is for JBC to edit that script, suggest some changes, but largely work from a client script. However, using a client coworker who happens to have a new camcorder and can shoot a significant amount of the footage is rarely a good idea. A video communicates visual and spoken messages but there are layers of embedded messages your audience will take with them from your video. One message is the overall image and level of professionalism your video communicates. Is the footage really showing your company or organization in its "best light." If someone is speaking on camera - is the audio clear from the camera's microphone? These impressions of production values say as much about your company's image as the crafted messages you are trying to communicate.

Do I have any flexibility in the budgeting process?

Basic preproduction, production and postproduction are the essential elements of a video. But like any home building project there may be options you decide will make your home more personal or functional; a deck, a screened-in porch, a pool. The most common add-ons to a video project include additional video shooting, enhanced computer graphics, and occasionally licensed stock footage. We view each of these as tools that may further help communicate your message, but may not always be necessary. When we estimate a project (and remember estimates are free), we will offer any recommended additional services separately from a base budget and summarize why we think these services may add value and to what degree. From there the client has the flexibility to make the final decision based on their own budget constraints.

So yes there is flexibility in determining a budget and you will have plenty of input to keep a project affordable. Remember, at JBC we have built our reputation on delivering projects on-time and on-budget. So we are as commited to making a project cost effective for you as you are. The first step is to simply contact us. Initial consultations and estimates are always free.

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