WHAT IS CORPORATE VIDEO?

Any program produced for the benefit of company employees, managers, stockholders, clients, or the general public is considered corporate video.
There are many ways to present information. There’s the news program, new product introduction, company history, documentary, new employee orientation, training and executive message, to name a few. Each has its own format and purpose: to inform, instruct, inspire, motivate, and persuade.
“Corporate video” is also a general term. You’ll hear and read many names for it, including “industrial video,” non-broadcast video,” “business video,” “in-house,” and “corporate television.”

HOW MUCH DOES VIDEO COST?

 Depending on the length and complexity of the subject matter, you’ll spend anywhere between $3,000.00 and $30,000.00 to produce a video. Justifying that kind of money requires support from all of your organization, not an easy thing to do when budget and personnel cutbacks are the order of the day. Companies often jump into video without considering cost, then abandon the medium when it becomes too difficult to control. Production costs spiral very quickly when left unattended. Unless you possess an all-around knowledge of production, you’re going to hire and purchase outside services and materials.

GUIDE TO PRODUCTION COSTS

Scriptwriter: $200-350 per page
Director/crew: $1000-$3000 per day
Editing suite: $120-$350 per hour
Talent: $800-1,000 per person per day
Tape stock: $25-$50 per tape
Duplication: $10 per copy

These are merely averages for standard service and based on a simple shooting schedule along with a need for program distribution. If you add music fees, artwork, and sets, a promotional tape for your upcoming sales contest may end up costing more than the contest itself.
Given inflation and the wide variation in production costs, the quickest way to figure out how much your video will cost is to assume $1,500-$2,000 per finished minute of program. Why such a wide variation in costs?

q       Many production companies design packages of services and equipment based on their         client’s needs, while others charge flat rates.
q       Costs very from state to state and region to region.
q       Equipment quality. Using this year’s technology always costs more than using last year’s.

 HOW LONG DOSE IT TAKE TO PRODUCE A VIDEO?

 Depending on the complexity of your project, it takes a minimum of six to eight weeks to produce a program. For now divide your program into weekly assignments.
2-3 weeks information gathering, scripting and approvals.
2-3 weeks production and post-production (editing)
1 week viewing and program changes
1 week duplication and distribution

HOW DO YOU DETERMINE THE LENGTH OF A VIDEO?

Television and film are organized into neat little segments: TV commercials are fifteen or thirty seconds, news shows and sitcoms are thirty minutes, and dramas are an hour. A standard feature film is two hours long. Video doesn’t play by fixed rules. Theoretically, content should determine program length, but business situations dictate otherwise. Many of programs may be watched during conference meetings, some of which last for days. Attendees have to absorb a lot of information in a short period of time and participate in numerous activities. Concentrating on a home office video is not always on the agenda.
Your average program should run between five and ten minutes. After that, viewers won’t remember much of what you say or do. Here’s a guide to help you establish program length.  

q       VNR Video News Report 1-3 minutes  
q       New product introduction: 3-6 minutes  
q       Contest promotion: 5 minutes  
q       Motivational message: 5-7 minutes  
q       Executive message: less than 10 minutes  
q       Company information: 10 minutes  
q       News program: 15-20 minutes  
q       Documentary: 20 minutes

Training videos were left off the list for a reason. A specific procedure may take ten minutes to explain, while a series of procedures may take up to an hour, with each segment broken up by pauses while an instructor goes over the material with a class. Or you may produce a series of programs lasting several hours spread out over several tapes. In this instance, program time may not be as important a factor as the subject matter.

1. Define your goals.

q       Who will watch the video?
q       When will the audience watch the program?
q       Where will the audience watch the program?
q       What is the program’s purpose?
q       Why is the program important?

2. Provide specific information about your program.

q       Program type (new product introduction; documentary; training)
q       Audience (sales representatives; community leaders; customer service agents)
q       Purpose (to inform; to persuade; to instruct)
q       Format: Betacam-SP master for VHS dubs
q       Length (5-20 minutes, depending on program type)
q       Budget: $1,500-$2,000 per finished minute of program

3. List the people and services involved in project.

q       Scriptwriter
q       Production company
q       Talent
q       Photographer
q       Graphic designer
q       Set designer

4. When will project events take place?

q       Program treatment
q       Script draft
q       Storyboarding
q       Production
q       Post-production
q       Program reviewing
q       Duplications

5. Create a broad outline for the synopsis.

Part 1:

q       What does the audience need to know?
q       Introduce the subject.
q       State the company’s role in the subject.

Part 2:

q       What makes this topic special?
q       What will it cover?
q       List/show/explain program points.

Part 3:

q       Reiterate your purpose in presenting the program.
q       Highlight the company’s commitment to excellence.
q       Reinforce audience need to take action.

In other words-

Part 1: State the problem and the solution.
Part 2: Explain how the solution works.
Part 3: Tell what to expect from the solution.