Complexity
We need to understand the complexity of your request, how much existing material is provided versus how much of it we’ll have to suss out on our own. At the same time, the execution of what you have in your mind might require more work from our end than expected.
For example, projects with 3D Animation or complex comps can entail higher production costs and require us to enlist expert help.
Do this to save on costs:
Put a video brief together that outlines clearly what you need and provide some samples. Being clear when describing your project helps us move faster and reduces revisions.
Overheads
If you’d like us to have a luxurious location and branded collateral, that’s going to cost a premium. Especially for live shoots and corporate videos, when we are required to purchase or rent equipment, hire relevant competent crew and apply for any relevant permits, these costs add up. To keep our shop moving, some of these will be included in our quotation and is borne by the client.
Do this to save on costs:
Provide your own venue, actors or any other help that can reduce our costs – this way you help us help you save.
Timeline
Most of the time, the deadline was yesterday – but those kind of projects definitely cost more too. The shorter the timeline, the more after-hours we’ll have to put in the accomplish your vision.
Do this to save on costs:
Give us adequate notice of your project and allow us more time to complete it. Typically for a 1-minute video, a timeline between 2-3 weeks at the minimum is suggested.
Duration
The longer the video, the more it’s going to cost. Reason being that it takes more work and resources to put together a longer video as with any kind of work. For instances, adding an extra 30 seconds to an already long video requires creating new visual assets for the video.
Do this to save on costs:
Pick a duration that suits your needs and accomplishes your objectives – and nothing more. This helps you save on costs and also keeps messaging a lot briefer for your audiences.
Revisions
More uncontrollable especially in corporate organisations with numerous decision-makers, numerous rounds of revisions usually happen due to subjective preferences. This is completely natural but unfortunately entails more work for our team to apply them.
Do this to save on costs:
Gather feedback internally from all people involved before putting the brief together, continue to manage expectations as the project moves along to reduce rework and miscommunications and overall try to reduce revision-count.