Table of contents
Most companies judge a video production company by the polish of its reel: stable frames, good grade, smooth transitions. That shows craft. It does not show whether the team can film your industry. A crew experienced in scenic aerials will have to relearn safety routes inside a chemical plant.
1. Read the Reel in Four Layers
Look for work in your category or a close neighbour. Then check whether the film shows real process rather than stacked b-roll. Then watch the interviews: are employees natural on camera. Finally, the details: subtitle typos, machine nameplates left unblurred.
The third and fourth layers reveal professional habits. Pretty frames can be fixed in post; on-set organisation cannot.
2. The Crew List Decides On-Set Efficiency
| Role | Owns | If missing |
|---|---|---|
| Director or producer | On-set judgement, pacing | Footage wraps with key shots missing |
| Camera operator | Framing, movement, exposure | Stable frames, scattered story |
| Lighting | Interior and backlight work | Grey workshops, dark faces |
| Sound | Interviews and ambience | Voiceover and music only |
| Production coordinator | Locations, permits, logistics | Crew stopped at the gate |
Ask how many people will be on site and what each does. That answer is more informative than a list of equipment, because gear can be rented and a working crew cannot.
3. Kit Should Match the Scenes
Industrial work needs wide and long lenses. Interviews need fast primes. Scenic work needs stabilisation and aerial permits. The list need not be expensive, but every item should map to a specific shot.
4. Pay for a Test Shoot
Do not test the whole film. Pick one difficult scene, shoot three to five minutes, and watch three things: on-site communication, usable-footage ratio, and whether delivery is on time. A test day costs far less than a redo.
5. Do the Site Survey
A week before the shoot, walk the location: power, light direction, noise sources, usable routes, permits. For scenic locations, add one item - visitor peak hours, which set the shooting window.
Put the survey in writing with time slots and fallbacks per scene, plus a weather plan with a backup date.
6. FAQ
Quotes differ by three times. How do we judge?
Split them: shooting days, crew size, post rounds, whether aerial and voiceover are included. Gaps in crew size are usually legitimate; gaps in revision rounds deserve a closer look.
Local or out-of-town crew?
Local for scenes that need repeated pickups. Out-of-town when a specific capability, such as industrial macro or aerial, is the priority.
Can we buy shooting only and edit in-house?
Yes, but agree on delivery format and folder structure, or the editor spends two days finding clips.
See also
- Corporate film: brief to delivery
- Writing the brief before comparing quotes
- Voiceover casting standards
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