There is a saying in corporate video production: “You’ve got Good, Fast, and Cheap: Pick Two.” The point being that if you want good, cheap video, it is going to be done slowly (like your friend the editor that took a year to edit your wedding video.) Likewise if you want good video fast, you’ll have to pay a premium.
‘Good’ is not a subjective term. A ‘good’ video is one that creates conversions – that is, it makes the viewer take a desired action. If a video is dark with bad sound, but shows a desirable Hollywood celebrity in the nude, and viewers of that clip pay good money to download it, it is by definition ‘good’. A technically amazing video that dazzles the viewer and becomes a viral video sensation is not good, for example, if the viewer won’t take your desired action, be it ‘liking’ your company on Facebook or signing up for a software trial after seeing it.
Getting caught up in visual wizardry leads many companies to spend too much for videos that don’t work. Opting for the cheapest video possible often means the same thing, whether for missed deadlines or content that repels your audience. Focus on companies that ask you why you want to make a video, who your audience is, and what a successful video would be in your eyes.
