Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Video Production Agency

If you’re considering hiring a video production agency for your next project, it’s essential to ask a few key questions before you begin. This process isn’t an interrogation but rather an opportunity to get to know the team and ensure everyone is aligned. We’ve compiled some important questions to ask, and for fun, we’ve provided some answers from us lot at Turps Film too!

1. What Kind of Videos Do You Want to Make?

When considering hiring a video production agency, it’s important to note each has its unique style and preferences, so it’s worth discovering what types of videos they excel in. This insight can help you gauge their strengths and see if they’re a good fit for your project.

Turps Film Answer: You’d be surprised at how amazing a “corporate video” can be. We get offered loads of other stuff—music, sport, drama—but it’s just not our ballpark. We like working with people and telling their stories. Is your company brilliant? Great, let’s tell your story! Is your product a game changer? We’ve got a million ideas to capture it in all its glory. It all boils down to people.

People are interesting, and everyone has a story. While you might hear “corporate video” and think “well, that sounds dull,” you’ve just been watching the wrong ones. Our projects are led by people and their stories. As the old adage goes, “people buy from people,” so make the most of the people behind your brand.

Check out one of our behind-the-scenes videos to see how relaxed and happy our interviewees are:

2. How Do You Like to Work?

Just like people, video production agencies all have their own way of doing things. Some prefer to be hands-on from start to finish, while others might be happy to take a step back and let you take the lead. Finding out how they like to work can help you figure out if you’ll be a good match.

Turps Film Answer: We’re very hands-on. We do this because we love making videos and we’ve built up a tremendous amount of experience over the years. We know what works in video content and what doesn’t, but YOU know your brand and your audience, so it’s a lovely collaborative mix of ideas from all parties.

Our team tends to sit around the table and discuss each project at length during the kickoff stage. Once we’ve got a firm understanding of the client’s goals, demographic, and key messaging, we package that up into a proposal and highlight any areas that need further discussion. Then it’s a bit of back and forth until everyone is happy and on the same page.

Once the content has been signed off in pre-production, typically, all a client needs to do is help secure access to wherever we’re filming and forward any materials that we produce to the relevant parties—we handle the rest!

3. Can You Help Us Come Up with Ideas?

If you’re not sure what kind of video you want to make, don’t worry—that’s where the experts come in! Many video production agencies are happy to brainstorm ideas with you and help you come up with a concept that works.

Turps Film Answer: Of course! That’s what we’re here for. Sometimes clients come to us having never worked with video before, so they like to be guided through the process. We typically sit down with a client, start with their goals, and work back from there.

For example, if a client wants to launch a new product with an accompanying video but doesn’t know where to start, we’ll most likely ask who they’re trying to sell to—is it B2C or B2B? What are the strengths of the product? Why is it better than the competition? How is it used? All of these little details add up together to give us a framework to develop a concept, style, message, and shooting plan! From there, we review at every step of the way to make sure it’s all doing what it needs to for you and your brand.

4. How Much Is This Going to Cost?

Discussing costs can be awkward, but it’s crucial to understand the budget before starting. Before hiring a video production agency, don’t hesitate to ask for a detailed breakdown of fees to plan accordingly.

Turps Film Answer: We’d love to be able to have a set price per video so we could just send out our fees whenever anyone asked, but it really is project-dependent. Every single shoot has different requirements.

One shoot might need one day of pre-production, one day of production with three crew members, and two days of post-production. That’s fairly typical! But another one-day shoot might require five days of pre-production where we’re writing scripts, auditioning actors, sourcing materials (we had to source a fender from a 1940s Mustang recently!), carrying out lighting tests, one day of actual production, and five days of post-production where we’re cutting down hour-long interviews, creating bespoke animated idents or lower thirds, 30-second cut downs for socials, etc.

Until we’ve had a meeting to discuss your needs, we won’t know how much your project will cost.

But we can be led by budget. If you know you have £5,000 to spend and you know that you need X amount of deliverables covering Y amounts of topics, then we can look at a way for you to get what you need on budget

5. Who’s Going to Be Working on Our Project?

Knowing the team members handling your project is important. It gives you clarity on who to contact for specific queries or concerns.

Turps Film Answer: You’ll always be told who’s working on what. Typically, Luke or Becki will be responsible for reporting to clients and handling any meetings. Our in-house editor Dom will invariably be handling the post-production with occasional support from Paul or Phil. Liam, Adam, and Jamie will be shooting it (typically with Luke… but he does more talking than shooting), and I (Gemma) do all of this type of stuff—the content. In short, ask Luke or Becki.

6. When Will We Get to See the Finished Product?

You’re excited to see your video, and we get it! Make sure you have a timeline in place so you know when to expect the finished product. And if you’re really excited, feel free to ask if there are any sneak peeks or teasers you can check out along the way.

Turps Film Answer: We typically allow two weeks for first looks. Often it’s quicker, but some projects require us to cut down huge amounts of footage or need bespoke 2D/3D animation, which takes quite a while. Regardless, you’ll always be given a date for when you’ll receive your first cut, then when you’ll get the amended version, and then when you’ll receive the completed video.

7. Can You Provide References of Long-Term Clients?

You want to know that the agency you decide to work with is actually capable of doing a good job! What if they made a beautiful, flashy video but were rude to the client on set? Or failed to deliver in the agreed-upon timeframe? If a company can show you long-term clients, then chances are that they’ll deliver what they said they would, when they said they would.

Turps Film Answer: Of course! We’ve got loads, and we love them all. We’ve worked with Saint-Gobain Weber for about nine years. We’ve worked with Ceramic Tile Distributors for 12 years, and we’ve got a couple of newbies coming up to one whole year of collaboration, including Sunderland Culture and Gateshead Council.

8. Do You Have Case Studies?

Case studies tell the story of the project. How did a company tackle a brief, and what was the end result? If an agency doesn’t have any of these available, that’s not necessarily a sign that their projects weren’t successful, but if there is a company out there that you’re considering working with who can provide case studies, you’ll be able to find out EXACTLY how they approach a project from concept to delivery.

Turps Film Answer: Yes, we have loads of case studies available. Check them out to see our work – this commercial for Weber is pretty nifty. Give ’em a read and see what it’s like to work with us!

By asking these questions and understanding what to look for in hiring a video production agency, you can make an informed decision and choose a partner that will help you achieve your goals. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us!

Check Out What We’ve Been Up To

Here’s a look at some of the activities we’ve been involved in recently: