Insights
When to film it yourself, and when to hire a crew
I make films for a living, and I also install studios so firms can film themselves. You might wonder whether that's me talking myself out of work. It isn't, because they do different jobs, and getting the two confused is how money gets wasted on video.
The first question I ask a client is: what do you want the video to do?
The answer usually puts it in one of two piles.
Film it yourself when the point is you
Some videos work because they come from a person the viewer already knows or is about to deal with: a principal explaining a change in the rules, an adviser answering the question every new client asks, a quick update after a big announcement, a welcome for new clients.
These come round often, they date quickly, and people want them from you, in your words, more than they want them polished. An update on this year's rules is worth little next year.
Booking a crew for each of these turns every one into a project, with a date, a quote and a shoot day. Most never happen. What these need is a camera that's already set up, lit and waiting, so recording one takes a few minutes and nobody has to plan it.
Hire a crew when the point is the story
Other videos carry more weight and have to last: the brand film on your homepage, a client telling the story of what you did for them, a launch, an event, anything that has to make a stranger trust you before they've met you.
These need things a studio can't give you:
- Other people and other places. A client in their own workshop, a site, an event, real people who aren't on your staff.
- Someone directing. Interviewing a client well is a skill. So is knowing which moment to keep.
- A proper edit. Filming on the day is collecting the ingredients. The cooking happens afterwards, and that's where most of the film is made.
A crew film that has to keep working for you is worth doing properly once. A brand film shot on a desk camera looks thin, and a crew booked for weekly updates means the updates stop.
The two work together
Most firms will want both. The crew-made film does the heavy lifting with people who don't know you yet. The self-recorded videos keep the conversation going with people who do: clients, referrers, the people who already watched the film and want to hear more.
That's why we do both. We still shoot films the usual way, and you can see how on our video production page.
A simple test
Before you book anything, ask:
- Will this still be true in a year?
- Does it need anyone other than you in it?
- Will a stranger judge you on it?
If the answers are mostly yes, hire a crew. If they're mostly no, you probably need a camera in the office, not a film shoot.
For the office side, a Turnkey Studio is a one-off install, $5,500 ex GST ($6,050 inc GST), with the kit, the set-up in your room and training for everyone who'll use it. Editing what you record is optional and quoted per video. You can see what's in the kit on the Turnkey Studio page.