Hello guys, the topic of today’s discussion is video ads or brand or marketing videos in general. How do you get them made? Their process & of course the costings.
What is a video ad?
A video ad or advertisement is basically a scripted video production that promotes a brand & it’s value, a definitive product or a service to it’s users or potential users. A professional video ad identifies its audience & markets it’s USP to them in the most effective & creative manner possible. A video ad utilizes the prowess of audio & visuals to create an impact on the viewer making them believe in its USP. It goes without saying that the better are the audio visuals in presentation, the better is the overall viewer experience.
“A successful video ad tells you what to desire, buy, believe in & trust.”
Now let us discuss the production process that goes in making a stellar video.
Pre-production
Video ads actually require the most intense pre-production strategy & works as compared to films & documentaries. Because unlike movies & documentaries, Video ads are conceived for a special purpose & that purpose is marketing. So it’s pre-production works require reverse engineering tactics, i.e., first the final expected output is decided & then a process is created to achieve that particular target. The bigger the final expectation, the bigger & complex is the pre-production process.
A usual pre production process for Video Ad involves –
– Product/Brand study
– Market research
– Copy ideation or script writing
– Trials.
Production
Production of video ads is usually undertaken just like any other film production is done. That is with high quality professionals & technicians that provide the best of results.
A Tv production usually includes the following
- A set or a location that matches the aesthetic requirement of the story.
- A team of producers, whose job is to put together the entire production including locations, crew, equipment & delivery along with balancing logistics.
- A team of creative directors to direct works with uncompromising eye for detail.
- A team of designers committed to creating only original graphics, art, set designs & costumes.
- Camera team comprising of cinematographer & assistants, gaffers, grip like dolly or jib.
- Shooting equipment’s like cine cameras & lenses which are most of the time rented on per day basis due to their very high purchase costs.
- A shooting set which is built especially for the shoot on a rented sound stage.
- Casting.
- Online editing is usually undertaken at video ad shoots in order to immediately preview recorded dailies.
- On set sound recording. This is usually done to record reference audio. Rarely it makes it into the final film, which usually carries the dubbed audio.
Post production
A usual post production process for video ads involves the following steps
- Footage transcoding.
- Color grading of the final video edit.
- Visual effects, animation & motion graphics works are followed.
- Sound Dubbing & voiceover works are done based on the recorded reference audio.
- Music & sound effects works are done, followed by final audio mixing & mastering.
- Final compositing, here all the VFX & graphics works come together to make the final complete video.
- Final deliveries for different viewing devices & networks is created & assembled here, finishing the entire post production process.
Costing
Video ad production work is a premium form of film production, involving every important aspect of the creative art form.
The costing of your video ad depends upon the following factors :
- Your creative script. As explained above in the production section, to achieve a creative script requires a lot of creative development activities. These works affect the costing a lot.
- Your creative team. The team or production house you select to work with will affect your costs. The more creative & experienced the team, the more are the wages. Each production house has it’s own expertise, make selections based on that.
- Your cast. If you want celebrities to place your brand, you should have a budget for the same.
- Your production. A proper production will give you the desired result. Less money means compromised productions & of course unexpected results.
To be very honest, it is best to approach Video ad production professionally. Consult an agency beforehand by sharing your requirements.