Behind the Lens
What to Expect Working With a Production Company
September 15, 20266 min read32 Productions · Douglas, GA
For a business that has never hired a photographer or a production company, the process is opaque. Here is what it actually looks like and what makes it go well.
The first conversation
A good one is mostly questions. What is this for, who sees it, what do you want them to do, what have you tried, what is the deadline, what does success look like.
If a first conversation is mostly a pitch about equipment, that is a signal. The gear is not what determines whether the work accomplishes anything.
What makes a good brief
- What the deliverable is for and where it runs
- Who the audience is
- The deadline and what is driving it
- Anything that must be included
- Examples of work you like, and specifically what you like about it
- Who the decision-maker is
- Brand assets and any guidelines
That last one matters more than people expect. A project with four people giving feedback and no single decision-maker takes twice as long and satisfies nobody.
Quoting
A quote should tell you what is included: shoot time, deliverables, how many images or how many video versions, revision rounds, and turnaround.
Ask what happens if scope changes. It usually does, and agreeing how that gets handled in advance prevents the awkward conversation later.
Shoot day
It takes longer than clients expect. Setup, lighting and audio consume real time, and moving between locations costs more than the travel time alone.
Having someone available who can make decisions and unlock doors keeps it moving. So does preparing the space beforehand.
Consolidate feedback into rounds from one person. Sequential notes from several people over two weeks is the single most reliable way to make a project take twice as long as it should.
Revisions
Agree the number of rounds and what a round means. Structural feedback belongs at rough cut. Detail feedback belongs after structure is locked, because notes on color and text are wasted if the sequence changes.
Questions worth asking
- Have you done work like this before, and can I see it
- Who is actually on the shoot
- What is the turnaround
- How many revision rounds are included
- What do I receive at the end, and in what formats
- What are the usage rights, and do they cover paid advertising
- What happens if weather or illness moves the date
The relationship over time
The most useful arrangement for most businesses is not a single project. It is somebody who knows your business, your brand and your library, so each subsequent piece is faster and more consistent.
32 Productions works with businesses across Douglas, Coffee County and South Georgia on photography, video, design and marketing. Call (912) 592-3376.
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32 Productions covers photography, videography, weddings, events and business content across Douglas, Coffee County and South Georgia. Tell us what you have in mind.
