6 Types of Production Companies (And how to choose one)
FADE IN:
The scene opens on a pair of marketing managers in deep distress. The empty boxes of takeout and overlapping coffee cup rings on every flat surface speak of many hours of labor. All fruitless.
Their success or failure rides on this year’s advertising campaign. Video production is key. But video is also overwhelming. The range of budgets, options, and agencies are staggering. What the difference might be between the freelancer charging $50 for a 30-second ad and the agency quoting them $50,000 for the same length is beyond them. But a wrong choice could change the future of their careers.
How About You?
Do you know what the difference is between the freelancer on Fiverr and the fancy studio across town? If you’ve even asked the question, did you understand the answer? The creative industry can be difficult to comprehend, so I like to compare it to something everyone knows – food.
Choosing a production company is a lot like choosing where to eat. Your choices range from fast food to Michelin 3-star restaurants, and each choice is good and appropriate in its place. The trick is to decide what kind of service you need. So let’s take a look at some comparisons.
Fast food = budget freelancer
This is one of America’s favorite kinds of restaurants and is quickly becoming a popular new option for video production too. As social media becomes ubiquitous and short clips created quickly and frequently become the new normal, many businesses are turning to entry-level freelancers or firms in affordable foreign countries for rates between $5 and $20/hr.
This option is great if you need a large quantity of straightforward videos produced quickly, inexpensively, and with few frills. Footage from cell phones, stock media sites, or client-provided video is common and social media sites like TikTok or Instagram are the typical platforms.
Fast casual = moderate freelancer
Fast casual restaurants operate at a slightly higher price point and require a little more time to prepare your meal, but offer higher-quality (often fresh) ingredients, a larger degree of customization, and a nicer dining environment.
I like to compare this experience to the intermediate freelancer. These professionals have a solid skill set, some good experience, and bring creativity to the table without breaking the bank. These kinds of freelancers are good for basic short videos destined for the web. They usually work at a price point between $21 and $49/hour.
Casual dining = expert freelancer or 2-man team:
Casual dining is where you’ll start to find table service, menus, wine lists, and waiters. Both the food and the atmosphere is of a high enough quality for family night, date night, or business party. You’ll pay more and will need to wait for your food to be cooked, but the cook will make both worth your while.
This is the level at which Dynamis Pictures starts its service. Founder and owner Kylene Arnold began her career as a freelancer and still offers one- or two-man services for small projects with large aspirations or large projects looking for additional crew.
This level starts at $55-$155/hr and includes:
- Full-service, script-to-screen video production
- Crew members with college degrees in media production as well as film and broadcast experience
- 4K workflows
- Motion graphics and light special effects
- Advanced color grading
- Audio post-production
- Enhanced attention to detail
- A large degree of creativity
- Less client direction required (but always welcome)
Fine-casual = Small production agency
The relatively new category of fine casual or “premium casual” dining takes casual dining to the next level without all the formality of a full fine-dining experience. You might not need a shirt and tie, but you will need a hearty appreciation for a good meal.
Dynamis Pictures works at this level as well, with a small team and an large vision. At this level, you can expect everything we bring with our 1- or 2-person teams, but with added benefits of a larger, more specialized crew, green screen productions, professional actors, studio space, more creative camera movements, more time-consuming motion graphics, special effects, animations, and more.
Fine dining = Expensive production agency
Fine dining, with its white tablecloths, dress codes, and full kitchen staff is known for its fancy environment, elaborate entrees, and luxurious experiences – with the prices that support that kind of extra effort.
This level of production is the domain of large brands creating national ad campaigns, TV series, documentaries, and feature films. Each crew member specializes in one small area of production and the only limits are your budget and the creativity of the producer and director on your project. Expect to pay big money for this level of service.
Michelin star = Elite agency
A subset of fine dining is the elite Michelin star restaurants, known for being the best of the best. The kitchen staff often spend years or even a decade mastering their craft before being promoted to the next level.
This production level is comparable to the award-winning films, directors, and actors. Millions or even billions of dollars are poured into the production, but the effects are often felt for a lifetime.
For Readers In A Hurry
Choosing a production company is like choosing a place to eat. Your choices range from fast-food to Michelin-star restaurants, and the price, food quality, wait time, and dining experience are different at every level. Likewise, production ranges from budget freelancers to elite production agencies with awards lining every shelf. Dynamis Pictures offers services ranging from those of an expert freelancer with film and broadcast experience to a small production agency with an experienced team of 3-4 people. We like to compare this to the casual dining and fine-casual dining levels where you get excellent food, a good wine selection, and an environment fit for a family night, a business party, or a nice date for a moderate price point.
If this sounds like what you’re looking for, we’d love to talk with you! Click here or on the calendar button on the menu to schedule a meeting or send us a message. Let’s get started!