FAQs
It takes a lot of work to make it look simple
Whether this is your 1st or your 101st video production, there are always questions that need answering. Here are some answers to the most commonly occurring ones.
1. How much does it cost to produce a video?
This is valid question, but it’s kind of like walking into a car dealership and asking how much a car costs. Do you want four wheels and an engine or do you want a Rolls Royce? Obviously there is a lot of ground in between. As a rule of thumb, if you’re looking for a video running 4 minutes or more the low end will be $1,500 per finished minute, the high end could be $3,500 per finished minute or much more. For a shorter video and 30 second broadcast commercials there are often too many details to cover with a rule-of-thumb. In almost every case however, you will get what you pay for.
2. We need a products and capabilities video, but don’t know where to start.
Every video begins with a sit-down meeting where we get to know you and you get to know us. First off, we want to hear about your needs and expectations. Then we’ll ask a lot of questions designed to help focus in on your Audience, Message and Goal. In other words, who do you want to talk to, what do you want them to know, and what do you want them to do once they have that knowledge? This basic understanding applies to every kind of marketing message you create. Similarly there are unique approaches to training and educational programs. In any case, AdHouse Productions will invest itself in the process of learning your needs and creating the best communications piece to achieve your goals.
3. We want to produce and distribute a video on DVD. Can we use the same video on the web?
In many cases yes, however, knowing that web distribution is part of your plan is important to the visual elements in your video. Details like the size of fonts, style of fonts, framing of shots, and pace of edit can all impact the effectiveness of your video on the web. Likewise the length of the video will be important. Unless your video is produced for purely entertainment purposes, information and marketing videos are often shorter on the web. Web video works in combination with other supporting information on your website, it does not replace that information. A DVD on the other hand, needs to be able to stand alone as the information source.
4. What is the difference between High Definition Video and Standard Definition Video?
Your TV screen creates images using scan lines. These lines are written onto the screen very quickly, from top to bottom. Broadcast television in North America uses 525 horizontal lines to write the image in Standard Definition. For High Definition, they use 1,080 lines. That results in standard definition video using a smaller screen dimension. You may have a 13” standard def TV in your kitchen, and a 30” in your living room. They both use the same number of lines; one just stretches them over a wider distance. That is why a smaller TV seems sharper than a larger one. High Definition uses twice the number of lines to create an image, so it appears more crisp and clear. Many local TV stations converting to High Definition find they have to rebuild their entire studio and make sure talent know how to apply makeup correctly because HD shows so much detail.
5. Can I use Standard Definition video in a High Definition video project?
You can, but you may not want to. As stated above, SD video uses fewer lines to create the image, so if you try to insert it into an HD video at full screen size, it will look fuzzy or less clear. You can use the SD video, but it usually needs to be scaled to half the size of the rest of the HD video. There is software that can ‘up-res’ Standard Def footage, but it is an imperfect solution. The best choice is to create new, original footage in HD that can have a much longer shelf life.
6. The only place I’ll use my video is on the web. Does it make a difference if I shoot High Def or Standard Def?
High Definition will always capture more image information than Standard Definition video. Assuming you are careful to design and light your shots well, High Definition will look a lot better. The actual cost of High Definition capture vs. Standard Def is not that much, so it is well worth going HD. One last thought, I have rarely seen a video used in only one arena, despite the client’s original intent.
7. If I shoot in High Definition, can everyone watch it or only those with High Def TVs?
High Definition video can be ‘down-converted’ to Standard Definition for broadcast and DVD distribution. Going the other way however, is usually problematic and gives disappointing results.
8. Can I hire you to only shoot video with no editing?
Of course! You can also bring existing footage and materials for an ‘edit only’ project.
Contact us through email or by phone and AdHouse will provide the services you require.