Corporate Video Costs

[pmark23]

Shouldn't that depend entirely on the subject? Afterall, in corporate settings, don't people routinely sit for hour-long seminars and presentations?

But they don't WANT to -- they HAVE to. I'm concerned with not just making the film, but transferring information to the viewer (which is a part of my pitch). I "guarantee" that the viewer will come away knowing the topic (about the company, or about some safety aspect, or about some strategy, or about what they're doing for the environment, etc), and to do that the film must hit the subject material effectively. After more than a few minutes people begin to tune out, and not only do they not pay attention, but anything they may have learned also gets lost.

Watch people watching a corporate film and you'll see this. Dim the lights and they sit back, relax, and focus on the film. For the first five minutes they're really into it. After that they begin looking around, start to fidget, play with their cell phone... You need to deliver the message before this happens, and then get out and end on a high note.

Business-wise you may think that you'd make more money on a single larger film, but I try to get a contract for several shorter films (over a longer period) which keeps my revenue-stream full, and keeps me from having to waste time continually chasing new clients.

 

[pmark23]

Amen. pmark23 is speaking wisdom here.

Thanks -- took a long (and painful) time to figure that out!

 

[seunosewa]

For the first five minutes they're really into it. After that they begin looking around, start to fidget, play with their cell phone... You need to deliver the message before this happens, and then get out and end on a high note.

But how can you be so sure any corporate video topic will fit into 12 minutes of content? How can all the information one needs to impart always fit into 12 minutes. To me it's like saying that a lecture should never be longer than 12 minutes. How do you cover the syllabus if you do that? ???

 

[Macville]

But how can you be so sure any corporate video topic will fit into 12 minutes of content? How can all the information one needs to impart always fit into 12 minutes. To me it's like saying that a lecture should never be longer than 12 minutes. How do you cover the syllabus if you do that? ???

If you can't really say everything you need to in 12 minutes, then you need to question what the video is for. Most corporate videos I did are no more than 6 minutes and I pack plenty of info into that. If you need to go over 12 minutes I would suggest chopping it down to separate videos that are more focused.

Matthew

 

[grinner]

an editor has to use his insticts and offer no hesitation to throw un neede material on the cutting room floor.
More and more, producers are leaving editors unsupervised to make these calls. If you can't quickly turn a half hour of information into a 6 minute piece, this simply is not the gig for you.
In the world of multiple undos, I see no reason for second guessing.
You'll find this honed ability to make the required chop, no matter how much work may have gone into the lighting of what is not going to be seen, QUICKLY translates into the ability to answer the question "how much for a 12 minute video."
again, for me, I can say a flat rate with no hesitaion, knowing I am gonna eat nothing and that they will be standing in line for another as soon as I am done.
It's second guessing yourself in production and post that will make it impossible to trust yourself with offering a bid per project.

 

[seunosewa]

How come the same people who allegedly can't watch more than 12 minutes of corporate videos regularly pay good money to watch a 2 hour movies. And Michael Moore documentaries. And would willingly tune in to one hour episodes of TV shows? And willingly sign up for classes that last more than 12 minutes?

Let's say you're hired by intel to make a training video about how to make microchips. Or a training video for NASA rocket scientists. Will the information that needs to be mastered necessarily fit into 12 minutes?

I understand that we need to remove un-needed material when editing, but what if you have 30 minutes of needed material instead of 12? What then? The 12 minute rule seems arbitrary to me.

Maybe what you mean to say is that the average corporate video doesn't have more than 10-12 minutes of useful content. Which would be more of a statistic than a rule. The rule would be "make the video as short as it can be without compromising its content". And I would definitely agree with that.

 

[digitalinnovations]

It seems to me that the length of the video does play an integral role. I work a week long seminar for a healthcare corporation each year for the past 3 years. I play various roles of shooting, AV, PA, etc. So I am in the mix quite bit and I see how people react to the videos presented, and I pay close attention especially to the ones that I produce, rarely watching the screen, just watching the audience. You can definitely see when they "check out". So I would tend to agree with the 10-12 minute guideline (I won't call it a rule). Fortunately, none of the content I have produced has surpassed this timeline (quite a bit shorter), but you can still find people that are disinterested, but they are the ones who are usually disinterested in EVERYTHING that is going on.

Of course there are many, many topics that you couldn't possibly fit all the info inside of the timeframe. My solution would be to create a series on the overall subject and break the topic down into sub-catagories and/or "chapters". But this would allow for the content to be taken in over a longer period of time or over multiple days.

To dig a little deeper: could you really learn "rocket science" from a video? Any video? Or would that require a class room/"hands on" environment? Granted, I am taking this to an extreme but the principle is the same. This is why people can sit through an hour or 2 hour lecture. There is interaction, there are Q&A's, activities, etc. Plus, a good presenter knows when they are loosing their audience and can readjust their presentation, or encourage more interaction. Something that, quite frankly as much as I would like it to, a video cannot.

Take it for what it is worth, but I tend to encourage the use of separate videos to break down the length of the overall topic into subcategories when necessary. Or cut unnecessary or repetitive info in post. I know that this might be considered by some to be "shooting yourself in the foot" by producing a 6 minute video that if you left all the extra content would be a 12 minute one. I mean most do figure the estimate on the $1,000 to $1,500 PFM, so I just cut my project budget in half, right? Sometimes, but in the end I feel like it secures me additional work over a longer period of time because the videos do what they are supposed to do, WORK! I have always followed the logic of working with the same client over and over, VS. hitting them for one (albeit larger) project and never hearing from them again.

This is merely my .02 based on my experiences. Forgive my ramblings...