A good service production company, in layman’s terms, is a film company that takes care of pretty much every aspect of the production process, from writing and producing, directing and shooting, editing and sound, to everything else in between.
Does it sound expensive? Well, that’s because it can be. But the operative word being “can”: Yes, there are cheap service production company’s out there, but remember the adage of ‘you get what you pay for”.
Rather than looking at the price, clients, whether corporate or otherwise, should look at the value of the production company. Can this service production company meet my expectations? What is their portfolio like and more importantly, is the company geared towards my specific needs?
While the kind of service production company you go for is dependent on the type of media you want to produce, there are certain basic elements that you can expect.
The Basic Offerings of a Service Production Company
As we mentioned earlier, you’ll get what you pay for, but in general, most full-service production companies will have the following (they can have more or less depending on the type of media you want, but this is just a general list):
Producers
Producers are basically the ones in charge of a client’s media project. They manage the team and work closely with the clients so they can understand the exact needs and goals of their client and then delegate that to the production team.
Directors
The director is the person in charge of actually shooting a project, and they’ll be the ones to decide the kind of treatment a script gets, the kind of shots it needs, and the kind of direction the media will take overall.
Writers
They will work closely with their producers and directors so that they can put into words their client’s ideas and vision for the project. Ideally, these writers have a background in marketing as well, so that they have an idea of how to engage as large of a demographic as possible.
Most full-service production companies will also have editors, sound engineers, art directors, and other types of staff that will help bring to life the vision of their clients.
The Basic Equipment of a Service Production Company
Again, depending on your needs and the size of the service production company you’ll be working with, they’ll usually have one, some, or all of these equipment pieces:
Sound Stage
A specifically-designed room or building where a production company can shoot their videos in completely controlled environments. Often, sound stages will have high-quality sound equipment that picks up audio in its most crystal clear form.
Cameras
A service production company should have different types of cameras for different types of shots, projects, media, and lenses to ensure that they capture the most appropriate images for their clients.
Talent Pool
Not exactly ‘equipment’ per se, but a full-service production company should have an impressive talent pool to draw from before the production starts.
Again, every media service production company is different, but these are the bare bones that you should look for.
