FAQs

It is quite common for people who’ve never engaged in video before to have some questions around the process, including cost and the level of involvement. Our FAQs should cover everything, but if you have any other questions then please just give us a call, or e-mail us, and we’ll be very happy to answer them as quickly and comprehensively as we can.

Do you outsource the video production?

No. Every element of production that we do for you, is handled in house by our team.  The only exception to this is for a specific requirement that we don’t have the equipment or expertise to deliver, such as aerial filming.  In this situation we would bring in a partner company who have all of the right equipment, permits and insurance to conduct drone filming.  The other item that is delivered from external artists is the voiceover recording.  Different productions work best with different voices, male, female, more mature, younger, southern accent, northern accent, international accent. Basically, we try and match the right artist to the right production, so there is a better chance of resonating with the audience.  We have a series of artists we work very closely, so if there is something very specific you need, we can source it.

How much do you charge?

We charge a flat hourly rate of £85.00 + VAT (correct as of November 2024).  We try and make our billing as simple and transparent as possible, so when we quote for your job we establish the number of hours required to deliver it and then multiply that by £85.00.  We don’t have various scales for different people or activity, and our equipment hire for location shoots is built into the price too.  We also work on fixed costs, so providing the specification doesn’t change on the project, the amount you are invoiced will be what you were quoted whether we run-over or not.  The only additional fees are things like audio bedding (soundtrack), travel, acting fees, voiceover fees and location or venue hire. However, all of these additional charges are agreed in advance and made very clear from the outset so you always have control over the budget.

How is your pricing worked out?

We work out our pricing based on time.  Having been running for over a decade we have lots of experience and can very accurately work out how long something will take, so as per the section above, we establish how many hours are required and then multiple them by £85.00 + VAT.  Simple.

We wrote a blog on how we price our projects which provide more information and an illustration on how pricing can typically work, just click here to go to the blog post.

Are there any extras that you charge for?

The one cost that is almost always added on top is the fee for an audio bedding (soundtrack) and is recharged to you at cost, which is normally between £40 – £75 so nothing too drastic.  For animated videos there are usually voiceover fees too.  We don’t build these into the proposal because each artist has very different fee structures, but based on a two minute script these will likely be between £175.00 – £450.00.  When you work with us to select your artist we provide you with a ‘Talent Menu’ which has all of the artists and their fees listed so you are in control of expenditure.  If there is travel involved, there may be some re-charges based on fuel, congestion charge, accommodation, etc. where relevant, but anything that is likely to appear on an invoice at the end of the project will be highlighted within the proposal and production contract, and we’ll make you explicitly aware of these fees in a production meeting.  You don’t want any surprises and we work hard to make sure you don’t get any.

How many meetings do we need to have?

This is all down to our project process which you can view here for animated video productions and here for live action video productions.  We try and find a balance between having enough contact time to get all the information we need to plan out the very best production, but not so much that it starts to affect the budget negatively. Everything we invoice for is listed line-by-line so you understand where your time and money goes.

What software do you use?

We predominantly use Adobe Premiere, Adobe After Effects and Adobe Illustrator as well as Da Vinci Resolve.  Illustrator is not specifically for video production but when we put together animated videos, we normally use it to create the graphics.

How much notice do you need for a booking?

As much notice as possible is always preferable. The more time you have to prepare, the better the outcome will be.  We do appreciate that business is a fluid thing and you may have booked an exhibition space late for a great price, have an event with a key speaker confirmed at short notice, an investment or project pitch that you are invited to last minute, or your current provider may have let you down.

If you do have a last minute requirement always call us to check our schedule and if your project can be completed in the required timescale, we will make it happen.  We have been known to get a call on the Tuesday morning and have rolling cameras on Wednesday morning. We’ve also turned around animated videos in six days. We prefer to have a run up, but where required we can mobilise quickly.

How long does a video take to make?

This is a tricky one because we could say that a particular video takes 35 hours from start to finish, but it obviously requires time for your input and feedback. We may need to book in a voiceover artist or there may be other time elements that mean we can’t just work on your project in a linear fashion.  To be comfortable, we can deliver an animated video in 3-4 weeks, and a live action video in 1-2 weeks.  This can be shorter if needed (see the above FAQ), or it can take a bit longer which gives everyone some breathing space.

How far do you venture for your jobs?

All over the UK and abroad where required. We have clients in the Midlands, Yorkshire and the North East, as well as London and the South East. We’re still waiting for that gig in the Seychelles though!