Making a video for your business with Motion Source is a lot easier than you might think! Sure,  gone are the days of throwing a camera on a tripod and filming a commercial, or using the webcam on your Mac to start advertising on the web-but just because you may be new to the world of video marketing, it doesn’t mean you can’t keep up. It’s just time to turn to the professionals. 

If you’re not exactly sure what goes into making a film for your business, believe me, I was right there with you! I just started working in Motion Source’s marketing department a few months ago, after coming off an undergraduate career in theatre. At first, I thought video production would be rather overwhelming, but after I witnessed a few of our projects from start to finish, I realized that Motion Source can make this very simple for you, and give you the finished product you’ve been waiting for. 

I’m here to walk you through what working with us will be like, so you understand more about how we work, and how we can work for you!

So let’s start from the very beginning: you realized you need a video. Now, video types that we’ve dealt with in the past can run the whole gamut, from videos that profile your business or foundation, show off a new product, or train new employees, (See an example here, or check out our other work! http://motionsource.com/corporate-video-production-chicago-fibre-box/) to music videos where we’re bringing anything from cars to pythons into our studio (http://motionsource.com/chicago-music-video-hessler-stuck-on-you/). Seriously, we’ve seen it all! So when you send us an email or call in asking for a quote for your particular project, we’re more than ready!

Asking for a Quote

So once we get your inquiry for a quote, we love to jump right in and have a phone call with you about what you’re looking for. I’ve been lucky enough to sit in on many of these phone calls with our future clients. We’ll start a conversation by asking a couple of questions-

1. Tell us about your project! What kind of video are you looking for? Is there a certain look or another example that you think could give us a better idea of what you want? The more we have to go off of, the easier it is for us to all get on the same page creatively. 

2. What’s the goal of your video? Are you looking for this video to give an overview of who you are as a company, or will it be geared towards new employees as a training tool? Maybe you’re just looking to create a Frequently Asked Questions video for your website, to make things easier for your clients. Having a goal in mind when you come to us is the best way for us to get started on a proposal for you. 

3. What’s your timeline? The sooner you know you’re interested in making a video with us, the better. We love to have plenty of time to make sure everything about your finished product is the way you want it. Editing a video depends on the length and complexity of the video in question, and can take anywhere from a couple of weeks to months. Also, the sooner you know your deadline, the sooner we can book our videographers and, if you need it, our studio. 

4. Where are we shooting? As I mentioned in my last point, Motion Source has a full service production studio in Brookfield, IL, equipped with a large cyc that is extremely versatile when it comes to indoor filming. We could easily film your video at our studio, or come out to your facility. We’ve filmed all over Illinois, the United States and around the globe--so we’re no strangers to travel! 

5. What kind of content are you looking for? If you have a script or storyboards in mind for your film, great! We’ll bring those to life. If you don’t have a script or even the first idea how to make a storyboard, that’s great too! We can easily help you solidify your vision and the content you’re looking for in your new video. 

After this conversation we’ll write up a proposal for you, outlining everything we spoke about and giving you a ballpark estimate budget. If everything checks out, we can get started! 

Developing Content

We can start creating an outline for your video, which could consist of a script, a storyboard, a list of shots you’d like to include in your video, or all three! We’ll start collaborating in order to make sure your ideas are solidified, and this process can be done over the phone with our project managers and Creative Director, Craig,  or via email, for your convenience. Also, if you would need to cast anyone for your video, we’ll work with an agency to give you a selection of actors to choose from, and find the right ones for your video. We are a full service agency that can source props, locations, actors, equipment and more! 

Once we have our concept down, it’s time to shoot! 

The Shoot

Just like how every video we make is unique, so is every shoot we have! In your talks with our planning team, we will consult on the size crew we will use and what kind of equipment will be used for production. You’ll also choose where you’d like to shoot it, whether it be at our studio, your facility or somewhere else. All these details will be ironed out, so that they day of, we can have an easy shoot together! Depending on the size and complexity of the shoot, we may also have one of our project managers on hand to ensure everything runs smoothly. We’ll have an idea of what you’re looking to capture in the video, but if there’s anything else you would like in your film, please let us know then and we’ll do our best to make sure it’s included! Tell us what would make this day easiest-we’re here for you!

If you’re doing a product video, or have a certain award or something you would like to show, please bring that in! We’ve done many videos where we showcase personal items, and it definitely adds a unique aspect to your video. Anything branded with logos is great too! 

After the Shoot

So we solidified your video goals, we created a concept, we shot the whole video...now what?

Our editors now get to work on putting together your perfect video, and also adding in anything else you might need, which could include text and graphics, small animations or music tracks; depending on the project. Editing is a subjective process, but depending on the type and size of your video, we should be able to give you a ballpark estimate of when we could give you a rough cut, or a first draft if you will, of your video by the time we’re done shooting, if not sooner. Once we send you your rough cut, you’ll have the chance to let us know what changes you’d like to make, no charge. Go ahead and be honest here! We want to make this video exactly what you’re looking for. After we’ve made the first round of changes, we’ll send you a second cut, and you’ll get to make a second round of changes, again for no charge. After we make the second round of changes, we’ll get you to sign off on your video, and start finalization. This process includes modifying any audio, color grading your film-basically, all the polishing touches that make it the professional quality you were looking for. After that, we’ll send you your finished video! If you’d like, we can also send you a drive with all of the footage we shot, for any future videos you might like to use it for. 
 
So that’s it! See? Not too complicated! We can make this process easy for you, and give you a great new tool for your business or foundation at the end of it. If you’re interested in having us create a film for you, call us or shoot us an email, and we can get to work!