Beware the ‘jack of all trades’ video agency

A client told me about an experience with an ‘event’ videographer that left her professionally embarrassed and without any useable content.

The scenario: She’d put a call-out online for a last-minute event videographer. The first person who responded seemed perfect. He claimed to have worked with corporate clients, lived in Newcastle and could meet the budget.

The event: The videographer didn’t bother to mic the speakers rendering the audio unintelligible. Worse, only a single camera was set-up at the back of the room, barely capturing speaker facial expressions or any audience connection.

The outcome: We helped to salvage some of the audio, but the overall product was unengaging, static and unusable. It ended up in the digital trash.

The client later learned that the videographer had never filmed an event before.

When saying no is a favour

As videographers, we regularly get approached to quote on projects outside our niche, like TV commercials and weddings. While we could ‘technically’ do these projects (and we’d love the work!), I always respond with a respectful no.

Why? We’re too busy refining our niche in the corporate video world. Like every profession, videographers specialise and you reap the benefits of that!

Here’s how to find the right fit for your project:

🎬 Careful listening: Is your supplier genuinely interested in understanding your communications challenge? Are they asking thoughtful questions? If not, move on.

🎬 Testimonials and examples: request examples of work, and ask about the project - from brief to end result (and outcomes!)

🎬 Clear process: Be clear about what’s in and out of scope: what are the post production timelines? Do they provide a pre production checklist and guidance? How is feedback captured?

🎬 Pricing transparency: Don’t be afraid to ask questions: How many rounds of edits are included? What formats are delivered? Are graphic overlays included? What about subtitles?

🎬 Up for the task: Not all videographers are created equal. Ask to see projects of similar scope and scale.

Trust your gut: Most importantly, are you getting good vibes? 😎