The success of every video project is determined by the planning that goes into it before the cameras are turned on or the editing begins. As the Operations Manager here at Sleekfire, I am responsible for making sure all the details are lined up for each video well before the day of the shoot. Our customers are often curious and even fearful about what the process might entail, and how much of their time will be consumed by it. I wanted to write this article to inform you and hopefully reduce any fear or anxiety you may feel about getting videos created for your business.

Let’s Get Started

I plan. It’s what I do. I coordinate schedules and activities and events, both at work and at home. My main objective every day is to keep all of the various balls that I am juggling in the air, without letting even a single one fall.

If someone came into my world, either at work or at home, and said they were going to help me by giving me a project, I just may lose my mind. I’d surely be dropping a few of the balls I’m juggling.

Business Owners: Here’s a Project for You…

How many did I lose? The last thing you need is another thing on your plate. You’re busy enough. But does it help at all to know that the project will be beneficial to you, may save you time and money, and will require very little from you?

That’s the main concern of customers that I work with. They want the project to happen, but are extremely concerned that the time commitment may be too much for their already overflowing calendars. It’s a valid concern. How do you keep your business moving every single day while tacking on a large project such as video production?

Our Process

Ultimately, you want control over how your business is portrayed, and what the final outcome looks like. This is completely understandable – your business is your baby. Processes are in place every step of the way to ensure that you have that control with limited time investment. Relax, we will take care of your baby, I promise.

We follow the same steps on every project to make sure things run smoothly. Here’s what our process looks like.

Action (your time/our time)

The majority of your work is done by the time you hit submit on a form reaching out to us, by the time you pick up the phone to call us, or by the time you send us an email. You’ve done your research and decided that we are the best fit for you and your company. You’ve had your questions answered by speaking with one of us or perusing our blogs and website. You’re a good portion of the way done already.

If you haven’t reached out to us, or if you feel like you have a better fit with another company, this still applies to you. As a business owner, we may not be your perfect fit, but your time commitment will be relatively the same no matter which company you partner with.

Call Sheet

So I’m at my desk and get your call, form, or I’ve run into you somewhere. You’ve decided Sleekfire is for you. Or you’re going with another company and calling me to talk you through the process. Either way, it will start with a brief meeting. We’ll need 30 minutes of your time, (shorter or longer depending on the scope of your project) to chat. We’ll keep it brief, going over your vision, your branding, discovering how your product or services help your clients and what you most would like to tell those clients. We’ll hear your story, what’s important to you, and what you expect from us and then WE WILL LET YOU GO. The most important part of this. You did your part, and now you can go back to running your business.

Behind The Scenes

This is when our team goes into motion. Unless you want to check-in (we are always more than willing to give you frequent updates), we will leave you to your business while we start creating. Our first step is planning. We have all of the information from our talk with you. We’ve researched your brand and competitors, and we’ve listened to your vision and your story. We’ll put together a plan to present to you that will share your story, and raise awareness about your business most effectively. There is a lot of drawing out on whiteboards, coffee, and time involved here. If we need any clarity on anything we spoke of, we will reach out to you.

Re-Shoots

You will always be the expert on your business, which is why we need you here…but only briefly. We have your concept all laid out, the story you want to tell, and how we will help you tell it. We’ve included the look and feel of the video, the talent we may be looking for, and the message you’ve told us it’s important to convey. This is the point where we show you. Don’t like it? That’s not something we will be ok with, so we’ll go back and begin again. Happy with it but want some tweaks? Let us know and we will take care of that as well. Thrilled with the work and ready to move forward? Great. On to scheduling and filming.

Ready For Your Close Up

Or not. Either is fine. Some business owners are ready to film, and we love that. We will spend some time with you in the studio or at your place of business and get some footage of you telling your story and speaking directly to your customers. Not the type of video you are looking for? We love that too. We’ll film your product or service, on location or in our studio, and tell your story for you. Either way, your time commitment here is minimal as well. We will schedule our filming with as little interruption to your day as possible.

On The Cutting Room Floor

The time commitment here is ours. We will capture a lot of footage during our time with you and will then spend a lot of time intentionally putting that footage together to capture the story and image you are looking for. Since we are never happy until you are happy, we will need your time for some approvals here. Sometimes it is completely perfect in the first round. You review, approve and it’s done. Sometimes you request changes and have to review the video once the edits are made. Either way, you will end this process with your completed video, and we can help you learn how to utilize that video and get the most value possible.

That’s a Wrap

We’ll check in with you. Our intent is to ensure you have what you need and that the results are what you hoped for. Depending on the intended use of your video, we may check in again long after our partnership, to see if you need a video content refresh.

And that’s it. Our clients are always reassured when they realize how seamless we make this for them. The handoff of your request to our team is just that, a handoff. We are happy to do the work for you and deliver quality results to you for your business use.