If you ask three producers what they offer you might get three very different answers. One will be talking about cameras, another about creative direction and the third about various packages (some of which have rather clever names). For the buyer that makes it very difficult to compare the proposals or indeed to know what to ask for. The best way to brief is to get a clear understanding of what the production company services actually offer in plain speak. That’s the quickest way to brief with confidence and avoid paying for things you don’t actually need.

At its most basic a production company takes an idea and turns it into finished video, audio or photography. In between those two ends of the spectrum there is a whole chain of services involved in the process covering strategy, planning, filming, editing, delivery and increasingly distribution. Some companies will do all of the above themselves. Others will only do a few of the stages and will rely on other companies to do the rest.

This guide breaks the chain down into manageable pieces, shows you how production company services are generally priced and how to go about choosing the mix that is right for your project. At Insignia Productions Global we provide the full chain to both Kenyan and international clients so the following is based on actual experience.

What Production Company Services Typically Include

The majority of the offerings can be divided into three stages, with special additions situated at the periphery.

The pre-production stage includes all the activities that take place before filming begins, for example concept development, scripting, casting, scouting locations, obtaining the necessary permits and making a schedule. Production refers to the actual filming, involving a director, a camera and sound crew, lighting, equipment and on-set management. In post-production the raw material is transformed into the final product via editing, colour grading, sound design, music, graphics and delivery.

Specialist services such as drone filming, animation, live streaming, photography, translation and subtitling, as well as local support for visiting crews, are available during those stages. A reputable provider will clarify in your quote which of these services are included and which carry an additional cost, thus avoiding any surprises later on.

Pre Production: Where Projects Are Won or Lost

Pre-production is the least visible element of a production company services and often the most important. The decisions taken at this stage will have a massive impact on the budget, the schedule and the finished product.

Concept and scripting is where you turn your objective into a story. The producer defines the audience, the message and the format. The writer then takes that and works it into a script or an interview plan. Storyboards and shot lists take that plan and turn it into pictures which then enables everyone to agree on the look prior to any money being spent on filming.

Logistics follow. Casting will find the right presenters, actors or voice over talent. Location scouting will check light, sound and access. Permits, insurance and risk assessments will all be in place to protect the crew and the client. A proper team will spend a lot of time on this stage as every hour of planning will save you several hours on set.

Production: Crew, Equipment and Direction on the Day

That’s the point where plans come together with reality. A standard crew would consist of a director, a director of photography, a camera operator, a sound recordist, a lighting technician, a producer and a runner, though smaller projects employ fewer people.

The equipment can include just one camera and a microphone or it can consist of multi-camera setups, cinema lenses, gimbals, sliders and generators; specialist equipment such as drones or underwater housings is generally quoted apart. Talent direction is just as important as camera work since a relaxed interviewee or an actor who has been properly briefed will produce better footage in half the time.

Good production company services also involve on-set management, such as sticking to the schedule, recording the footage, backing up the files and dealing with the numerous small problems that arise during any filming operation. It is this kind of discipline that ensures the projects stay within budget.

Post Production: Turning Footage Into a Finished Film

Editing shapes the story, choosing the best takes, setting the rhythm and cutting anything that slows the viewer down. Colour grading gives the images a consistent look and mood. Sound design cleans dialogue, adds effects and balances levels, while music sets the emotional tone.

Graphics and animation add titles, lower thirds, charts and logos. Subtitles and translations widen the audience. Finally, delivery prepares files in the formats each platform needs, from broadcast masters to vertical social clips.

Ask how many review rounds are included and how feedback should be submitted. Clear rules here prevent the endless revision loops that stretch schedules and budgets. Commercials need tight concepts, polished craft and fast turnaround. Our television commercial production service shows what a dedicated advert team provides, from concept to broadcast ready delivery.

Services by Content Type

Different types of video call require different levels of strength so you need to match the service to the job.

Documentaries require patience, access and sensitivity. Our documentary production service covers research, filming and editing for real stories told with care.

Corporate films, training videos and internal comms all need clarity and consistency. Event coverage requires fast, reliable multi camera teams. Social content needs to be in short format with a good hook and a consistent publishing cadence.

How Production Company Services Are Priced

Understanding pricing models will enable you to compare quotes in a fair way.

Project pricing is a fixed fee for a defined scope. It’s ideal for clear briefs and gives you budget certainty (as long as the scope is properly defined in writing). Day rates are for crew and equipment on a day by day basis and are appropriate for flexible shoots where you can’t say in advance how many days you’re going to need. Retainers are where you reserve a team for a set amount of work each month and are ideal for brands that are publishing content on a continuous basis.

Whatever model you’re using the key drivers are the same: shoot days, crew, equipment, locations, talent, music licensing, edit time and number of versions. Always get a breakdown of the quote so you can see where the money’s going and where you can cut.

Common Misunderstandings About What Is Included

Some assumptions lead to problems down the line. A lot of clients assume the raw footage is included when in fact it’s frequently licensed separately or charged as an additional fee. Many will also assume they get unlimited revisions when the vast majority of quotes will be for a fixed number of rounds. Music, stock clips and voiceover can all be priced outside of the main fee and the usage rights can be time limited, territory limited or platform limited.

Ask for these points in writing prior to work commencing. The more clearly you understand what the production company can and can’t do, the fewer awkward conversations you’ll have at the end of the project.

Packages, Retainers or One Off Projects

The correct commercial structure is going to be dependent on how often you need the video.

A one off is for a single campaign, a single launch or a single event. A package is where you bundle a number of videos or formats together at a better rate (i.e. a better rate per piece) and that would make sense for a product range, a series of interviews or a multi-platform campaign. A retainer is where you get priority access to a team who already know your brand, which in turn reduces briefing time and ensures a consistent quality of output.

Start with one project really is the sensible thing to do to test the relationship. If the chemistry and the results are good then you can go to a package or retainer with the confidence that it will work.

Choosing Production Company Services That Fit Your Project

Start with your objective not with a shopping list. What does the video need to achieve? Who is it for? Where will it be seen? Those answers will tell you which production company services you actually require and which are merely optional.

Next is fit. Does the team have experience in your sector and in your format? Do they understand your market, your language and your audience? Have they done the scale that you require? Get examples, speak to previous clients and find out who’s actually going to be working on your project.

Ultimately you need to compare the proposals line by line to ensure they’re all offering the same scope of work, same number of revision rounds, same usage rights and same timeline. A cheap quote may well be missing the boat in terms of what it actually offers whereas an expensive one may be including some extras that you’ll never actually use.

Questions to Ask Before You Sign

A short list of questions will tell you a great deal about a provider.

Who owns the footage and the final video and what rights do I have to use it? Are the music, the stock footage and the fonts licensed for my particular purpose? How many revisions are included and what happens if I need any more? What is the timescale and what happens if it slips? What insurance does the team have? Who is my actual point of contact?

Clear, confident answers in writing are the sign of a reliable partner. Any hesitation or vagueness generally indicates the detail hasn’t been properly considered and it’s far cheaper to find that out in a meeting than in the middle of an edit.

Getting the Best Value From Production Company Services

Value doesn’t come from the lowest price. It comes from clear briefs, good planning and re-use. Be transparent about your objectives, give feedback as and when you can and appoint one person to sign off on decisions.

Plan to re-use footage from day one. One shoot can give you a hero film, a raft of social cuts, stills and b-roll to go with it. You can stretch one investment right across the months of content. Have a release plan in place prior to production finishing as the video will be of no use if it doesn’t get to the right audience. Get the team to include captions, thumbnails and the various platform specific formats in the delivery list as those little bits are often the difference between a great video and one that simply isn’t watched.

Making Production Company Services Work for You

The best results are achieved by treating your production team as a creative partner rather than a vendor. Get them involved from the very start, share all you know about your audience and trust their creative skills, but don’t forget to hold them to account in terms of quality.

At Insignia Productions Global we provide full end to end production company services (strategy and scripting through to filming, editing and delivery). If you’re looking at production company services for your next project and want a clear, itemised plan, get in touch with our team and we will talk through what is possible.