Meeting and deciding on the right production partner is just like being on a first date. You need to know what you want and figure out if they are the perfect fit.
When it comes to dating, there are right ways of doing it and wrongs ways of doing it. Arranging a #meeting to scope out a #ProductionCompany and find out if they are the right partner for you is the same way. You can’t spend the whole time gushing about yourself, you have to ask the right questions, and ultimately you need to let a bit of your head and a bit of your heart do the picking.
DON’T Waste Time
The objective of a meeting is to understand who the company you potentially will hire is, what style they have, what experience, what they can bring to the table, and so on. So don’t bother wasting time telling them all about how you brought this company from the ground to the empire it is today. While the #producer at the meeting should be asking specific questions to get to know you and your needs, let them take the reins on deciding what they need to know. While you focus on listening, taking it all in, and deciding if you like how they conduct #business, and themselves.
DO Make Sure They Are Asking the Right Questions
As stated above, let the company you are meeting with lead the discussion, and focus carefully on what type of questions they are asking you. Are they trying to understand your needs? Do they want to know what your goal of this #video/campaign is? Have they asked who your target market is? A good #production #partner should be getting to the point in trying to figure out what your needs are. That way they can formulate a concept and technical requirements based upon them.
DO Ask Them the Right Questions
Once it is your turn to talk, and every producer you meet with should turn the tables on you at some point and ask if you have any questions about them, make sure to ask all the pressing questions on your mind. If #budget is a big concern then ask them what they will do to ensure the budget will stay as it was quoted. Or better yet ask them what they can potentially do to reduce costs. If #timelines are important then ask how they track projects. Ask who your point of contact on the #project is, and whether the timelines you propose are realistic. Figure out what they will do, and how they will do it, to meet your needs.
DON’T Get Hung-Up on the Small Stuff
Not every producer you meet with will have everything you are looking for. For example, a company may have some great samples, but no samples of dogs #filmed on green screen. That doesn’t mean that they aren’t able to #film dogs on green screen for your #promo video for a gourmet dog food company. So focus on the larger picture, do they have a good track record, do their references rave about them, did they provide me with great #creative concepts, etc. Care about what matters to you, and forget about everything else.
DO Trust Your Gut
Ultimately, you might sit down with multiple production companies and they all have the right answers, and meet the right criteria. If this is the case, then it all comes down to personality and trusting your gut. Working with a producer you enjoy can be a big help. This is someone who you need to meet with, speak to over the phone, email, debate with, collaborate with, and trust.
Good luck, and we hope you find The One.
If you are interested in meeting with one of our talented producers, contact us today!
