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Deliverables:

• Video Production Services: This includes filming, editing, lighting, and audio services.

• Content Creation: Delivering two 45-90 second videos each month tailored for IG, TikTok, & Facebook platforms.

• Professional Client Cover Photos: Providing high-quality cover photos for each client.

Analysis of Video Marketing Strategy:

The frequency of two videos per month raises questions about the overall content marketing strategy. It's essential to ensure that these videos are part of a broader content plan with consistent daily or near-daily postings. At my company, we specialize in social management and content creation, typically offering 8-12 videos per month within a budget range of $3,000 to $6,000. We use professional-grade equipment such as the Blackmagic Pocket 6k camera, Rode Wireless Go II microphone, and minimal lighting setups, which our clients find highly satisfactory, often using natural light for shoots.

Pricing Approach and Considerations:

For pricing, I recommend basing it on 2 filming days and 2 editing days at your standard day rate, with an additional 20% allocation for travel and production costs. It's crucial to estimate the time commitment accurately, approximating around 4-5 days (or 40-50 hours) per month for production and post-production tasks. Regarding equipment, owning your gear allows for flexibility in adjusting rates. Rental costs should be factored in at around 3-5% of the equipment's total value per day.

Contract and Pricing Strategy:

A 6-month contract offers stability and benefits both parties. It's advisable to provide a preferred rate for extended contracts as a gesture of appreciation for their commitment. I recommend quoting monthly deliverables transparently and then extrapolating this for the entire contract duration. For instance, if Month 1 involves shoots and post-work totaling $2,500 (based on 5x 10-hour days at $50/hour), multiplying this by 6 months gives a total contract estimate of $15,000. This should be supplemented with a "professional courtesy" discount to convey the true value of your services.

Client Engagement and Pricing Perception:

When dealing with clients unfamiliar with video production, it's crucial to manage expectations and justify costs. Sticker shock can arise when comparing professional services to amateur alternatives. It's important not to undervalue your work significantly to secure a contract, as this could compromise your brand reputation and profitability in the long run.

Video production retainers offer steady income and mutual benefits for production companies and clients. However, careful consideration is needed when selecting a retainer to ensure it aligns with specific needs and expectations.

Important Considerations Before Committing to a Video Production Retainer

Before deciding to sign up for a video production retainer, it's crucial to consider a few key points:

• Clarity on Services and Benefits:

• Ensure you have a clear understanding of what you're getting for your investment. Some video companies may be vague about the specifics of their retainer services, not out of ill intent but due to insufficient explanation. Make sure you are well-informed about the deliverables.
  

• Usage Commitment:

• Before committing to a retainer, assess whether you will truly utilize the service. We've all experienced signing up for subscriptions or memberships that go underutilized (like gym memberships). It's important not to fall into the same trap with a video production retainer.
  

At GVI, we approach video production retainers differently. We refer to it as our VIP Video Club, emphasizing a personalized approach with direct human interaction. This includes regular video chats or phone calls to strategize upcoming video projects and monthly reminders to ensure timely scheduling.

• Rollover Policy:

• Consider what happens if you miss a production month. It's natural to encounter unexpected circumstances that may lead to missed deadlines. Ensure the company you choose offers a reasonable rollover policy. While full rollovers may not be feasible due to production constraints, they should provide some form of rollover option to accommodate occasional lapses.

In conclusion, be vigilant in selecting a video production partner that aligns with your needs and offers transparent terms that support your objectives.

Exploring the Advantages of Video Production Retainers

Let's delve into the positive aspects of video production retainers, highlighting the multitude of benefits they offer:

1. Cost Savings:

Retainers provide substantial cost savings compared to engaging independent video producers or companies on a project basis. By committing to a retainer, you eliminate the time-consuming process of vetting potential candidates for each project.

2. Enhanced Video Quality:

With a dedicated video company on retainer, you can expect consistently better-quality videos. The streamlined collaboration and shared understanding fostered by the retainer arrangement contribute to elevated production standards.

3. Improved Service:

Retainers ensure priority access to video production resources. Unlike ad-hoc arrangements, where availability may be limited, retainer clients receive preferential treatment in scheduling shoots, script creation, editing, and revisions.

4. Time Efficiency:

Retainers save valuable time by eliminating the need to research and engage different video companies for each project. With a retainer in place, you have a trusted partner ready to execute your video needs promptly.

5. Trust and Reliability:

Establishing a retainer with a reliable production company instills confidence and minimizes stress. We’ve received a lot of business over the years from customers who were unhappy with their previous production company…

Reasons include…

• the company being hard to work with

• not being flexible on creative vision

• unexpected charges on their final invoice

Finding a production company you like and locking them in with a retainer takes away stress.

You can rest assured knowing that the videos produced will align with your vision and that there will be no unexpected cost surprises, given the predictable monthly fee.

6. Seamless Integration:

When you put a production company on retainer, they become an extension of your own team.

This improves the quality of your videos and saves you valuable time because the production crew shares your vision and goals for your communications strategy. 

Knowing these things allows them to make production decisions behind the scenes without having to bother you with every little detail.

You’ll also be able to establish a consistent branding within your videos. Each video can have a similar look and feel.

We have customers who actually share their style guide with us… that’s a HUGE help. In some cases, we even developed our own style guide for certain customers.

It saves a lot of back and forth.

7. Enhanced Demand Generation:

Regular video production builds audience familiarity and trust, increasing the effectiveness of your video content. By maintaining a steady flow of engaging videos, businesses can effectively connect with their audience and nurture relationships.

8. Financial Benefits for Agencies and Corporations:

Agencies can capitalize on retainers by distributing costs across multiple clients, ensuring that each client benefits without budget constraints. Similarly, departments within organizations can share retainer costs, optimizing resources and facilitating collaboration.

9. Additional Savings and Incentives:

Retainer agreements often come with additional savings, such as discounted travel expenses or bundled pricing for video services. These incentives further enhance the value of the retainer arrangement.

In summary, video production retainers offer a win-win situation for both companies and their clients. They provide reliable income streams for production companies while delivering trusted, high-quality video services at a reduced cost to clients.

Photography and Video Production Retainer Partnership: The Essentials

At GVI, we engage with our clients/brands (that's you!) in two distinct ways to deliver photography and video production services:

• Per Project Fee:

• This approach entails collaborating with you on a project basis to produce content for mid to large-scale commercial projects. These individual projects range from $25,000 up to $300,000 for extensive concepts and multi-day productions. Pricing is determined based on the specific requirements of each project.
  

• Monthly Retainer Fee:

• Here's where we work with you consistently to deliver a pre-defined volume of photography and/or video content within the retainer period, typically spanning 6 to 12 months. This partnership involves integrating our production team (us) with your brand. Retainer pricing for photography and video production starts from $3000 to $8,000 and can scale upwards to $20,000+ per month based on your production needs.
  

Determining if a Monthly Photo and Video Production Retainer is Suitable for You

Firstly, outline your annual photo and video production schedule to identify the required content. For instance, you may need 1-2 branding videos along with photo support, social media videos in various formats, corporate interviews, customer testimonials, and event coverage throughout the year. If your brand's marketing strategy entails consistently releasing such content, then a photo and video production retainer is an ideal choice.

Should you require further clarification on the annual production schedule, we're here to assist in mapping it out for you. However, this might necessitate additional time for planning a monthly retainer fee.

Advantages of GVI's Photography and Video Production Retainer Partnership

Our partnership model emphasizes integration and consistency. By consistently collaborating with our photography and video production team, we become ingrained in your brand. We understand your brand story, vision, preferences, and dislikes, which facilitates a seamless workflow. Additionally, working with us regularly ensures that the photo and video content you publish maintains consistency in style, quality, and storytelling.

Apart from integration and content consistency, here are the key advantages of our monthly retainer:

• Controlled and Predictable Marketing Costs: Facilitates easier budgeting by establishing one comprehensive budget approved by management, as opposed to managing individual projects throughout the year.
  

• Bulk Discount Pricing: Instead of itemized pricing per project, you benefit from significant savings through bulk pricing.
  

• Priority Access and Support: Enjoy priority access to our services, akin to TSA PreCheck, ensuring timely and efficient support.
  

• Enhanced Marketing Strategy: Predictable content scheduling saves time and money, boosting the efficacy of your marketing strategy.
  

Why Choose GVI Over In-House Production Staff?

Opting for full-time staff might be viable if quantity is prioritized over quality. However, this approach poses limitations, potentially compromising quality or necessitating additional hires to manage tasks efficiently. Moreover, employing staff incurs various costs like onboarding, training, taxes, insurance, and equipment expenses. At GVI, we excel by providing in-house production team benefits without the associated overheads of full-time employees.

What to Expect

Our photography and video production retainer partnerships are fully customizable to suit your needs. We commence by getting acquainted and mapping out the scope of work, including concepts, shoot days, and deliverables. Subsequently, we touch base monthly and adhere to a jointly developed schedule for content delivery.

Consistent Video Content is Key

When you sign up for a video retainer contract, we initiate with a discovery meeting to understand your goals and build a plan for consistent video content every month. By establishing a video retainer contract, you can easily budget for video content on a monthly or yearly basis, ensuring a fixed monthly cost while receiving new content regularly.

We're prepared to help you leverage the benefits of a video retainer contract. If you're ready to embark on consistent video content production, let's connect to address your queries and commence the process of establishing a video retainer contract.

Should you require further information or wish to initiate discussions about a video retainer contract, please don't hesitate to reach out. We're excited to collaborate and deliver exceptional photography and video content for your brand.