How to Hire a Videographer for Your Kickstarter Project

Why Hire a Videographer?

A positive video experience can increase purchase intent by 97%, and a Kickstarter page with a video is much more likely to succeed than one without (a 50% versus 30% difference!). Videos are an engaging and effective way to provide information to potential customers. Our brains process visual information at a much faster rate than they do text, 60,000 times faster to be exact! It takes a lot of written words to do what one short video can. The catch is that quality matters. A low-quality video can lead to negative brand perception. If you don’t think you can make a high-quality video for your campaign, hiring a professional is your best bet. Keep reading for tips on how to hire a videographer for your Kickstarter page.

1. Determine Your Audience

Who do you want to watch your video? What is their demographic? Aside from Kickstarter, where will you be distributing your video (your website, Facebook, etc.). These questions will have a significant influence on the type of video you’ll make and quite possibly your choice in who to hire. Consider how different an informational video aimed at marketing professionals posted on LinkedIn is from a Facebook video selling a product to teenagers.

2. Get Creative

The first step you’ll want to take before you hire a videographer is to do some brainstorming about your video. What do you want it to convey? How do you want it to look? What type of video works best with your project? Is it going to be a behind-the-scenes look at your company? A personal story explaining how or why you came up with the idea for your project? A demonstration of your product? Come up with a list of ideas you can present to potential videographers.

3. Scope the Competition

For more inspiration, watch other Kickstarter videos. Search out as many similar products as you can, and take notes on how they incorporated media into their campaigns. It’s helpful to watch videos from the most successful Kickstarter campaigns, even if they aren’t related to your project. They’ll give you an idea of what really works.

4. Know What You Want (and What You Need)

Once you’ve determined what kind of video you want to make, you need to figure out what you can do and what you are looking to outsource. Are you looking for a full-service company or just someone to shoot a quick video of you? Will you write the script yourself, or is that part of what you’re hoping to get when you hire a videographer? Do you need them to do any casting or location scouting? What about permits and insurance?

5. Set the Budget

How much does making a video cost? Well, it depends. Length of video is just one factor; others include scripting, casting, equipment, makeup and wardrobe, post-production, and more. Before you look to hire a videographer, determine how much you can spend. This will help narrow your search and give you a starting point when discussing terms with any potential hire.

6. Go Beyond the Highlight Reel

Highlights are a great way to get an idea if a production company or videographer is right for you, but they aren’t enough to base your decision on. Look for full-length videos on a company’s website (or Facebook or other social media site) to see what their finished projects look like and whether they match your vision of quality and content. While you’re at it, make sure to view their most recent work. This will give you an idea of what they’ll be able to bring to your video now.

7. Check the List and Read the Reviews

Along with watching videos, look for reviews and testimonials from other clients. A company’s client list can also be quite telling. If they’ve worked with a wide range of clients from various industries, they’re likely good at adapting to what a client wants and needs. Many companies also provide case studies that go over how they’ve helped past clients accomplish their goals. These can help you determine whether a company is a good match for your needs.

8. Get a Quote (And Then Another)

Even if you love the first videographer you find, reach out to a few more to be sure that your project is being priced fairly. You may find that prices for the same project can range by quite a lot. It may help you make your decision if you know where all that money is going, so ask for a detailed estimate, which will break down the costs for you.

9. Meet in Person

When you hire a videographer, you are hiring someone you’ll be working quite closely with. You want someone you trust and with whom you get along. You also want to know that they understand you and your brand. Once you’ve narrowed down your list to the top two or three, arrange an in-person meeting (or Skype if you can’t meet up) with each. Do you feel comfortable with this person? Are they easy to talk to? Do they seem to understand your project? Is this someone you can see yourself working with now (and possibly in the future)?

10. Seal the Deal

Once you’ve found someone you love, it’s time to seal that deal. Once you accept a bid, the videographer or company will present you with an agreement outlining their services and the cost of the project. Go over this carefully and be sure that all the aspects of video production you agreed to are covered (and look for what’s not covered). You don’t want to get to the end of your project and find that post-production is going to be an extra fee! At this point, you’ll likely need to put down a deposit, and you’ll be given a payment schedule. For example, this could be 50% down, with 30% expected after the first viewing and 20% upon final review.

What Are You Waiting For?

By following the above tips, you can feel confident in your choice to hire a videographer for your Kickstarter campaign. If you’re ready to get started today, check out our services and contact us to get a free quote.