Q & A

Why Video?

Video is the most rapidly evolving medium today. The pace of that evolution is accelerating. It used to be confined to a small gray screen in your living room. Now, it's almost everywhere, watched by billions every day.

One thing is certain: if you want to say something, and say it to a lot of people, use video. Internet data speeds, analog formats, and production costs impeded video communication before. Now, those roadblocks have come down. Almost anyone, anywhere, can make a video, and have it seen by anyone else.

So why use a video production company like IDEA FACTORY? Making video is easy. Making good video isn't. And making great video takes experience and know-how. We've been making video since 1992. Over that time, weíve learned what works. We've won awards for our work. Let us put that experience and know how to work for you.

How much does a typical video cost?

Well, that depends on your idea of a typical video. It's kind of like the old question, How long is a piece of string? Some video projects cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, others only a few thousand.

The best way for us to answer the cost question is to sit down with you and talk about your needs. What do you want to say? Who do you want to say it to? What do you want to achieve? These questions help determine the budget for a production.

Once we have the answers to those three basic questions, we can give you an answer. Let us give you a quote, at no obligation.

Here’s a list of some of the more commonly heard terms used in video production. If there’s a term you don’t understand that’s not listed here, contact us. We’d be happy to explain it to you.

Action axis,ADR,Aspect ratio,Bandwidth,Bars and tone,B-roll,CGI,Chroma key,Cinematographer,Closeup,Codec,Continuity,Conversation axis,Coverage,Crawl,Crossfade,Cut,Cutaway,Digitize,Director,Dissolve,Dolly,Dub,Encode,Eye line,Fade,Focus pull,Green screen,High definition (HD),Jump cut,Lavalier microphone,Long shot,Master shot,Medium shot,Non-linear editing,Offline,Online,Over-the-shoulder shot,Pan,Pedestal,Pick-up shot,Pixel,Producer,Rack focus,Roll,Room tone,Scrub,Shotgun mic,Slate,Sound effects,Split screen,Standard definition (SD),Stock footage,Stream,Super,Super lower third,Telecine,Teleprompter,Tilt,Time code,Timeline,Track,Two shot,VO,Whip pan,White balance,Wide shot,Zoom

So how do we make a video? There are several steps...

Our marketing representative and writer meet with you to discuss the project. We start with three questions:
     Your message - What do you want to say?
     Your audience - Who do you want to say it to?
     Your objectives - What do you want to achieve?

We discuss initial ideas, including any you may have at this stage.

Together with you, we determine a budget for the project. While it’s true that more things are possible as the budget increases, a limited budget doesn’t necessarily mean compromising quality. We have the experience and skills needed to achieve the best quality possible for any given budget.

Our creative director and producer draft and submit a plan to you that includes a statement of communication objectives, a creative treatment and outline, a production schedule, a formalized budget, and a list of resources required. This gives our team and your team a clear road map to follow.

Our scriptwriter drafts and submits a script. This is the roadmap, the assembly instructions, for the project. It details the locations, shots, images, on-screen text, computer graphics & effects, spoken word, music, and sound effects. The script goes through a number of drafts until it is finally approved by you.

Once the script is approved, the final stages of pre-production begin. The producer-director organizes the production logistics: locations, casting, crew and talent resources, clearances, schedules. A production assistant may help with this task, depending on the project. Additional production assets such as stock footage, animation, and graphics are pre-sourced.

The producer-director and the camera crew shoot the footage, using the script and pre-production work as a guide. Shooting can be done at one or more locations, or in a studio, and may involve the use of actors or other on-camera talent. In some cases, you may be present during shooting, if circumstances allow or require it.

Some projects may use existing footage and other assets, in which case the production phase is skipped.

The producer-director reviews the footage and selects shots for editing. Voice-over and additional audio is recorded as indicated by the script. Any remaining assets are gathered - existing footage, stills, graphics, music, and so on.

The editor then assembles all the assets and edits the first cut under the guidance of the producer-director. You review this first edit, either in our edit suite directly, or view a preview copy delivered to you electronically or on disc. After receiving your feedback on any changes, the final cut is then edited, the audio is mixed, and the video is given its final treatment. The completed video is then prepared for distribution - on disc, on the web, or by any other desired medium.