How to Choose the Best Corporate Video Production Company

Published on

November 26, 2024

Estimated reading time:

5

minutes

Choosing the right corporate video production company is key to bringing your brand’s story to life. The right video production partner can help your business grow and connect with your audience.

With so many video production companies offering slightly different services, finding the right one for you can feel overwhelming. This guide will help you evaluate and choose a corporate video production company that will align with your goals, provide smooth collaboration, and deliver great results.

Behind the scenes on a Gorilla Creative production in studio.

1. Start with a First Impression: The Website

Your first interaction with a production company often begins on their website, and it sets the tone for what you can expect. A professional, clear, and well-organized website should reflect their expertise in video production.

What to Look For:

  • Clarity of Services: The homepage should make their focus clear. Do they specialize in corporate video production, or are they focused on niches like weddings or high-fashion ads? Their videos or reels should broadly reflect the type of work you need, helping you quickly decide if they’re a good fit.
  • Professional Design: Does their website instill confidence? A well-crafted website is often a good indicator of their ability to communicate visually.

A company’s website is essentially their first pitch to you. If it feels unorganized or outdated, it could reflect their approach to your project.

2. Explore Their Portfolio

A portfolio is a treasure trove of information about a company’s capabilities and experience. When reviewing their work, focus on key elements that help you evaluate whether they’re a good fit.

Questions to Ask:

  • Do they have relevant experience? Look for videos broadly similar to what you want to create.
  • Is their work consistent? High quality production across multiple projects demonstrates professionalism and expertise.
  • Is the portfolio easy to navigate? A well-organized portfolio shows they care about user experience—a good sign for how they’ll handle your project.

Finding a company with experience creating videos like yours is ideal, but not a dealbreaker.

Look for overall quality, creativity, and versatility. Strong storytelling and technical skills in different industries and video styles show they can manage your vision. This is true even if the specific type of video is new to them. A discussion during early conversations can also help clarify how they would approach your unique goals.

3. Look for Case Studies and Project Breakdowns

Case studies or project breakdowns go beyond the surface, showing you how a video production company approaches its work. This can be one of the most valuable ways to understand their process and attention to detail.

Why Case Studies Matter:

  • Problem-Solving: Look for examples where the company addressed specific challenges. Did they help a client overcome tight deadlines, navigate complex messaging, or deliver results despite a constrained budget?
  • Process Insights: Case studies or project breakdowns show how the team worked on a project. Remember, you're evaluating not just the end video, but the production process.

Case studies provide a behind-the-scenes look at how a company operates. They can give you confidence in their ability to consistently understand a client's needs and deliver the right results.

4. Check Customer Testimonials and Reviews

While a portfolio shows the quality of a company’s work, customer testimonials give insight into the experience of working with them. The end result (the video) is only part of what you’re buying. The process—how a company communicates, collaborates, and handles challenges—is just as important.

Why Testimonials Matter:

  • Insight Into the Process: A company might deliver high quality videos, but testimonials reveal what it’s like to collaborate with them. Were they responsive? Organized? Did they make the process smooth and stress-free?
  • Validation From Others: Positive feedback from past clients helps confirm that the company is reliable and professional. It builds confidence that they can deliver results and a seamless experience.

You can typically find testimonials on the company’s website or on third-party platforms like Google.

5. Consider the Team Behind the Work

The people behind the company are just as important as the videos themselves. A strong, experienced team can make the difference between a smooth experience and a stressful one.

What to Research:

  • Who Will You Work With? Does the company provide any information about its background or show who the key players are that you'll be working with?
  • Continuity of Team: Ideally, the people you meet during the sales process will stay involved throughout the project? This ensures that details discussed early on aren't overlooked during the production process.
  • Network Connections: Use LinkedIn and other social media networks to check for mutual connections with the company. See if you know anyone who can vouch for them.

The people you work with can make or break a project. Choosing a company with an experienced and friendly team is critical.

6. Evaluate Communication and Collaboration

Your conversations with a video production company during the sales process indicate how they’ll communicate with you throughout the project.

Key Things to Look For:

  • Responsiveness: Does the company reply quickly and thoughtfully? Prompt communication shows they’re organized and respect your time.
  • Insightful Questions: Do they ask the right questions to understand your goals, audience, and challenges? A good partner digs deep to clarify your vision and ensure alignment.
  • Collaborative Energy: Do they bring new ideas to the table and challenge your thinking in a productive way? The best companies provide valuable insights based on their experience rather than just agreeing to everything.

This stage is where you get a sense of their professionalism, problem-solving skills, and ability to guide you through the process.

7. Compare Proposals Beyond Price

Once you’ve shortlisted a few companies, you’ll likely receive proposals outlining their approach, timeline, and costs. It’s tempting to focus just on price, but value matters far more than budget alone.

What to Look For:

  • Creative Approach: Does their proposal demonstrate an understanding of your goals and offer a clear vision for the project?
  • Included Services: Make sure you’re comparing apples to apples. One proposal might appear less expensive but exclude costs or services included in others.
  • Accountability: Do you know who is ultimately accountable for your project? Having direct access to them can help ensure a positive experience.

Comparing proposals for corporate video production services is a unique process. Each company will likely approach the project in its own way, which means that budgets aren't apples-to-apples. Ask questions, and remember that proposals are a starting point. Each company will likely be able to adjust their proposals based on your feedback.

8. Trust Your Gut: The X-Factor

Finally, trust your instincts. While portfolios and reviews are crucial, there’s an intangible quality to finding the right fit.

Ask Yourself:

  • Do You Feel a Connection? Did their team seem approachable and easy to work with?
  • Did They Instill Confidence? Does their experience, communication style, and overall presentation make you feel confident about choosing them?
  • Is Their Brand Aligned with Yours? If they specialize in bold, dynamic storytelling but your brand is more understated, that mismatch could cause friction.

When all else is equal, go with the company that feels like the best partner for your brand. You want to choose a video production company you can work with over time and not just this one project.

The Takeaway

Choosing the right corporate video production company is about finding a partner who understands your goals. They should communicate clearly and make the process easy and enjoyable.

The best video production partners don’t just make great videos—they elevate your entire experience.

If you're looking for a corporate video production company in San Francisco, Gorilla Creative might just be the right choice for you. Let's schedule a call to discuss your project.

Author:

Eric Stracke

Eric is the Co-Founder and Creative Director at Gorilla Creative. He earned a B.S. in Digital Film and Video Production from the Art Institute of California, San Francisco. He finds great satisfaction in the creative process of producing a video from concept to completion.