Producing an International Video? Here Are 8 Criteria to Choose a Great Video Production Partner
Consider this scenario. You’re in the waiting room and you Google your doctor. You follow a few links and discover he graduated last in his class!
Or you’re in an airplane waiting on the runway when you overhear a flight attendant whispering that this is the young pilot’s first flight with the airline…
Not awesome! If you’re like me, you want capable and experienced.
If you’re producing an international video, then this article is for you. It gives you eight tips to help you select the best video production partner to tell your story.
#8. Major Organizations Say Yes
When evaluating a potential video production partner, ask who they’ve worked with lately. Have they worked with organizations like yours?
In the past year, Dorst MediaWorks has produced for major international organizations, including the Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Monetary Fund, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, USAID, the World Bank Group, the World Resources Institute, and the World Wildlife Fund. If they trust us, you can trust us.
#7. International Expertise
If you want to make a video overseas, make sure your video production vendor has sufficient international video production expertise. Making a talking-head corporate video in Washington DC is straightforward; producing a documentary-style video in a foreign language in another country requires a different skillset. What countries have they worked in? What languages? What size crews? Can they do indie documentary video in foreign countries? International expertise: it makes a big difference.
In the last 12 months, Dorst MediaWorks has produced in eight countries on five continents. Producing complex international videos in multiple languages can be tough. But not for us. It’s what we do. All of these experiences help our problem-solving skills to be able to succeed on your project. In 2011 in Zimbabwe, why did I build a set to hang paintings? In 2014 in Afghanistan, did I do anything differently knowing the Taliban had just launched its Spring offensive?Which country examples did I use when speaking about storytelling to development professionals in Washington DC? How did I direct the USAID video production last year in Haiti to capture the best story?
Outside Manila, producing for the International Finance Corporation.#6. Longevity
Does the company have a track record? Recent success is paramount, but longevity suggests that a video production company is resilient, that it is able to ride the ups and downs of the economy, that it can communicate well with multiple clients in diverse situations.
Since 2002, Dorst MediaWorks has produced 300+ videos for 50+ clients in 50+ countries. Every project presents different and unique challenges and makes us better at what we do.
#5. Documentary Style
What style of video does the video production company specialize in? Commercials, explainer videos, music videos, events, and PSAs? Or does it specialize in the documentary-style video that you want for your international story? Documentary style conveys a strong sense of character, era, and place. It’s often more credible and enduring, because the protagonists tell their own stories, rather than having a narrator.
About 90%+ of Dorst MediaWorks videos are documentary-style.
In Rio de Janeiro, producing for the Public Interest Registry#4. Mission
Does your potential video production vendor have a higher objective?
Dorst MediaWorks’ mission is to be the world’s best video production studio for organizations that do good. On this journey, we hope to help make the world a more just, sustainable, and equal place. We make videos for organizations that do good — here and around the world. If you share that vision or need a video, drop us a line.
#3. Client focus
Is your potential video vendor all things to all people? Or is it specialized? If it is more specialized doing the kind of work you need, then that’s a plus!
Dorst MediaWorks only works with organizations that “do good,” primarily international organizations that work in sustainable development, humanitarian relief, and conservation.
#2. Cinematic Film Quality
Yes, budgets can be tight on these types of international video productions, but that’s no excuse for bad quality. When considering whether to work with a video production company or not, check out their portfolio. Is it quality footage? Is it lit well? Is it color-corrected? If you need talking heads, check out the interview compositions. Are they well done?
Founder and Creative Director Steve Dorst has directed and produced feature documentary films that played on PBS, DirecTV, iTunes, and Amazon Prime Video. On any budget, in any country, Dorst MediaWorks strives for cinematic film quality.
#1. 5-Star Service
Read the testimonials and reviews. Does the video production company have positive reviews from clients?
Dorst MediaWorks goes the extra mile to make sure we provide incredible service to our trusted clients during the collaborative process. Check out our 22 reviews on Google and our top-10 presence on Clutch!
