A key part of the Production process is client feedback.

If a production company doesn’t consider, value or apply your creative preferences then they’re not doing their job properly. However, there’s a reason you hired a production company! These are the people who know what it takes to create a product that will benefit your company and make you look great. Every decision made by the post-production team serves a purpose and took valuable time to execute.

One of the most common and time-consuming complaints production companies receive is that a client does not like the Music selected for a video. Video beginners are unlikely to know that an editor listened to dozens of music samples to find one that matched the tone and feeling of your video. The editor may have even spent part of your budget purchasing the rights to the music. After carefully selecting the song(s), your footage was specifically edited to follow the pace of the music – a process that can take hours to an entire day.

While changing the music seems like a quick edit, for professional video producers this results in a complete re-edit of your piece. No matter how similar the new song may be, the footage was cut specifically to match the original song and a change could put everyone behind schedule.

As a client, there are several ways to avoid moving backwards in this way.

First, and most importantly, communicate early, often, and in detail. Should the piece be upbeat? Do you have a certain aesthetic you’d like to fit? Will you want graphics or animation? Who is your target audience? The more information you provide at the start of a production, the less edits you’ll need later on.

Next, provide your producer with as many references you can. Send the link to that commercial you really like. Send images of locations and graphics similar to what you’re picturing for your video. Provide as many examples of things that you like to avoid a rough cut you don’t approve. Your Production Partner should ask you for these samples, but if they don’t then you should take the initiative.

On a similar note, let your producer know if there is anything you absolutely do not want in your video. If you absolutely hate a certain editing technique or genre of music, let your producer know early so they can inform your editor before they devote hours to something you knew you wouldn’t like from the start.

Finally, trust your editor. They’ve done this before, odds are they’re making decisions based on what has been successful for them in the past. While editing may seem simple to you if you’ve never done it before, it is a complex process that takes years to learn and master. Have a little faith that the person you hired to create your video is making the right choice, even if it may not be the one you expected or would have made yourself. It will pay off in the end.

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