Before You Call a Video Advertising Production Company, Get Clear on These Five Things
Hiring a video advertising production company can be one of the most valuable decisions a marketing or brand team makes—but only if the groundwork is in place. Too often, businesses invest in a beautifully produced commercial that doesn’t connect. Not because the production team missed the mark, but because the message was never really clear to begin with.
If you're preparing for a product launch, campaign, or brand push, and plan to invest in video, the work starts long before anyone calls “Action.” Here are five things to figure out internally before bringing in a production partner.
1. What’s the real job of this video?
Not every commercial is about awareness. Sometimes it's about positioning a product differently, rebuilding trust, or giving your audience a way to “get it” in 30 seconds or less. Before you think about visual style or tone, define the job: What do we need this video to do?
If your team can’t answer this in a sentence, you’re not ready to produce. The answer shapes everything—who you cast, how the message unfolds, what platform you target, and even what kind of edit options you'll need later. A good **video advertising production company** can help refine the execution, but they can’t guess what success looks like for your business. That has to come from you.
2. Who is this video really for?
Not just “our customers” or “B2B buyers.” Who are they as people? What do they already know? What do they believe about your brand or your category? You don’t need a full persona doc, but you do need to clarify the mindset of the viewer—what they’re skeptical of, what they’re frustrated by, what they wish someone would just explain already.
The most effective ad spots aren’t clever. They’re relevant. They speak directly to what the audience is feeling—and do it in their language. If your internal team hasn’t worked through this, the video will likely land flat, no matter how well it’s shot.
3. Where will this video live (and for how long)?
Too many campaigns start with the big idea, only to realize later that the format doesn't fit the media plan. The visual pacing of a paid TikTok ad is nothing like a 30-second broadcast spot. Same goes for aspect ratios, tone, and even copywriting style. Clarifying the distribution plan early helps your production partner plan for the right deliverables from the start—so you’re not cutting things down last-minute and losing the point in the process.
Also: How long will this video run? If it’s a one-off seasonal push, the tone and investment might be different than if it’s something meant to last 6–12 months as part of an evergreen funnel. These decisions affect everything from scripting to budget allocation.
4. What creative risks are you actually open to?
Every brand wants to stand out—until the concept pushes the edge a little. It helps to know your risk tolerance before you start. Are you open to humor? To leaning into emotion? To breaking from category norms? Do you want a clean brand expression, or are you okay with something more raw and attention-seeking?
Production teams work best when they have a clear understanding of where the edges are. If your stakeholders are risk-averse, it’s better to say that early, so creative exploration stays in bounds. On the flip side, if you’re craving something bold, say so—and be ready to back that choice up when you present it internally.
5. What else do you need this shoot to accomplish?
A smart shoot day can give you way more than one commercial. If you’re already hiring a crew, blocking out time, and pulling together talent and locations, think about how to make the most of it. Could you also capture social cutdowns, behind-the-scenes clips, or content for your email list? Could the same footage be edited into multiple formats?
If you’re aligned internally on these needs up front, your production company can help structure the day to maximize value. But if you only bring it up at the end, you’ll likely miss the window—or pay extra to reschedule what could’ve been handled with one camera pivot.
Working With a Video Advertising Production Company Is Easier When You’re Aligned
You don’t need to have every creative detail figured out before hiring a production partner. But you *do* need to understand your own goals, audience, and limits. A good production company will help you make the most of your idea. A great one will pressure-test it, shape it, and help you deliver something that not only looks good—but works.
And when you’ve done the thinking ahead of time, you give them the space to do their best work.
Awakened Films partners with brands and agencies to produce commercial video content that’s built on clarity—before, during, and after the shoot.
Learn more here: https://awakenedfilms.com/our-work/commercial-video/