Production Details Revealed for a $3150 CSR Video: Join Us Backstage!
Discover how a CSR-related video with a roughly $3k budget was created, and learn the customer’s actual impressions of their production journey with the Alconost Video team!?
Meet the customer: Olya Sapach, a digital marketing specialist and CSR enthusiast.
Olya’s goal was to arrange the production of a clear, concise, and compelling video about the CSR video production service Alconost launched in 2023. Her video was produced by the same team at Alconost that creates CSR videos for socially responsible companies.?
First, watch the final video Olya got! Play with the sound on.?
We talked to Olya about her experience as a customer of the Alconost Video team and asked her about all the intricacies of production, including even the most sensitive part of any project: the price.
Olya, thanks for being willing to tell us all the true story of your CSR video production journey! First of all, what were the goals of your video?
It was my first experience working with my colleagues in a customer role, and it was exciting!?
Before we delve into video production details, I want to elaborate on how we approach the CSR video topic in general. As a marketing person, I understand how labor-intensive it is to produce a decent report, whatever the topic.
However, the upside is that preparing a report can help you collect some valuable and insightful information. And this information can then be used for other marketing purposes, such as infographics, information slides, animations, etc.?
Similarly, CSR specialists, brand managers and their colleagues can use their CSR reports and other CSR-related content as the factual basis for videos. I believe that doing so is an effective and time-efficient approach, and the result can exceed all expectations!
This is the main idea we aimed to convey with this video. I hope we succeeded.
And how did the production team react when they received your request??
Well, even knowing how involved our team gets in all their work, I was still surprised with how enthusiastically they embraced my project! The message of our future video seemed to resonate with them, and I felt we were on the same page from the very beginning.
Emotions aside, the production process followed the same path as videos they create for external customers. After I filled out the production brief, the team and I had some quick discussions on particular points, and then they got to work. Progress felt swift.
Did you provide any assets to use during production??
Yes! We had some custom vector graphics from our articles on the topic of CSR videos. For example, look at this nice, simple background landscape, or this mythical bird. The video production team managed to incorporate these visuals into the storyboard and, later, the video sequence. So our text content and animated content now shares a visual identity.?
It’s not necessary to provide any visuals when you’re ordering a video, though. If you have some, they can be used for your content’s visual consistency, but it's optional.
Let’s talk about the budget. This $3150 price, how was it calculated?
It was calculated based on the number of scenes and how difficult they are to produce.?
There are 9 scenes with 2D animation in our video. Most of the scenes cost $400 apiece. But the logo & bird scene cost us as little as $200 because we already had the animatable bird. Also we got a discount for two scenes in the end, those with the rolling apple, since in both scenes the action takes place in the same visual setting.
If we had a smaller budget, we could have opted for fewer scenes, or simplified our requirements for the visual part. For example, a simple infographics-based video could have cost less, given that the infographics were ready and suitable for animation.?
Now the best part. The cost per scene covers plenty of other work in addition to the visual and motion design. We didn’t pay any extra for the script, voice-over recording, music selection, or sound design. The scene price covers it all.?
I’m interested in learning how much involvement you had in the production process itself! Was it time- or effort-consuming for you as the client??
Not at all! The most time-consuming part was filling out the brief, when I had to accurately elaborate on the key problem the video has to solve, the must-have elements, etc. The production team truly relied on my input and referred to it, which I can see clearly in the final video.?
After the briefing stage, the rest was a straightforward process of giving approvals for the script, storyboard, voice-over, etc.?
We approved the script on the first try; the team was very adept at conveying the idea, and there was nothing to add. We also quickly selected the voice-over actress, and the voice-over track recorded afterwards didn’t require any corrections. But we did have to tinker a bit with the storyboard!?
Initially we thought of incorporating some Alconost house style elements. But these elements are quite angular, while the video has a soft, round aesthetic. Sharp elements would seem out of place in the overall picture. However, the production team helped me out, and we moved forward.?
Overall, it was pretty easy, and even fun!
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Another sensitive question, about production time. How quickly does the video production team work, on average, at every stage??
Typically, the timing is like this:?
But these estimates don't actually answer the question of how long it takes to get a final video for each particular case. It all hinges on how quickly the client can approve each stage.
For our video, we agreed upon the script and voiceover in one day: whoosh! But exchanging ideas at the storyboard approval stage delayed us for a week. That wasn’t the fault of the video production team, just a hiccup within our CSR team.
The production team was ready to move forward, but they had to wait for our feedback. Then we spent a few more days selecting the music track and discussing the animation.?
If we were faster, we would have received the video in less than a month.
If we put facts and figures aside, can you describe your feelings with regard to the overall process? Were you excited? Nervous? Curious?
I'd say it was mostly intriguing. I was curious about how our words from the brief would be embodied in the script, how the script itself would "come to life," and what the end result would be.?
Although we approved individual elements of the visual sequence, until the very last moment, I had no clear understanding of how the seed would germinate, or how the apple would fall, and how it would all come together as one cohesive whole. So I was curious, it was very exciting, and yes, I got that "wow" feeling while watching the first animation draft!
For me personally, it was also an interesting experience of complete trust. I'm used to controlling every process myself and being as involved as possible. Here, I learned to simply trust the video production team, and it was the right decision!
What do you like particularly about the video??
I like the ease with which we were able to convey our message. The wizard hat seems to suggest that the process of creating a video is magically simple for the client. Seemingly insignificant elements, such as the flags on the apples, convey the idea of localization.
The entire video is rich in symbolism, and I find myself wanting to watch it over and over again. I love it!
The video is now ready. How are you going to use it??
We’ve already embedded it on our landing page and showcased it on social media. We’re also preparing some advertising campaigns this video will accompany. But that’s just the beginning.?
Right now our video has a duration of about 90 seconds and a 16x9 aspect ratio. To use the advertising opportunities to the fullest, a few additional versions would help: 15 seconds, and square or 4x5 formats. The main version of our CSR video was created with these opportunities in mind because I pointed it out in the brief. This way, as soon as we need any of these extra versions, the video production team will be able to deliver them quite fast and for only a little extra cost.?
Another opportunity that could help really maximize its reach is localization.
In our case, that would involve both the voiceover and the text seen in the frame. With our production team’s expertise in video localization into dozens of languages, I know for sure: as soon as we have the need, they’ll be able to come up with localized versions quickly.
All right, maybe you could elaborate on the overall benefits the video gives you?
First and foremost, a video production team without its own video is like a cobbler with no shoes! Since we’re convinced that the best way to convey ideas and information is through a video clip, having a video saying this is obviously a must. It’s easy to understand, engaging, and illustrative. Video is an excellent format for delivering precious data that is usually buried in a multipage CSR report and doesn’t receive the coverage it deserves!?
Second, as I mentioned above, it’s a powerful promo asset, especially if we go one step further and order versions with different aspect ratios and durations. And, even without any adaptations, it can work really well at industry events: we can showcase it on a screen in our booth, for instance.?
Last but not least, this video explains the opportunities for transforming CSR-related data into a video format in roughly 90 seconds. It’s not as short as an elevator pitch, of course, but it helps viewers grasp the information quickly and easily.
So, to get the gist of our proposal, a CSR enthusiast or a brand manager won’t have to invest time in our longreads (although I personally find them insightful, I see that reading through them requires time and focus, which is demanding). The video speaks for itself!?
Since you completed the production journey start to finish, what kind of tips and tricks would you give to a person who’s about to embark on it??
Well, my first piece of advice is to trust the professionals, or at least listen to them. If they say, for example, that 40 words in the voice-over text is too much for a 10-second scene, trust them. They’ve made over 1,000 business videos, and they know what they’re talking about.
Second, fill out the brief mindfully. It is essential to convey precisely the idea that you want to bring to life, including style, tone of voice, etc. References can help, but still: devote some time and consideration to the briefing stage. The more accurate you are then, the better you will like the outcome!?
Third, if you need your video to fit your corporate style, provide your brand guidelines, color palette, font, logo, etc. in advance. This will help avoid significant corrections to the visual part in terms of compliance with the house style.
Fourth, don't be afraid to give feedback at every stage. Feel free to discuss what you like and what you don't. Look for options that will definitely suit you. It's better to redo some elements at the storyboard stage, for example, than to redo the animation later.
And of course, enjoy the process!?