About Us | Middlebeck Media | Video Production & Animation Studio

Frequently Asked Questions

Whether you're a production guru or a complete beginner with no experience in video, we've set out our most frequently asked questions below, along with some tidbits about us, our ways of working, and what to expect from us on set.

What does the production process involve?

There are typically three main 'stages' to a video production, as follows:

Pre-production: This is when we become BFFs with you and dive deep into your business, product or idea. Together we'll figure out just what you need from a video. Some of the things we might chat about are: Who's your dream audience? What social media waves do you want to ride? What's the big message you want to shout about? From there, we'll put together a script or video outline and confirm budgets before arranging a filming date that works for you.
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Production: AKA ‘filming’. This is the fancy bit that normally springs to mind whenever people talk about making videos. Our one-of-a-kind crew will capture all the required footage – be it interviews, b-roll, event footage or product demonstrations. We might film at your HQ, a fancy studio, or other locations that tie into the story of your video.
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Post-production: Once we have all that gorgeous footage, we'll get to work on chopping and changing, turning it into a smooth narrative, then adding graphics, titles, that oh-so-creamy colour grade, and even some banging tunes (if that’s what you’re into). You get to review a version or two and give us your thoughts before we lock everything into place and deliver final versions.

How much does a video production cost?

This is by far the most common question we get asked by our clients, and in truth, the only blanket answer we can give is “it depends”. The costs for creating a video are determined by multiple factors, such as how many locations we’ll need to shoot in, and wether this is in a studio or on-location, national or international, plus the duration of the shoot and size of crew.

Then we’ll need to consider the complexity of the final edited video - including VO, colour, music licensing, and animations, if any. Additionally, costs can fluctuate depending on whether we're making one or a series of videos, and if we’re shooting for a TVC or national/international ad campaign, then the value of this is something else that needs to be factored in.

When it comes to animation, costs will depend on some other factors such as the complexity of the animation, whether we use existing assets or need to create them from scratch, and the duration of the final animation. Our team can accommodate a diverse range of budgets based on your unique needs. If you’d like to work with us, the best thing to do is have a short call to understand your needs, so that we can provide a detailed proposal and breakdown of the associated costs.

What kind of equipment do you use?

One of our unique selling points as a brand is the level of quality we commit to delivering on every single project. As a baseline, we film everything on professional 4K video cameras, always in a 10-bit 422 Log colour profile to ensure we can extract as much 'juice' out of the footage as possible in the editing process. If your budget calls for it, we'll bring in cinema cameras and lenses to give your video that 'cinematic' look, with more dynamic range, anamorphic lenses and that oh-so-sweet Arri/RED colour science. There really is no limit to this. For audio, we'll have professional-grade shotgun mics on set as standard, high end lighting kit, and if needed, green screens or Colorama backdrops. Plus, we are always investing in new equipment and software to keep up with the ever-changing standards of the production industry.

Do you keep long term copies of your projects?

We typically maintain backup copies of all footage and project files for no less than three years. This means that we can refresh archived projects to reflect new branding, should you have an overhaul of your visual identity, or to update factual information about your business that is shown in the video. While we usually retain ownership of all intellectual property after project completion (such as footage, animations, etc), if data sensitivity is a concern, we can assign all ownership rights to you for an additional fee and erase all of the related media upon completion.

How large is your production crew?

Honestly, it depends entirely upon the nature of the project. For simple projects or low-budget shoots, a solo-videographer can be an option to cover simple talking head interviews or piece-to-camera content, with a gaffer on-set to handle lighting and grip.

We would usually prefer to have a team of at least four on set, who are each dedicated to their specific role in the production process. Typically this would include a producer/director to overlook the filming and manage interviews, plus one or two camera operators to handle the technical and visual aspects of the shoot. We’d plan for at least one gaffer, and a production runner who ensures everything runs smoothly on set and produces detailed notes from the shoot to aid our post-production process. Such an approach guarantees that the video's prime messages are conveyed more effectively, and nothing gets missed.
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If your requirements are more complicated then we’d plan in additional crew members such as sound recordists, additional camera operators and drone operators.

How long have you been making videos?

Our journey began over 10 years ago when we started to dabble in the creative world of photography. It was that passion for capturing moments that led us to expand our horizons and venture into video production in 2019. Since then, we've created countless films, each one a unique story that we've been fortunate enough to share with our clients and their audiences. It's been an incredible journey so far, and we look forward to having you be a part of it!

What can we expect on-set?

While we're primarily there to do a professional job, we also like to have a good time and make sure everyone on-set is at ease (including you!). A film set can be a stressful environment, especially if we're working with your own talent who are not experienced in video production or don't have on-camera experience. If that's the case, we'll naturally take a more relaxed approach to help you and your talent feel at ease. On the contrary, if everyone knows what they're doing and just wants to get straight to the point, we'll make that happen too. This isn't our first rodeo - we've seen it all, from filming interns at startups to FTSE100 CEOs.

What if we've never been on camera before?

We work with many clients who are not experienced in video production or who don't have any experience talking on camera. While it's true to say that this does come with its own set of challenges, (and it's still preferable to work with professional talent if the concept and budget allow for it), it doesn't necessarily matter as long as we plan in enough time to coach you and prep you on set before the cameras start rolling. If we're producing scripted content with you, we'll supply a teleprompter to help you focus on the way you present your words, rather than trying to remember them! We're an easy-going bunch and will always do our best to make you feel at ease. In fact, we've had a lot of feedback over the years telling us this is something we do very well when compared with other production agencies.

Can we get subtitles on our videos?

We understand that subtitles are a high-priority request often for accessibility and DE&I reasons, and we can offer you two options to make your videos more accessible. You can choose to either have us embed subtitles directly onto the video so they're always shown, or we can provide a separate subtitle file, which you can easily upload to most major platforms, allowing viewers to choose whether they see subtitles or not. This can be a good option if you'd like subtitles in multiple languages, and we're proud to partner with a leading translation agency which allows us to offer subtitles in almost any language on Earth, helping you to reach even more audiences.

What about voiceovers and music?

Depending on the style of video we're producing for you, it may or may not required voiceovers and background music. We can share a range of voiceover samples that meet your brief, which you can then choose from. When music is required we can either source a suitable track from a royalty-free music library and provide a license for usage in the finished video, or if you'd like a track from that charts that's ultra recognisable, we can obtain licensing costs for you from the record labels and factor these into the project proposal.

What kind of videos can you create?

We can cover pretty much anything you like! From highlight showreels, events, interviews and talking-heads, to short documentaries, walkthrough videos, product videos or short-form ads. Every project is different and we'll help you ideate a strategy that uses the right kind of videos based on your goals.

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