This is a question we see a lot, and we get it: a professional video can be expensive, and many are looking for ways to save money.
One of the fantastic things about the evolution of technology is that it has put quality, professional-level tools right at everyone’s fingertips. Creating a video no longer requires expensive video and audio equipment, or access to a special editing booth and software. Today, anyone can record high-quality video; in 2015, the Sundance Film Festival breakout hit movie Tangerine was shot on an iPhone 5S.
So, the most basic answer to the question is: Sure, you can choose to create your app’s video yourself.
But should you? Here are three things to think about when contemplating a DIY approach to a video for your app.
Industry Expertise
In the case of your app’s video, you’re not shooting a movie or creating art. Your video has a very specific purpose: to help encourage potential customers to purchase your app. It’s an important marketing collateral piece and as such, not something you want to roll the dice with or risk on amateur production.
Video production companies have experts on staff, with experience in all aspects of video production, from planning and scriptwriting, to shooting and sound recording, to editing and putting the final touches on a finished video. What’s more, they also have the industry connections and resources available, allowing them to efficiently find and hire professional, dependable voice actors, hand models, and animation experts as needed. And because they work often with these industry professionals, they can negotiate better contract terms than an individual.
In our case, AppDemoVideos.com chooses to specialize in the production of videos for apps, giving us an additional level of expertise. Not only do we have industry experience, our team also has strong skill sets in both marketing and writing that we bring to bear on every project. We know from experience what works and how best to create a video that will engage and draw in your potential customers, bringing your app to life. Our videos have given our clients the edge they needed to be featured in the App Stores and get front-page coverage from high-profile sites like TechCrunch, Lifehacker and Gizmodo.
There’s another benefit to hiring a professional company to produce your app’s video: it gives you access to an outside, objective opinion about your app. The collaborative process of working with a company will give you new insights about your products and can help shape not just the video, but your entire marketing plan as well.
Technical Expertise
Video production involves more than pressing the Record button on your digital camera or phone. A lot goes into making a video. Plus, there’s the equipment. Sure, you might get away with shooting video on a phone, but recording audio? Not if you want the sound to be crisp and clear.
The real wizardry happens in the editing process — which often includes multiple iterations and lots of tweaks and changes. Doing all of this and ending up with a seamless, beautiful video at the end requires expert skill.
As an example, did you know that video and sound are recorded separately in almost every case, then brought together and carefully timed in the post-production editing process? If you want music, that’s a third element that must be integrated and synced properly.
Video production is a little like putting together a puzzle; there are many different pieces that must be brought together and carefully made into a whole. However, unlike a puzzle, the pieces don’t come pre-cut to easily fit together. Someone has to take all of the pieces, look them over, and best decide how they should fit and then do the work to make it so.
Time
There’s an old adage about money and time: if you don’t want to spend the money, you better have the time. To create your own video, you’re going to have to take the time to learn and do all of the creative and technical pieces on your own—and the question you need to ask yourself is:
Is this the best way I could be spending my time?
When you consider the value of time spent away from your core business, the truth is that it will probably cost you less to hire a professional than it would to do it yourself.
A professionally-produced video for your app should be viewed not as an expense, but as an investment — something that will pay dividends down the road. With the millions of apps on the market and the competition any app faces in the marketplace today, you can’t afford to not put your best foot forward when it comes to marketing.
Paying a professional means you know there will be a quality product delivered at the end. Your time is valuable – you want to spend it focused on what you know best: your business. If you’re looking for a stellar video for your app, let us work with you to ensure that your video is professional and polished, ready to best showcase your app.