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Video is everywhere, but for many businesses, creating high-quality content still feels overwhelming. How do you move beyond basic smartphone clips and craft videos that truly elevate your brand? In this episode, Kurt Graser, owner of Knack Factory, helps us break down the process of working with a videographer, from planning and scripting to filming and distribution – so you can get the most out of your investment.
When to Level Up Your Business Videos: A Guide to Working with Professional Videographers
Let’s face it – we’re all consuming more video than ever before. Whether it’s streaming shows, social media clips, or those pre-roll ads we (sometimes) don’t skip, video has become the language of the internet. And it’s not just the youngsters. As Kurt Graser, owner of video production company Knack Factory, told me in our recent podcast conversation, “60-year-old, 65-year-old, 75-year-old, everybody’s watching video. So if you’re not doing it, you’re missing out right now.”
But here’s the challenge many business owners face: knowing when to graduate from DIY smartphone videos to professional production. It’s a question I get all the time from clients at flyte, and it’s why I invited Kurt – whose work ranges from local Maine businesses to Super Bowl commercials – to break down the process.
The Smartphone vs. Professional Production Line in the Sand
We all start somewhere. Those quick videos you shoot on your phone for Instagram stories or LinkedIn updates? They’re valuable and have their place in your marketing mix. But as Kurt pointed out, there’s a clear moment when it’s time to level up:
“I think when it becomes overwhelming, to be honest,” Kurt explained. “Once you’re like, I have my phone, I got my video, I put maybe a reel together or put a story together – that’s great. But if it’s impacting your day, impacting your business, impacting what you’re doing for your business? At that time, I think it’s time to talk to somebody.”
That resonates with me. I’ve found that marketing tasks that take you away from your core business functions are often the first things that should be outsourced. Video production, with its technical complexities and time-consuming nature, definitely falls into that category.
What Actually Happens When You Hire a Videographer
Many of us are hesitant about professional video because we simply don’t know what the process entails. Kurt broke it down into three key phases:
1. Pre-Production (The Most Important Part)
Before a single camera appears, the groundwork happens. This includes:
- Initial consultations to understand your goals
- Script development and refinement
- Location scouting
- Shot list planning
- Logistics coordination
“The pre-production phase is, in my opinion, the most important phase,” Kurt emphasized. “Prior to even getting onto set, there’s a lot of logistics that happen… because if you get to set and those logistics aren’t figured out, it is a total show.”
This preparation reduces stress on shooting day and ensures everyone knows exactly what’s happening. For business owners who aren’t comfortable on camera (that’s most of us!), this planning phase is crucial for building confidence.
2. Production Day
With proper pre-production, the actual filming should run smoothly. Kurt’s approach particularly resonated with me – he adapts his directing style based on who’s in front of the camera.
“My approach with you was, let’s have some fun. Let’s figure it out. Oh, you messed up? Not a big deal. Let’s keep going,” he told me, referencing a humorous video we created together. “Professional actors are like, ‘Hey, we got to hit these lines.’ You’re getting paid good money. Let’s keep this moving.”
This flexibility is what sets apart videographers who understand the unique needs of business clients versus those who only work with professional talent.
3. Post-Production
After filming wraps, the real magic happens:
- Editing and assembly
- Audio mixing and enhancement
- Color correction
- Graphics and animation
- Format adaptations for different platforms
One particularly valuable insight Kurt shared: “Most clients, to be honest, what I’m seeing these days is let’s say they have a 30-second commercial. It’s not just for TV anymore. It’s for TV, it’s for streaming TV, it’s for platforms, it’s for reels, it’s vertical. So we take that one asset, re-edit it into many different formats so they can upload it to multiple platforms.”
This multiplication of assets from a single shoot is where you really maximize your investment.
Translating Your Brand Message to Video
One of the biggest challenges businesses face isn’t the technical aspects of video – it’s figuring out how to communicate their brand message effectively in this medium.
What I found fascinating in my conversation with Kurt is how the initial concept often evolves through the production process:
“Usually when folks come, they have this idea. By the time we get to doing something, it’s totally opposite,” Kurt laughed. “Somebody comes in and says ‘I have a brand message. I’m the CEO, I’m going to be the voice, I’m going to talk this through.’ Sounds great. But then as we go through that process, sometimes it’s, ‘I’m not really good on camera. I’m not really good at communicating.'”
This is where the value of working with an experienced videographer really shines. They can help you find the right approach when your original idea isn’t working – whether that means bringing in talent, using voiceover, or creating a more visually-driven piece that doesn’t rely on talking heads.
The Budget Question (Without Just Saying “It Depends”)
We can’t talk about professional video without addressing the elephant in the room: cost. When I pressed Kurt on what businesses should expect to spend, he initially gave the classic “it depends” answer – but then provided valuable context on what drives those costs:
- Length and complexity of the final product
- Number of shooting days required
- Type of production (interviews vs. scripted scenes with actors)
- Number of deliverables needed
- Post-production requirements (animation, graphics, etc.)
What I appreciated most was his practical advice: “If you’re clear on what you want, you could figure out a budget and then work around that budget. Especially in video production. Oh, maybe I don’t need a 15-person crew. Maybe this core group of three folks can really do a great job.”
This flexibility is key. A good videographer will help you get the most value possible within your budget constraints.
Finding the Right Production Partner
If you’ve decided it’s time to take the plunge into professional video, Kurt offered this final piece of advice for finding the right partner:
“Do your research on the people you’re talking to. Everybody has a reel and portfolio. Look at that portfolio. Look at what they’ve done… Because aesthetically, everybody has a different look and a different feel.”
Beyond the portfolio, he emphasized the importance of that personal connection: “They have to get what you’re saying. They have to understand, and they have to put you at ease. It’s a little salesy, but they have to put you at ease and make you feel comfortable that you’re going to be putting money into this product with them to produce.”
This resonates with my own experience hiring creative professionals. That chemistry and trust are essential, particularly for something as potentially intimidating as video production.
Your Next Steps
If you’re considering leveling up your video marketing, here’s what I recommend:
- Audit your current video content – What’s working? What isn’t? Where are the gaps?
- Set clear objectives – What specific business goals would professional video help you achieve?
- Research local videographers – Look at their portfolios and client testimonials
- Start a conversation – Most videographers, like Kurt, offer consultations to discuss your needs
- Start small – You don’t need to jump straight to a Super Bowl commercial; begin with a focused project that delivers clear ROI
Remember, video isn’t just a marketing luxury anymore – it’s increasingly becoming a necessity. As Kurt put it, “If you’re not utilizing video just to get your message out there to talk about your brand, yourself, your product, you’re missing out tremendously.”
And if you’re looking for more insights into digital marketing strategies that actually work for businesses like yours, don’t forget to subscribe to The Agents of Change podcast wherever you get your podcasts.
When and How to Hire a Videographer for Your Business Episode Transcript
Rich: My next guest is the owner and producer and director of Knack Factory, and he’s been working in the world of video television and broadcast since 2002. He’s worked for ESPN, NBC Sports, and Octagon Sports. He has been involved or overseen productions for MasterCard, Nintendo, Mongoose, Visa, GE, Arm and Hammer, and many professional athletes including Michael Phelps, Steph Curry, Seth Westcott, and Atlanta Blanchard.
In addition to large scale productions, he has also taught video production to high school students, turning their production into Emmy Award nominated series on Connecticut Public Broadcasting. He’s a husband and father of two who live right here in Portland, Maine. In addition to video production, he’s an avid musician and coaches youth soccer in Portland.
Today we’re going to be talking about how you can work with your local videographer to get better assets for your own digital marketing, with my friend Kurt Graser. Kurt, welcome to the podcast.
Kurt: Thanks so much, Rich. It’s great to be here.
Rich: So Kurt, you’re obviously doing a lot with video. This has been your life. Why do you feel that it’s essential for businesses and nonprofits of all sizes to incorporate video into their marketing?
Kurt: Yeah, that’s a great question. Video is just a part of everybody’s daily life, especially now – phones, tv, internet, everything. And if you’re not utilizing video just to get your message out there to talk about your brand, yourself, your product, you’re missing out tremendously.
I was just at a seminar yesterday about streaming TV. And that doesn’t really have to do with this, but they were just talking about the folks that are just watching different kind of apps and different channels, and different everything. And it’s across the board just been increasing and increasing every, obviously the 25 to 45-year-old demographic is big, but 60-year-old, 65-year-old, 75-year-old, everybody’s watching video. So again, if you’re not doing it, you’re missing out right now.
Rich: All right. Now, I know that a lot of business owners and marketers probably feel intimidated by the idea of video production. Do you have any recommendations if they want to move beyond just simple smartphone videos, and get into something a little bit more polished?
Kurt: Yeah, that’s one of the biggest hurdles I’ve heard from folks. Just this intimidation. Just, “I don’t know how to even get into it. I don’t know what to do. I don’t understand the process.” I think that’s where someone like myself, or a company like myself, or a creative agency really comes into play to really simplify that process. To really just make sure that it doesn’t seem so daunting. Because at the end of the day, we’re professionals.
I’ve been doing this for over 20 years and my job, at least in what we do at Knack Factory, is I try to make it not only simple, but a great experience. Because if you don’t have a good experience, you probably don’t want to go back to video or somebody else. But yeah, it’s just talking it through, figuring out what your message is, talking to a professional to see how they can turn that message into actual good video. And that’s really it. It’s just really simplifying it, just talking it through.
I don’t want people thinking that oh, I need a 25-person crew. I don’t know what kind of cameras to use. I don’t know, once we have it, what do I do? Don’t worry about that. That’s what folks like myself do. And figuring out not only when we’re filming, that’s one part, but after filming, we know how to put it together, edit it to put on your phone, to put on the internet, to put on tv. It’s talking to somebody that understands it. You’re not committed to anything, but just having that conversation is just a really good start.
Rich: So Kurt, obviously you and I, or our companies, have worked together on a number of different projects, a number of different clients. We also do some of our own video in-house, but primarily like that kind of smartphone video, just very quick things for social promos. But you and I, or our teams, have sat down and created, spent entire days today together creating bigger videos, both for flyte and for some of our clients. Is there a line in the sand for when it makes sense for a business to create their video content in-house and maybe when it’s worth hiring a professional team?
Kurt: I think when it becomes overwhelming, to be honest. Once you’re like, I have my phone, I got my video, I put maybe a reel together or put a story together. Something simple like that, just got my message out there. That’s great. Go ahead. But if it’s impacting your day, impacting your business, impacting what you’re doing for your business? Yeah. At that time, I think it’s time to talk to somebody that can help you put the pieces together to help you with that process and to really put your mind at ease to get that video out.
The line in the stand, every individual has their own kind of thoughts on that. But again, once it starts getting overwhelming, you’re like, I don’t know what to do. I got to get video. I got to get it out there. I don’t know what to do at that point. Talk to somebody, talk to you yourself and your team. Talk to my team, and just get your thoughts organized. This is what I want to do. I need to tell this message about my company. Okay, how do I do that, so I don’t look crazy? Where do I want to put that? Then afterwards, I think those are questions that a professional like myself and others could help you do.
But again, using your phone, using your staff, that’s great. Do that. I think that’s a wonderful start, and you should continue to do that even when you’re using a professional team and trying to get maybe a higher caliber type of video or kind of production done.
Rich: So let’s say somebody’s listening right now and they’re like, okay, I’m ready to work with a local videographer, with a video production company. Can you walk us through what that collaborative process looks like, at least from your experience?
Kurt: Yeah, absolutely. First is getting in touch and setting up a meeting. My process is, I like to sit down with somebody and just talk. Figure out what they want to even do, and if it works for them, and where that product might go.
And then just go, “What’s best case scenario. You have all the money in the world, you have all the time. What would you like?” I want a TV commercial. Okay, that sounds great. Talking about this specific product. Great. Let’s reverse engineer that then, what have you seen on TV or what have you seen on the internet or on your phone that you like? I really like this spot right here. This kind of really resonates with me, does something like my company does, or the vibe or the aesthetic. Great. So now what we’re doing is we’re building it down a little bit. Okay, you like this, you like that, you like this kind of look.
And then we get down to the, alright, you want a broadcast commercial that looks like this. And you also want to go on your social media and maybe some mobile platforms. Okay. At that point, we start talking about budget and what’s possible. And then I can start saying, “This costs this, but costs vary depending on how you want to do it and how you want to produce it.”
But it’s all about figuring out having that initial conversation, figuring out what you want to do, and then just reverse engineering it down to your perfect product and what you can afford. And that’s my process. That’s my process at least. It’s a little, it’s very disarming. I don’t want to make it overwhelming. We’re good at what we do. We’ve been doing this for a long time. I don’t want to overwhelm anybody, I don’t want to overwhelm them and their staff. But it’s just having that initial conversation and figuring out what you really want to do and dialing that down.
Rich: Kurt, I think you and I deal with clients in similar ways. And very often we’re trying to help them tell their story, maybe different platforms, but otherwise it’s the same thing. And my experience is, businesses often struggle with translating their brand messaging into a website or into marketing. I’m sure it’s the same when it comes to translating their brand messaging into compelling video content.
When somebody comes to you and says, “This is what I want to get across”, do you help them figure out then this type of video or this style talking head or product demonstration or whatever it may be? What does that look like in terms of helping them realize their brand message into video?
Kurt: Yeah, that’s so funny. Usually when folks come, they have this idea. By the time we get to doing something, it’s totally opposite. Somebody comes in and I have a brand message. I’m the CEO, I’m going to be the voice, I’m going to talk this through. Sounds great. But then as we go through that process, sometimes it’s, I’m not really good on camera. I‘m not really good at communicating. I’m good at talking to people on the phone and in meetings, but yeah, being in front of a camera is a whole different thing.
Okay, so what’s next here? Maybe it’s somebody else on your staff that can talk, or we hire an actor, actress, someone that can communicate that message properly. And then figuring out what that message is. Then how to film it. Is it someone just talking on screen? Is it showing footage of something happening and explaining that? Maybe it’s a voiceover. So everything is different.
But every time without fail, it starts here, and it ends up way over there. Which is great, and I think they enjoy that process and kind of working that through. But I don’t even know what the original question was, but that’s what we do.
Rich: So talk to me a little bit about the scripts. Do I come to you with a script in hand and we film it? Or is that another service that maybe an outside video company would help me with?
Kurt: Yeah. Yeah. Both actually. So there’s some folks that have writers on staff, or maybe you’re a writer yourself for your company and you’re like, this is my message. Which is great. Here it is, what we do. Then just look at it and maybe edit it for video. Maybe we say these things here, say these things here, you work with someone like our folks, we bring in a writer that works with you figuring out, crafting that message and putting it together, putting it into a script.
Either way, to be honest. Usually what happens is I ask for, and people are unsure of how to write for it, I usually say, hey, listen, remember in college before you write a paper, you were just like, here’s an outline. Here’s where I want to start. Here are the guts, here’s the ending. Just write that down. Then let’s figure out what the next process is.
Maybe it is you guys, maybe it is your team kind of writing in and us editing it. Or maybe we take that, bring it to a professional writer that then can put the words on the paper there and make it all sense. So it’s either way, actually, it usually works.
Rich: What are some of the more popular styles of videos that you’re seeing out there right now? Like obviously there’s talking head videos, there’s explainer videos. What are some of the things that your clients are asking for or that you’re pushing them towards?
Kurt: Yeah, all clients are different because all their audiences are different. Some folks need just to explain what their organization does. And so maybe it’s cut interviews and stuff like that.
Other folks have a specific group they’re going after, maybe recruitment videos. So they want to talk to somebody. We’ll interview people on their staff saying, “Hey, this is a great place to work”, and figuring that out and then pointing it towards that. Some other folks have a product and want to see it in use with a voiceover and maybe people are using it.
Everybody’s different. I’m not pushing people to anything, to be honest. I want them to tell their story, talk about their product so they feel comfortable. The issue is, after we get that is, I think, the bigger question at this point is, where does it go? Where do you put it afterwards? Is it online? Is it working with folks that can pinpoint traffic, maybe a Hulu commercial on a Hulu network or something like that. But again, I’m not pushing people anywhere. I think there’s so many outlets these days. There’s so many platforms for video to go on.
Most clients, to be honest, what I’m seeing these days is let’s say they have a commercial, or let’s say a 30-second commercial. It’s not just for TV anymore. It’s for TV, it’s for streaming TV, it’s for platforms, it’s for reels, it’s vertical. So we take that one asset, re-edit it into many different kind of formats so they can upload it to multiple platforms. That’s what I’m seeing more of than anything else.
Rich: Obviously, you do some more high-end production stuff, you’re doing commercials. You had a commercial that was on the Super Bowl in the local markets. I believe it was Maine Spirits was the client.
Kurt: Yeah. Yep.
Rich: Besides that, it seems like there’s even when it comes to TVs or so many different ways, is there a different style of video for I know that there’s streaming services out there, and you have the videos that come either in between or at the beginning of them. Are there different approaches that we need to take for that than say traditional TV ads, or is that the same thing and then we need to rethink it for digital distribution?
Kurt: Yeah, I think it’s the same thing as you’re just trying to figure out digital distribution. Everybody has their own specs. Sometimes people are like, it needs to be 30 seconds, TV is 30 seconds. I think a lot of that has migrated over to streaming TV. You have your 15-second blocks, your 30-second blocks, potentially 60-second blocks. So that’s still there. It’s just reformatting what you want to do, re-editing for what you do for those different platforms.
Again, like YouTube ads. You got six seconds, fifteens, and thirties. It’s just the same, you’re just kind re-editing it, re-export it, figuring out what those specs are for those different platforms and putting it there. Again, maybe it’s horizontal, 16×9, maybe it’s vertical so people can TikTok and Instagram reel. But it’s the same idea. It’s just going to different places.
Rich: You know, it’s funny. Even though TVs have just gotten so good that I’m just not going to the theater unless it’s a new Marvel movie. But I’m wondering, because there are more commercials before movies start when I do go to them. And I’m wondering if you’ve had any experience in getting clients commercials into the pre-roll of video into a major Hollywood release, at least locally, and if there’s any sort of criteria for those kind of videos?
Kurt: It’s so funny that you say that Rich. And this isn’t pre-plan, that’s a great question. I just had a client, Colby College is a client of ours, so they’re up in Waterville. We just did some recruitment videos for them last year. So there was a longer video that they put on LinkedIn and YouTube and it was like two, three minutes. And then what we did was do some 30-second cutdowns about certain folks.
And, he just called me, I swear to God last week, and he was like, “Oh, these are going good. We want to do some more.” I said, “Hey, sounds good to me.” He’s like, “Yeah, I’m taking your 30-seconds and I’m putting them in theaters”. Somewhere, I don’t know if it’s in Maine or somewhere else. And I said, really? I said how’s that working? He’s like, it looks tremendous. It looks great. And people are loving it.
We’re loving it on the client side. So they never even told me that. What I would usually do is ask, where are you putting these so we can just make sure that we’re shooting it correctly. Usually we shoot at a very high caliber 4K, 6K, the output can go to those bigger kind of platforms if we need to. But he said it looked good, so we’re doing something right.
So yeah. But I do have clients putting stuff on those kind of platforms as well. I think there’s more of that now that people are going back to the theater, and especially if they know their audience is in a certain city, a certain space, and people do go to the movies. Maybe they are trying to target 30 to 55 year old’s that go, that’s where they’re going to put that as well, which is tremendous for us.
Rich: Alright. Now last year, you and I did a couple of videos together. I would call them humorous educational videos. I thought they were funny, at least. They were great. They were full day shoot.
Walk us through what happens during that typical video shoot day when you’re working with a client. What should businesses expect if they’re going to go into a studio or into a space where they’re going to be creating a video for a day. How do they best prepare for that?
Kurt: Yeah, so there’s… let me take a step. That’s a great question. But let me take a step back before you even go on set, before we roll up with cameras and say, ‘action’. There’s three steps to video production. There’s production, post-production. The pre-production phase is, in my opinion, the most important phase.
So for you, Rich, so your group, one of the pre-production elements was putting a script together, feeling comfortable in a script, practicing that, right? So that was one element. So prior to even getting onto set, there’s a lot of logistics that happen. We figure out what we’re shooting. We already know our shot lists. We know who’s going to be there. All the logistics are figured out, because if you get to set and those logistics are figured out, it is a total show. You need to have that done straight up. So when people come to set, then the client, our team, our production team is ready to go, and the client feels at ease too, because everybody else studies, we know what we’re doing. It puts them at ease. They feel more comfortable. They’re enjoying that experience.
And then we can go start shooting. And again, every shoot’s different. Maybe it’s at a location. This week we shot another Maine Spirits commercial at a house. That’s a different experience. Sometimes we shoot in studios, that’s a different experience right there. But that free production phase, figuring out the script, figuring out the location, figuring out the talent, figuring out the message, figuring out the crew, figuring out how we’re shooting it, yada, yada, yada, is the most important thing. So when we get there, the day of should be cake.
Rich: Yeah, and I’m thinking about the second video that we did, which was the takeoff on the 12-step processes, which was the Google Ads trying to recover from working with a Google Ads expert. And we had the vision of shooting it in a church basement. Luckily we were able to find one, and we had the script in hand. We had practiced it, so it really went very well. And your team was great to work with throughout. In fact, maybe I’ll embed that video into the show notes for this episode because it was a lot of fun.
Kurt: It was a lot of fun. But you guys were prepared, and that was the whole thing. Yeah. We were prepared and you were like, “Hey, I want to shoot this in this space, but I also want to shoot it like in The Office, like the show.” So we already knew what we were getting into.
I also knew walking into it, you guys aren’t professional actors. That’s cool. And so my approach is a little different with y’all than if it was like, I’m paying this person who’s a professional actor who could talk. My approach with them is different than my approach with you. My approach with you was, let’s have some fun. Let’s figure it out. Oh, you messed up. Not a big deal. Let’s keep going. Let’s figure it out.
Professional actors are like, “Hey, we got to hit these lines.” You’re great. You’re getting paid good money. Let’s keep this moving. So that’s kind of my process in that spot. But yeah, that was a lot of fun. You guys did great, and you are kind of funny too, Rich.
Rich: I appreciate that. I think my team was actually great actors. I look at myself and I cringe every time I watch it, but yeah.
Kurt: Oh, that’s BS. You guys were great.
Rich: No, and we prepared for that. We sat around the office table for a while and we had done a few run throughs, so we felt pretty comfortable with the script. And then obviously there’s multiple takes, so you can mess up and things like that. And certain things you discover when you get into the space.
Kurt, people might be listening to this and they’re like, “Yeah, but how much?” Budget is always a concern. Can you tell me, what should companies plan on spending, without using the words, “It depends”?
Kurt: What people want to spend. I think people need to go in knowing that they’re going to spend something. If you’re going in thinking this is going to be cheap, I’m going to do this on a cheap, and already going in with that thought. Immediately, it’s not going to really work out. What are people going to spend? It depends.
Rich: And I recognize it depends. There’s no way you can’t answer it like that. And obviously the price in Maine may be different than the price in New York City, might be different than the price in, Western Texas. Obviously some of that’s going to happen, too.
Kurt: These are the factors that go into pricing, right? What do you want to do? What’s the final product? Is it a nine-minute documentary or is it a 30-second commercial? How many days are you shooting? What type of shoots are you doing? Is it just interview stuff or is there actors involved in their sets and stuff like that? How many outputs are you doing?
So let’s say you film for a day, whatever it is. I want to get a lot out of this day, which is what a lot of people do, which is great. Not just a 30-second commercial. I’m coming out with nine pieces of content. Perfect. Okay. On the backend, that’s a lot more editing for folks to do. So again, it depends on what you want, what your output is, what your creative is. That really depends. That really is a cost thing as well.
So there’s so many factors there. At the end of the day, before you even before you even figure that out, you have to figure out what you want. I like this visual thing and I want this kind of content. Alright, maybe it costs $10,000, maybe it costs $20,000, maybe it costs $5,000 bucks. But if you’re clear on what you want, you could figure out a budget and then work around that budget. Especially in video production.
Oh, maybe I don’t need a 15-person crew. Maybe this core group of three folks can really do a great job. Absolutely. And we can talk through that process. But video’s wild, man. It’s all over the place.
Rich: And we didn’t even talk about hiring a drone pilot or any of those things that might also greatly add to the cost. A lot of it just comes down to the number of people and hours that are going to contribute to a great final product, and also their level of expertise.
Kurt: Absolutely. Yeah. And also on the back end, too. So we talked about the pre-production logistics there, the production. Okay, you shoot that. Okay, now we got the post-production. Okay, you got the editing, right? If it’s going to broadcast or the streaming TV platform, you got to get it mixed properly audio-wise. Audio is so important, right?
So then maybe there’s some graphic effects. There’s your aftereffects person, or maybe a little animation. Maybe there’s a voiceover that you have to put in. Now you have a voiceover artist. So again, you can go huge, but there’s a lot of different things you can do during those three processes that really determine cost.
Pre-production, I think a lot of people overlook. And post-production, I think people just don’t really understand how many folks. It’s not just one dude editing in his basement like I am currently right now. There’s a team involved that makes sure that product that you shot and that you had in your head, actually is exactly the way it is when we hand it off to you, and before we send it to a TV station or streaming service or put it on TikTok or Instagram or websites, yada, yada, yada.
Rich: Kurt, if there’s somebody listening right now, and they’ve been inspired that want to take my video production to the next level. I want to find a local vendor that I can work with, what’s one piece of advice you could give them to make sure that the final output, the results would be as good as they possibly could be?
Kurt: Do your research on the people you’re talking to. Everybody has a reel and portfolio. Look at that portfolio. Look at what they’ve done. Same on the websites. This is what we’re proficient at. We can do these things really well, so you know what you’re walking into.
Because aesthetically, everybody has a different look and a different feel. Maybe you’re just not really into that look that this group does. Oh, I like what they do, actually, can you…? So it’s really research and talking to the folks. And then also when you see them in person or talk to them virtually just that connection is so important. They have to get what you’re saying. They have to understand, and they have to put you at ease. It’s a little salesy, but they have to put you at ease and make you feel comfortable that you’re going to be putting money into this product with them to produce.
And that’s really, at the end of the day, if you feel uncomfortable, if you see any red flags and you’re like, I don’t know. Take a pause, take a break, look around. There’s no rush. Find somebody else and talk to multiple people until you feel comfortable. That’s the biggest advice. But, you just got to talk to them. Put out your vision and see what comes back at you.
Rich: Awesome. Kurt, if people want to learn more about you and Knack Factory, where can we send them online?
Kurt: Oh man. We’re going to be redoing our website with this cool company, flyte, so I’m pretty excited about that at some point. But it’s Knack, and that’s K-N-A-C-K factory.com. So that’s our website.
You can find us on the socials Instagram at @knackfactory, Twitter, or whatever it’s called these days at @knackfactory. And obviously on Facebook and YouTube as well. And that’s where we usually put a lot of our stuff. We put a lot of behind-the-scenes content, too. So potential clients and potential folks are like, oh, I want to see that process. Here it is on video just so you can see what we do.
But yep, we’re online and you can always go to our website. Send me an email, gimme a call. I’m always available.
Rich: All right, we’ll have those links in the show notes. Kurt, thank you so much for coming by today, my friend.
Kurt: Hey, thanks so much, Rich. Really appreciate it.
Show Notes:
Watch our Google Ads Video from Knack Factory here!
Kurt Graser is the owner of Knack Factory, with over two decades of experience in video production, television, and broadcast. He specializes in helping businesses and organizations craft compelling video content that connects with their audiences. You can connect with Kurt on Instagram and YouTube to see the latest projects they’re working on, as well as behind-the-scenes action.
Rich Brooks is the President of flyte new media, a web design & digital marketing agency in Portland, Maine, and founder of the Agents of Change. He’s passionate about helping small businesses grow online and has put his 25+ years of experience into the book, The Lead Machine: The Small Business Guide to Digital Marketing.