Factors To Consider When Looking For A Camera Crew For Hire

factors To Consider When Looking To Hire A Camera Crew Film Crew Chicago Illinois, camera crew for hire

Camera Crew For Hire: A list of what to look for.

A lot of companies use video to convey their message by producing corporate video and video for social media. Whether you are looking for a Chicago video crew, a camera crew “near me” or a full-service video production company- you need to evaluate who can get the job done in the manner you want. After all, your image is at stake.

Acclaim Media regularly takes calls from marketing firms, out-of-state production companies and in-house corporate video departments. Their calls ask us to act as the camera crew for a video shoot in Chicagoland. This is really common for corporate testimonials and trade show booth videos. We shoot the video then send the footage to the client for editing at their headquarters. It saves the client the cost of flying in their own video camera crew and arriving at the Midway or O'Hare airports with a lot of broken camera equipment.

A skilled videographer (camera operator) can make all the difference in the success of your project. Having the right gear and a good production crew enables the producer to rest assured that they will get the footage they need.

Often clients don't know important nuances to look for when trying to compare one video production company to another. The following checklist will ensure that you hire a camera crew for a day that is fully capable. The list below will also answer a lot of questions to ensure your video shoot begins on the right track.

CONSIDERATIONS WHEN looking for a Camera Crew For Hire

[A Checklist]

✔ DEADLINES

Can you pack all of the video you want shot into the time allowed?

We are glad to work with clients however they see fit. 365/24/7 with no additional cost for our camera crews. That being said, can we really shoot one client interview in Milwaukee, WI, one in Addison, IL and a third in DeKalb, IL all in the same day? Probably not. It's 148 miles in Chicago's congested roadways. Perhaps a better approach is to schedule this over two consecutive days. If that's the case, make sure to reflect this in your budget as noted above.

✔ BUDGET

Do you have a reasonable expectation of the cost of what you're asking? What exactly will you need to figure out your camera crew hire cost?

Video shot in Chicagoland is relatively cheaper than on either coast of the US. However, we all need to make a living. Rates are based on camera crew needed, days needed, camera equipment and other gear. During the initial phone call layout your plan to ensure all the details are discussed. What specialty equipment will be needed for your filming? These factors more than anything else will determine pricing.

Additionally, there are factors beyond a production companies control. McCormick Place parking can be up to $40/day, and in Chicago's Loop, even more. This needs to be budgeted for. Also, leave room in your budget for crew costs, lunch breaks, and the miscellaneous costs of doing video production shoots. You'll be glad you did once the final invoices come in.

Additional services? We work with many other industry professionals. Need a makeup artist, production assistant, teleprompter or other crew positions? Let us know, we can probably recommend someone great.

✔ SCHEDULE

Can you pack all of the video you want shot into the time allowed?

We are glad to work with clients however they see fit. 365/24/7 with no additional cost for our shoot crews. That being said, can we really shoot one client interview in Milwaukee, WI, one in Addison, IL and a third in DeKalb, IL all in the same day? Probably not, it’s 148 miles in Chicago’s congested roadways. Perhaps a better approach is to schedule this over two consecutive days. If that’s the case, make sure to reflect this in your budget as noted above.

✔ WHO IS ACTUALLY PERFORMING THE VIDEO SHOOT?

This may seem to be an odd question at first. However, two times in the last year we've been called to quickly rescue a shoot that was previously assigned to another video production company. Many "production" companies will run ads and keyword their website for video camera crews. Problem is, they are not actually located in Chicagoland.

Those clients booked with a company via an 800 number. Unbeknownst to the client, the number they called was in Atlanta. That production company then just hired a local camera crew in Chicago. On the day of the shoot, no one shows up, the shoot day was ruined and the client felt "taken" because of their mistake.

Rest assured, we are a brick and mortar video production company based in Naperville, IL (35 miles West of Chicago). We have been shooting corporate video since we turned our lights on in 1998 throughout Chicago and the suburbs. We've got you covered! If there are any issues we have backup LOCALLY to ensure you get your job done the way you wanted.

Now we get to the “fun stuff”. Tell us about the specifics for the camera crew and what your take-aways are.

✔ VIDEO SHOOT NEEDS

What type of production gear do you want your camera crew to bring?

Tell us about the event, how do you see the shoot unfolding? Are you flying in and conducting a simple interview, or is this a President's address and you need a teleprompter?

Acclaim Media has a lot of video production gear. We just need to ensure that we bring the gear needed to shoot the video as you want it. Our in-house capabilities include multiple cameras, lighting kits, numerous wired/wireless microphones, and camera support gear. You name it, we probably have it.

If you're looking for something specific let us know. Odds are we can easily get it for you. Again, simple communication early in the production process can save a lot of headaches later.

✔ FORMAT

What version of HD or 4k (6 or 8K?) do you want?

We have the capability of shooting 4K or HD (1080P, 1080i or 720P) video with the flip of a switch. Please make sure to tell us which version your project will be edited in.

We often shoot at a higher resolution than requested, but we'll clear this with you first. For instance, record in 4K for a project to be edited in 1080P. The larger raster will give your video editor more capabilities when editing.

Also related to this is frame rate, how are we recording this? 24, 30, 60 or some other frame rate? Each has its own benefits, if in doubt call and we'd be glad to consult on which is right for your project.

✔ LOCATION/LOOK

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Is this a segment that is going into another larger project?

Is this just one segment of a larger video production? Perhaps you're shooting a video that has interviews from Atlanta, LA and Chicago. If we're the Chicago camera crew for hire we want to ensure our footage "looks" like the video previously shot. Can you send us a frame or clip from the Atlanta and LA files? We can then match "look space" and lighting with the previous shoots to ensure your footage looks similar instead of disjointed.

✔ RELEASES

Are you fully authorized to use the footage our camera operator just shot?

We usually have video releases with us. However, they are fairly generic. If your company has talent and location releases forward them to us. We'll print them and have them with us at the video shoot.

This simple step will protect your shoot investment with full permission to use the audio/video clips shot on location. It ensures that you get to use the footage as planned, with no awkward surprises later.

✔ VIDEO FOOTAGE TRANSFER

How is the camera crew getting footage to you?

It really depends on your timeline and how much video is to be shot as to the best way to get you the footage. Nothing is easier than purchasing a hard drive and sending it to you via UPS. But it can take a week [unless expedited], how fast do you need it?

[Be assured, we always archive everything we shoot for at least 3 months to ensure the hard drive gets to you safely. If there's any issues let us know ASAP and we'll file a claim with the shipper. Don't worry, we have a "safety" copy of the video footage at our offices.]

A common question is "can you ftp the footage?" I'll give you a firm "maybe" as the answer! It really depends on the format, frame rate and duration of the shoot, and how much footage do we have? We always can. The question is how long will it take? Many times it wwill take us over a day to upload the files due to file size.

Then there's the challenge that seems common ftp's. They are really are not meant to take raw footage files as big as we generate. Many FTP services do not accept the footage upload well, crashing often. Downloading the footage on the client side is also problematic. I've been told of numerous crashes there too. It can be a really frustrating experience on both sides of the ftp!

Finally, if we are able to upload the clips, PLEASE DO NOT TRY TO PLAY ON THE FTP WEBSITE. The built in players were made to play small videos. Not raw camera files. The quality of the footage and your playback experience will be miserable. Please download the footage, then play locally from your hard drive.

Trust us when we ask, "Where do you want the footage shipped?" At this time, we believe it is the best method to get you the footage. Even better, bring a hard drive with you to the video shoot and we can transfer the footage at the end of the shoot. We are a PC house, format it NTFS, or if you're a Mac house, exFAT.

ADDITIONAL SERVICES SUCH AS WINDOW DUBS?

A producer or client might ask us about window dubs. We can superimpose a digital address onto the footage you might use for logging [see photo below]. The timecode is not visible on the raw camera footage. It is run through a process to show visibly onto the clips in a separate file. The format is HOURS;MINUTES;SECONDS;FRAMES.

Looking for more info on window dubs? Check out our other blog post all about timecode.

A producer will take this clip then write down numbers of sound bites that they like or key comments. It really helps you organize for the video edit process and your editor will appreciate it. However, most of our clients take the footage and sort it in the video edit. Either way... please let anyone on the video crew know if window dubs is an option you would like.

Here’s some more great information on hiring a Chicago Camera Crew.

FINAL THOUGHTS

There are a lot of items to plan for when using a camera crew for hire near me. Relax, we've been through hundreds [thousands?] of times since 1998 when we opened our doors. This list will arm you with ways to ensure your video shoot goes smoothly and your production crew provides what you want. Should you have questions, we're just a phone call away.

[Note: a lot of people use the term "film crew" generically when looking for crew. Technically we are not a "film crew" since we are not using film, but for the purposes of this article we used the term to represent a camera crew.]

Questions or thoughts? Feel free to call to discuss how Acclaim Media can help you produce your video production efficiently and drive results. Acclaim Media is a Naperville video production company serving Chicago and the suburbs.