Videographer or Video Production Company? How to Choose in Winnipeg
By Spencer Stanley · · 2 min read
The short answer
Hire a videographer when the job is simple and low-risk. Hire a video production company when the job is complex, important, or hard to redo. The line between them is blurry, though, so it helps to know what you are actually buying.
What a videographer usually does
A videographer is typically one person (or a very small team) who films, and often edits too. They are lean, flexible and usually more affordable. That makes them a great fit for:
- a single interview or testimonial
- a small event
- quick social clips
- simple promo footage
What a production company usually does
A production company handles the whole project. That usually means planning and creative direction, a crew with defined roles, equipment, a producer or director, editing, project management and the paperwork (releases, music licences, insurance). They are built for projects with more moving parts.
Side by side
| Your project | Often a good fit |
|---|---|
| One interview or testimonial | Videographer |
| A small event or quick social clips | Videographer |
| A brand video with a concept and story | Production company |
| Several locations or multiple cameras | Production company |
| Many deliverables (hero video plus cutdowns) | Production company |
| A hard deadline or something that cannot be reshot | Production company |
| You want help with the idea and script | Production company |
The labels blur
Plenty of production companies are small teams, and plenty of videographers bring in extra crew for bigger jobs. We are a small studio ourselves, and we scale the crew to fit each project. So do not choose on the title alone. Look at the work, the people and the process.
Five questions to help you decide
- Is it one video or several? More deliverables means more coordination.
- How complicated is the shoot? Multiple locations, talent and lighting setups favour a team.
- How tight is the deadline? A team has more backup if someone is unavailable.
- What happens if something goes wrong? Ask about backup gear, backup crew and insurance.
- Do you need creative help? If you want help shaping the concept, script and story, you want a company that does that work.
What about cost?
A videographer is usually cheaper for simple jobs. A planned brand video from a production company in Winnipeg generally starts around $5,000 CAD, because that price covers planning, crew, a polished edit and the paperwork. Our guide to how much a brand video costs walks through what drives the price, and why video production companies charge different amounts explains why quotes vary so widely.
Not sure which you need?
Tell us what you are working on and we will give you an honest answer, even if the answer is that you do not need a full production. You can also see our video production services, read about video production in Winnipeg, or get in touch.
Frequently asked questions
Planning a video in Winnipeg?
Tell us what you are working on and we will help you figure out the right approach and budget.
