4 Signs You Need To Outsource Your Video Production
You know, it wasn’t that long ago that I thought that I could do it all. I really believed that. I tried being “all things” to all people. The problem arose when I found out that I was trying to do so much that in reality I was doing nothing. This is true in so many parts of life, but especially when it comes to video production. No matter the size of your organization, you will at some point come to this crossroad if you haven’t already. When do I hire out my production work? You may be a small ministry or you may be a large organization. The truth is, we can all use a little help. But when do you need help? How do you know it’s the right time to hire outside of your team? Here are four signs that you need help.
1. When it’s time to step-up your game.
You might have a world class team, but there is always room for improvement. To know this, you must know your production team’s strengths and weaknesses. When you have the project that has to be done right, look to a production partner that will fill in the gaps where there are weaknesses. For example, your ministry may have excellent writing talent, but struggles with conveying the message visually. Get a partner that will bring the visuals that you need. Or maybe, it’s the other way around and you are brilliant with imagery but you struggle with writing or planning it. Get the right partner for the task.
2. When you want to increase the amount of production.
If I have noticed anything in my years of helping organizations of all shapes and sizes it is this: Very rarely do in-house media teams lack the skill to produce. More often than not, they lack the time and resource to do it. Therefore, when you know that you will be entering into a season of heightened production work you must, again, find the right partner that will get the work done. Frank Baker, Director of Global Broadcast at Saddleback Church understands this truth. With more than a dozen campuses around the globe and over 500 ministries to service, he has had to turn to One Ten Pictures to fill Saddleback’s ever-growing needs. He has found it hugely beneficial to, instead of adding more staff, to turn to One Ten Pictures. See his interview here.
3. When you want to focus on other projects.
Often times, the difference between a good end product and a great end product is simply the amount of focus put into it. The more spread apart you are across multiple projects, the more that the quality will decrease. When you are working on your organization’s Magnus Opus, you do not want to be sidelined by all of the other pressing production needs in your organization. This is when you will want to turn to a trustworthy production partner to get it done.
4. When you want to get creative.
Routine is a wonderful thing but can also be deadly for the creative spirit. The best force to have a creative breakthrough is to bring in outside forces that will make you think differently. In fact, one of the best things that you can do when hiring an outside team is to not only hire for the project but for an opportunity to learn and get creative in the future. I saw this clearly years ago when I first got my start on a church media team. We were staffed well with very creative people. However, they would sometimes hire-out different production roles. The reasoning was sheer genius. They would treat the hire not as someone merely fulfilling the need for that job but as a way to help them think differently and learn something new. I marveled at this simple concept and have applied that knowledge to my own life and ministry. But let me give you a word of caution. Not every production team you hire will want to share their knowledge. Yes, there are stingy teams out there. Make sure that you pick a team that not only cares about your project but also cares about your team becoming better.
If you found yourself nodding yes to any one of these four signs, please, save yourself the heartache of another overloaded day and contact One Ten Pictures. We would love to talk and see how we can work together in your production process.
