7 Keys to Booking the Right Film Production Companies in Washington DC

Hiring film production companies in Washington DC can be a daunting task, especially if you’re entirely new to the idea of incorporating film into your marketing campaigns and you’re not exactly sure what to do next. While you likely realize the inevitability of the situation, and the fact that you need professional film production services, you’re still a long way from knowing exactly what to look for when booking film production companies in Washington DC for your upcoming project needs. 

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At Beverly Boy Productions, we face clients with this same hiring dilemma, everyday. While we tell clients that we do provide full-service video production in Washington DC, we also offer the following helpful tips to make booking the right production crew for your project a little bit easier.

1. Check Recent History (and Past)

Before booking film production companies in Washington DC you’re going to have to do some homework and use your research skills.

First, check their recent history to determine how others feel about the company. Do they have positive reviews online? Do they have satisfied customers in the area? What’s their website and portfolio look like? Do YOU like what you see?

It’s important for whomever you hire to have a solid history in the film industry. They should have social profiles that showcase their experience and work.

They should have knowledge and understanding of the city. They should have recent work that is resemblant of today’s style and technique in film — not just something that was popular a decade ago!

2. Check Credentials

Anyone, and we do mean ANYONE, can say they are a professional film production company in DC. That’s why before booking film production companies in Washington DC we recommend you always check credentials & references.

Once you’ve seen what you believe to be a promising portfolio for a particular production crew, you should review their credentials.

Check their YouTube channel too, and their Instagram! Check with other businesses to find out if they actually DID work for them like they said. Check any and all credentials that you come up with and verify that they are who they say they are.

3. Compare Style to Your Needs

As you’re reviewing the various film production companies in Washington DC that you might have the honor of working with, it’s equally important to start thinking about what you need. What kind of film project are you planning? What technique will you be looking for?

You should compare your needs with the various offerings of each of the film production companies that you’re considering. The goal is to find a production company that will provide a similar style and technique to what you’re looking for in your own film.

This shouldn’t be too complicated, it’s just going to require that you carefully examine their past work and that you have a solid idea of what you want for your own work.

4. Discuss Openly & Communicate

You’ve checked references and examined technique, you have compared credentials and know that the film company is legit. Now it’s time to find out if you could see yourself and your team working with the company and if they could see themselves working with you.

5. Discuss Budget & Timeline

Discussing the budget, timeline and individual project expectations will give you both a chance to meet face-to-face or via conference call and to have a detailed conversation together.

This serves several purposes. You’ll be able to gain a feel for whether you can see yourself working together or not and how the communication will go and you’ll be able to discuss what you expect and what you have to spend.

If your budget is too low, the production company will have a chance to address that now, rather than facing that complication later on.

Additionally, you should be open with your timeline needs because it’s important for the production company to know whether they can accommodate or not.

6. Ask for Written Offer

You should ask for multiple written offers from various film production companies in Washington DC before you make your final hiring decision.

This is important because, as you’re likely see, the amount that is requested for a particular project can vary by thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars from one professional to the next. 

Getting your offers in writing will allow you to compare them with one another to determine the most suitable option for your project.

Price should only be one factor that you use to decide on who to hire, though. Consider also the credentials, communication, and professionalism of each company too.

7. Compare & Choose

The final decision on booking film production companies in Washington DC will largely be based on the communication that you had with the company, their price, their past projects and professionalism and their experience.

As a business owner, you have the power to choose any of the production companies that you’ve recently analyzed, but make sure that you compare each closely before you make your final decision.