Guide · Production companies

How to choose aproduction company

A production company makes the film, an agency comes up with the idea and the strategy, and some do both. Here are nine questions to ask any company, what a quote should contain and what to watch out for. We wrote it so that it can be used even if you choose someone else.

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Nine questions to ask
Works for any company
Written by us who make the films

Fig. 1Lundhags: a film where every transition was planned before the first take Read the case →

01Included

Nine questions to ask

Ask them to three companies and compare the answers. A good answer is concrete, and a company that is honest about what is hard is often the one you want.

01
Who does the work?
Ask who actually directs, shoots, edits and builds the 3D, and whether it is the same people who sell the job. With us it is the same team.
02
Have they done something similar?
Ask for references that resemble what you are going to make, and ask what went wrong and how it was solved. See whole projects, not just a showreel.
03
What is in the quote?
A good quote states shooting days, people on screen, 3D, number of films and formats, versions, music and rights, and what costs extra. Compare like with like.
04
What happens if something changes?
Ask how changes are handled and what they cost. A company that says early when something will not work is worth more than one that says yes to everything.
05
What does the schedule look like?
Ask for a schedule with dates for script, shoot, first version and delivery, and what happens if something runs over.
06
Who owns the material?
Ask who owns the film, the raw footage, the music and the 3D models, for how long and where you may use them. Get it in writing.
07
Which formats do we get?
Say where the film will be shown and ask whether landscape, portrait, square and short versions are included. It is easier to plan for every format from the start than to re-cut afterwards.
08
How do they think about the idea?
Ask how they find ideas, and whether you get to see the idea and the script before anything is shot. A company with strategy thinks about what the film should do, not only how it looks.
09
Can we meet?
Meet the people who will do the work, preferably where they work. How do they talk about clients and about what has gone wrong? Does it feel like a team you want around you for several projects?

02Process

How to use the list

1
Write a short brief
What the film should do, where it will be shown, when it has to be ready and what it may cost. One goal, one audience, one time frame.
2
Ask three companies for proposals
Give them the same brief so the answers can be compared. Ask for an example of something similar.
3
Compare the quotes
Like with like: shooting days, versions, formats, rights and schedule.
4
Start with one project
Choose a first job, not a contract. Good collaborations grow, and it is easier to continue with those that worked.

03Price

And the price?

A price can only be compared when it states the same thing. With us an animation or a short clip starts at SEK 10,000, a shooting day or a 3D film at SEK 40,000 and a campaign at SEK 65,000, and you always get a fixed price before we begin. Read more in the price guide.

Feel free to get in touch with your brief. We will tell you honestly whether we are the right company for the job, and otherwise what we would look for. Order straight in Motorn →

04Case

Projects where the planning was half the job

Four projects where a good plan made the job possible: a single sweep through several seasons, 21 films in one day, an arena with a date that could not be moved and an agency that hands over its idea.

LundhagsPadje light trekking shoeA single sweep through several seasons demands that every transition is planned before the first take.Read the case →

LykoProduct campaign21 films and a lot of images in one day, by planning the day like a pit stop in Formula 1.Read the case →

SporttouchenNordic Star CupA hundred small deliveries and a date that cannot be moved.Read the case →

Redgert CommsThe production behind the agencyAn agency should be able to hand over and trust that it comes back the way they pictured it, or a little better.Read the case →

Motorn → Labbet →

05Words

What people who worked with us say

**Tore Åsén**Creative Director, Redgert Comms

**Zandra Nilsson**Campaign Coordinator, We Effect

06FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between an advertising agency and a production company?

An advertising agency comes up with strategy, idea and concept, while a production company makes the film. Some do both. We are a creative agency with its own production: the same team comes up with the idea and makes the film.

How many quotes should you ask for?

Three is usually enough. Give them all the same brief so they can be compared, and ask for an example of something similar.

What matters most when choosing?

That you trust the people who will do the work and that their earlier work resembles what you want. Price matters but can only be compared when the quotes state the same thing.

How early should you get in touch?

As early as you can. Idea, script and planning take time, and it goes faster with a clear brief. The smallest job with us, an animation or a short clip, takes about two working days. Bigger films and campaigns get a schedule with the quote.

Can Midnatt help us choose?

Gladly. Get in touch with your brief, and we will tell you honestly whether we are the right company for the job.

The people behind it

We are the ones who do the work.

You talk directly to the people who make the film, with no middlemen. We are also the ones who read what you send. Nine people under one roof in Stockholm.