Video Production

Thank you for visiting Xube’s video production page. You are most likely reading this because you are looking for a production company to make a video for you. Well, you have come to the right place! Xube is a video production company that creates all kinds of video products for the corporate and not-for-profit video market. Call us on 020 7739 5811, email us at info@xube.co.uk or fill in the My Video Project form and let us know what type of film you would like Xube to make for you.

The 15 video production Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) you need answers to

1. What is a video production company?
Xube was set up in 2001 to produce engaging and exciting videos. Company directors, Jeremy Henderson and Richard Woolfenden, had been working as freelancers for four and half years before setting up Xube (see history) and this gave them exciting insights into production as well the inspiration to form Xube. The time had come to set up a company that could offer clients a full production service.

2. What is a full production service?
Xube offers a bespoke “script-to-screen” solution. You have an idea for a video (which may or may not be fully formed), or a series of videos, that you would like to make. Xube can script, storyboard, film, edit and deliver the final cuts by bringing together a dedicated team of creative talent to work on your project. By coming to Xube you have no need to source any more help to make your films.

3. What video production insights can Xube bring to my project?
This answer could fill a long web page or a discussion over several cups of coffee! In essence it is about appreciation of two broad areas of our video production expertise.

• Narrative insights: What is the story you want to tell? Who do you want to tell it to?
  You have chosen to commission a video as opposed to writing a newsletter or an ebook PDF. In Xube’s experience, clients commission videos because they want the emotional engagement and message compression that a film, or a series of films, will allow. Xube will write great scripts, devise engaging interview questions, provide dynamic storyboards and be fully committed to your messages and stories.
• Technical insights: What is the best camera to use? Who should edit this project? What are the best encoding formats for the final output?
  These are all questions that we will work through with you giving full explanations of our rationale and preferences. We understand the technical side and have the expertise to give the best lead.

4. What are the 3 stages of video production?

• Pre-production: This stage is the whole planning process that takes place before filming and may involve some or all of the following: research; client liaison; scriptwriting; storyboarding; finding and visiting locations (or recces); crewing up; creating shot lists; scheduling; auditioning; meeting and briefing interviewees; preparing interview questions and client pre-production sign off.
• Production: The execution of the pre-production plan! This stage is simply the filming day or days and will involve directing the camera crew and participants, or performers.
• Post-production: This stage is where the video finally comes together and will involve editing, grading, voiceover recording, audio mixing, adding graphic assets (2D and/or 3D), selecting and adding music, interface and menu creation (for DVD projects), encoding and final client review and sign-off.

5. How long will it take to make my film?
We are very practised at working to tight deadlines but, when possible, 2-3 weeks either side of the shoot (the production stage) gives all contributors the chance to pitch in during the pre-production stage and time to reflect on the edits during post-production.

6. What’s a good running time?
A successful video will convey your messages in a clear and succinct fashion. Obviously its length will depend on many factors, but as a rule of thumb, brevity usually rules.

7. Can I use existing footage from a previous project?
We are always happy to look at existing footage and give you an honest appraisal of its quality and whether it could be used alongside new material filmed by Xube.

8. Where should I film?
We believe that filming is possible virtually everywhere with good planning and creative lighting. When time allows we always prefer to recce the filming location. The potential for audio interference, for example, can be avoided as a result of a recce. Persistent background noise can interfere with a video production and it is best to assess issues such as this in advance.

9. Should I film in High Definition (HD)?
HD video can provide excellent quality images and has come down in price. However, Standard Definition (SD) is still an attractive and robust format that may suit your production. We always talk through these choices at the start of projects.

10. How will I be able to review the cuts?
We are always happy to visit you at your office in order to screen rough cuts, but increasingly clients are taking advantage of online review of rough cuts from a secure area of our website.

11. Can interviewees see questions in advance and is it OK to use crib sheets?
We will write interview questions once we have familiarised ourselves with the project and will always send these to interviewees in advance of the filming. However, in our experience crib sheets don’t work; the eyeline of the interviewee will give them away. Sometimes it is appropriate for contributors to deliver straight to camera and, on these occasions, autocue can be a great option.

12. Who will do the voiceover?
We can offer a terrific range of voiceover artists or can offer our own skills if budgets are particularly tight.

13. Can you guarantee sticking to the budget?
We will stick to the budget, it really is as simple as that. If the project brief or specification changes mid-production, understandably we reserve the right to make budget alterations. Our aim is to provide transparent communications and avoid any unnecessary surprises.

14. What kind of graphics can I have?
Graphics play a role in all productions, whether it is simple but effective corporate branding, logos and nameplates or an animated 3D sequence. We relish the impact that motion graphics can have on audience experience.

15. Who owns the copyright to my film?
Copyright is something that is decided before the contract is awarded and confirmed at the first planning meeting with the client. Xube is a video production service and this means that for most of our projects the copyright is retained by you, the client.