If you’ve never hired a video production company before, the process can feel a little unclear. What happens after you reach out? How long does it take? What do you need to bring to the table?
This post walks you through exactly what working with a professional video production company looks like — from the first conversation to the finished product — so you know what to expect before you ever pick up the phone.
Step 1: The Discovery Call
Every project at True Creative starts with a discovery meeting. This isn’t a sales call — it’s a conversation.
We use this time to learn about your project, understand your brand’s goals, and figure out whether we’re the right fit for what you need. Not every project is the right fit for every production company, and we’d rather be honest about that upfront than waste your time or ours.
Come to this call with a general sense of what you’re trying to accomplish. You don’t need to have everything figured out — that’s what we’re here for. But knowing your goals, your timeline, and a rough idea of your budget will make the conversation a lot more productive.
Step 2: The Proposal
If we’re a good fit, we put together a video proposal that outlines the full scope of work and the investment required to execute it.
This document covers everything — shoot days, deliverables, post-production, and any additional line items specific to your project like talent, equipment, or location fees. No vague estimates, no hidden costs added later. The proposal is designed to give you a clear picture of exactly what you’re getting and what it costs before you commit to anything.
Wondering what a typical project costs? Check out our St. Louis video production pricing guide for a full breakdown.
Step 3: Contract and Deposit
Once we agree to move forward, we lock in your shoot date and send over a production contract and a security deposit invoice.
The deposit serves two purposes: it books you on our production calendar and ensures there are no scheduling conflicts with other clients. Think of it the same way you’d think about booking any professional service — it’s how we both commit to the project.
The contract protects both sides. It outlines the scope, timeline, revision policy, and deliverable formats so there are no misunderstandings down the road.
Step 4: Pre-Production
This is where the real work begins — and it’s the phase most clients don’t see.
Pre-production is everything that happens before a camera is ever turned on: developing the creative concept, writing the script or production outline, building the shot list, scouting locations, and planning the logistics of the shoot day. For larger projects, this phase involves collaborative sessions with you or your team to make sure the creative direction aligns with your vision.
We also collect your brand assets during this phase — logo files, brand guidelines, color palettes, fonts — so that everything we produce reflects your brand accurately. If your project involves licensed music, we handle approvals here too.
Skipping or rushing pre-production is the single biggest reason video projects go sideways. The more thorough this phase is, the smoother everything that follows will be.
Step 5: Production
Shoot day is what most people picture when they think about video production — and it’s usually more involved than they expect.
Here’s something worth understanding going in: a lot happens between “action” and “cut” that has nothing to do with the camera actually recording.
Throughout the day, we’re constantly setting up and tearing down — repositioning lights, adjusting camera angles, changing lenses, moving equipment from one location to the next. All of that takes time, and it’s time well spent. The difference between a shot that looks professional and one that looks flat almost always comes down to lighting and gear selection, not just pointing a camera at something and hitting record.
A full production day at True Creative runs 8 to 10 hours. Clients who come in expecting a 2-hour shoot are usually surprised — not because we’re slow, but because doing it right takes time.
Step 6: Post-Production
If production is what most clients expect, post-production is what most clients underestimate.
Editing a video isn’t just dragging clips onto a timeline. It’s making hundreds of decisions about pacing, structure, music, color, audio, and story — decisions that determine whether your finished video actually connects with the people watching it.
We hear it sometimes: “Can’t AI just edit it?” The short answer is no — not at the level of quality our clients expect. AI tools can assist with certain tasks, but crafting a story that reflects your brand and moves your audience is a creative skill that takes years to develop. The computer doesn’t spit out the edit any more than the camera automatically makes a great image. There’s a person behind both.
Post-production timelines vary by project. A single 60 to 90 second brand video typically takes 10 to 15 hours of editing time. Larger campaigns with multiple deliverables take longer. We’ll always give you a realistic timeline during the proposal phase so you’re not waiting around wondering what’s happening.
What Makes the Process Go Smoothly
After working with clients across industries — from local home service businesses to broadcast commercial campaigns for regional brands — the single biggest factor in a smooth production is a client who knows their goals.
We’re experts in video production. You’re the expert in your own business. When you come to us with a clear sense of what you want to accomplish — whether that’s driving leads, building brand awareness, launching a product, or connecting with a specific audience — we can take that and run with it. We’ll handle the creative strategy, the storytelling, the production, and the post. But we need that foundation from you to build on.
You don’t need to know what shots you want or how the video should be edited. That’s our job. You just need to know what success looks like for your business.
A Quick Summary of the Full Process
For reference, here’s the full workflow from first contact to final delivery:
- Discovery call — discuss your project, goals, and fit
- Proposal — scope of work and investment outlined in writing
- Contract + deposit — shoot date locked in, both parties committed
- Pre-production — creative concept, script, shot list, brand assets, approvals
- Production — shoot day(s), typically 8–10 hours
- Post-production — editing, color grade, audio mix, revisions
- Delivery — final files in your required formats
