How to find the right commercial production company in Cologne
What is the “right” commercial production company anyway? How do you know whether you have found the right film production company?
In the big film and media city of Cologne, there is a huge choice of film production companies of every size, specialisation and level of experience. That doesn’t make choosing a commercial production company in Cologne any easier, though.
But a commercial is not just like any other company film. That alone narrows down the choice of film production companies considerably, because not everyone can produce a commercial. Extremely high quality is required to keep up with other commercials.
In this article we therefore present the most important requirements for a commercial production company, so that you have a sound basis for choosing a suitable one.
Example: what a commercial can look like
We are a professional film production company from Gevelsberg near Wuppertal, based in Euskirchen, about 30 minutes from Cologne. In this article we want to draw on our experience since 2008 to help companies like yours find the right partners for their film project.
This commercial of ours gives you an insight into our work so far and an impression of what a commercial can look like that relies particularly on strong images and entertaining the viewer.
What kind of commercial do you need?
Classic TV/cinema spot
The classic TV and cinema spot is 10–30 seconds long and aimed at consumers. To compete with other commercials on TV and in the cinema, it has to be produced to a very high standard to meet the quality requirements. That is why well-known actors, models and voice-over artists are often used.
In most cases a TV and cinema spot focuses on story and emotion by telling a story. The other option is to present a product and its benefits – dishwasher tablets, for example. In this case, animation is often used as well.
Product commercial
A product commercial is similar to a TV and cinema spot, but usually a little longer. B2B target groups can also benefit greatly from a product commercial, because it can be much more technical, for example. Thanks to the longer running time, it can go into more detail on product features and customer benefits.
Professional voice-over artists are important here too, whereas well-known actors and models are not strictly necessary – so a product commercial costs less than a commercial for TV and cinema. Animation is often used for particularly technical processes and the inner workings of products.
Explainer video
The explainer video is not really a commercial but a category of its own. Even so, explainer videos are often called commercials, although the two are far apart not only in price but also in style.
Explainer videos are purely informative and don’t tell stories on an emotional level like a commercial does. They mostly use animation, sometimes also live-action footage. The focus is on complex relationships, processes and (product) functions, which are shown to the viewer in a greatly simplified form. Understanding and learning matter more than entertainment or a sales message. Popular industries for explainer videos are technology, IT, research and education.
Commercials for companies
Clients have often asked us for a “commercial for companies” but actually meant a corporate film or an industrial film. For the sake of completeness, we have therefore included the term in this list. If you would like to know more about corporate films or industrial films, just follow the links behind the two terms.
What a commercial production company in Cologne has to deliver
The commercial is the supreme discipline among company films. Not every film production company that can make good corporate or industrial films is therefore also able to produce good commercials. A commercial simply takes much more than a corporate film – for example a completely different league of camera equipment (you don’t shoot a commercial with an ordinary camera but with a real cinema camera such as our Alexa Mini LF), a larger, highly talented team and more time spent on developing the concept. With commercial productions, making a good choice is even more important – after all, quite a lot of money is at stake.
Why industry experience matters
Experienced commercial production companies are not necessarily better, but they find it easier to understand your goals and challenges in your industry and turn them into a film that works.
In any case, the film production company should already have produced several commercials so that you don’t end up as the guinea pig. Commercials also differ depending on which industry your company is in.
Has the commercial production company already produced a commercial for your industry, or even for a company similar to yours? If so, do you like that film?
Look through the film production company’s references to see which films it has produced and for which clients. This gives you a first impression of what the commercial production company is capable of.
Has the commercial production company won prizes and awards?
Prizes and awards are much more important in advertising than in the creative industry in general. They confirm excellent, creative work that is equally convincing.
A commercial has to sell. And if a commercial production company has already won awards, you can be sure it has what it takes to produce commercials that sell.
Can the commercial production company work under creative directors?
A creative director is responsible for the creative direction of a commercial and makes sure the quality is right. The film team therefore works under the creative director’s instructions and must carry out every task needed to realise the creative director’s vision. For this, professional film production companies have their own creative director. At Pathfinder, for example, the creative director, camera operator and editor all come from the same house, to ensure successful collaboration on every project.
Commercials are also often conceived and managed by advertising agencies. In this case, the commercial production company must also be able to work successfully with an advertising agency.
Why film production companies need connections to actors, models and voice-over artists
Commercials often thrive on well-known and distinctive faces, which is why actors and models are particularly important for the film. With a large database and lots of connections, a film production company finds it easy to get well-known actors and models. Good sound is also extremely important for a commercial, so a professional voice-over artist should definitely be involved. Whether the voice should be well known or not is a matter of taste.
Casting is one of the most important tasks in preparing a commercial. That is why commercial production companies should either have contacts with acting, model and voice-over agencies or even keep their own file of important contacts. This not only saves a lot of time but in most cases even money.
Over the years we have gained several model and voice-over agencies across Germany as partners and find the right face and the right voice for every project. The film production company can also negotiate fees and licences for usage rights on your behalf.
Is the commercial production company professionally equipped?
Once again: commercials have to sell. And that requires the best possible image quality. Cameras from Arri or RED are particularly suitable for this. They offer the highest quality a camera can deliver. After that, it all comes down to the skill of the film production company.
High-end cameras like these are extremely expensive (we are talking about sports car prices), so not all film production companies own one. Many hire an Arri or RED for commercial projects. For the film production company, this has the advantage of not having to invest a high five-figure sum per camera. But it can also have the disadvantage for you that the hire camera is not available on the shooting day you want. And the commercial production company passes the hire costs (around 1,000 euros a day) on to you. If a film production company owns a high-end film camera, you benefit from flexibility and possibly lower prices, as surcharges, hire fees, hire insurance etc. no longer apply.
Under no circumstances, however, should you have your commercial produced with a DSLR camera – the loss of image quality is too great and will harm your commercial.
Does the film production company have enough staff?
The film crew for a commercial shoot is usually bigger than for a corporate or industrial film. Director, camera operator, lighting technician, make-up, possibly a product stylist/food stylist and several assistants are all important for the perfect image. Alongside the creative side, the production or project management handles the organisational matters and is also at your side on set as your contact person.
A commercial shoot therefore usually involves between 4 and 20 people.
What are the mastering and broadcast requirements?
Particularly for TV and cinema, certain broadcast specifications for picture and sound must be met. This not only requires the right equipment in post-production but also the necessary knowledge and experience on the part of the film production company in colour grading and delivery specifications.
TV and cinema are the premier league for company films, where viewers expect the highest quality because of what they are used to watching. After all, in terms of image quality you are competing with the commercials of ALDI or Magnum. One reason commercials have such high requirements is that otherwise you quickly get lost in the crowd. It is simply different whether you watch a film on Facebook on your smartphone or on a big screen before a feature film.
Why you should definitely check the film production company’s legal form
GmbH or GbR? And what about freelancers and sole traders?
For a commercial, where a lot of money is ultimately at stake, you should definitely have it produced by a GmbH (limited company) or possibly a GbR (partnership). With freelancers and sole traders, the risk of your film project failing is simply far too high, as the challenge is too big to be carried by individuals, who are usually still inexperienced. The equipment mentioned above and a professionally trained team must also be in place so that the quality in the end is good enough to compete with other commercials.
The term “film production company” is not legally protected or regulated, so practically anyone can call themselves one – even the student who wants to earn a bit of money on the side with their camera. Check the legal notice (Impressum) to see which legal form the commercial production company has. Arrange an introductory meeting to get a picture of the film production company. Film production companies therefore offer a consultation without obligation. This lets you find out whether the person on the phone understands your company and your goals and has the expertise to produce a commercial that sells.
Conclusion: choosing the right commercial production company is the first step towards a successful commercial. To do this, first decide what kind of commercial you want and what matters most to you in its execution. Then you can choose a film production company that combines the focus, industry experience, narrative voice and reliability you want, as well as the right staff and equipment. The legal form, previous references and awards – and not least your gut feeling – also provide revealing information. That way you will make a good choice of commercial production company.
