If you have ever heard the term “production house” when people are talking about the film industry, you may have wondered exactly what it means. Is a production house any different from a production company? Is there any significance to the term “house” or is this just a colloquial term?
What is a Production House?
The answer is basically that a production house is a company that gets things made. In the context of visual arts, a video production house focuses on making movies, commercials, and other forms of video for clients.
Types of Production House:
Of course, a production house may be a company with a focus on making video content, but there are some other types of media-producing “house” out there.
- Media production house. These may focus on a variety of types of media, including print media.
- Creative production house. These often work with clients on a variety of creative projects, from logo design and marketing to graphic design.
- Audio production house. A company that focuses on making music, and recording and mixing Foley and other audio. An example of this is the massive Lucasfilm company, Skywalker Sound.
- Animation house. Specializing in creating animated content.
When you use a production house, you are effectively working with an agency rather than relying on an in-house production. Many companies who want to create something visual or employ people to build a marketing campaign or creating a video, don’t necessarily have the expertise to do it themselves.
For example, a car brand may not have a department that is capable of making a promotional video for their new product launch. They may go to a production house and subcontract the work to them.
Production Houses Making Movies
The term “production house” may also refer to companies producing films for entertainment. This may also involve funding the production, and taking a concept through the pre-production stage, to shooting the movie, and then post-production stages.
Many Hollywood actors, for example, go on to start production houses, which can take ideas from aspiring filmmakers and help them to turn them into fully-fledged films.
Our production house in Riyadh can provide access to a skilled pool of professionals with the ability to make your idea come to life. We work with a variety of different companies, in high-tech studios as well as in the beautiful, historic locations around Saudi Arabia, the land of beauty.
Corporate films, promotional films, and so much more. We bring your idea to life right in front of your eyes. Check out our work for an idea of the sort of things we’ve been up to.
Choosing a Production House:
So, you need to work with a production house or production company to create the perfect video. Whether it is a 30 second commercial for a product or a two-hour long movie, how do you choose the right production house in the first place?
Consider whether you need any specialisms. Are you looking for a specific type of film production? Perhaps you need to ensure you are working with a company that is good at post-production, specifically using visual effects to create stunning and futuristic video content.
Check out the team that’s involved. What are their credentials? This is a great way to vet for only serious, quality production houses with industry professionals involved. Most production houses are happy to share details of their team, and should consider it a strength.
Watch the videos they’ve been involved with. This gives you a strong idea of the quality and the style of the production company, and the kinds of videos that you may be able to create together. It may even spark some ideas.
Start the conversation. Reach out to the production house to discuss your ideas, and start to work out how your dreams may be brought into real life. At Insight Studios, we start with a creative consultation and a chance to discuss ideas regarding the scale of your production, the concept, and how it can have an exceptional impact.
What Should a Production House Actually Deliver?
When you hire a production house, you are not only paying for cameras and people on set. You are paying for a process. A good production house should help shape the idea, plan the shoot, manage the crew, capture the footage, and guide the project through editing and delivery.
This is where a lot of brands get caught out. They ask for “a video” without agreeing on what that video includes. Is there a script? A storyboard? A shooting schedule? How many edit rounds are included? Will the final video be delivered in horizontal, vertical, and square formats? These details matter before production begins.
The deliverables should be clear from the start. For a commercial video, this may include the master film, shorter social cuts, captions, thumbnails, raw footage, music licenses, and different exports for YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, or paid ads. If those items are not agreed early, they can slow the project down later.
Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Production House
Before choosing a production house, ask how they handle the work before shoot day. The strongest productions usually begin with a clear brief, a practical schedule, and a shared understanding of the audience. If the team jumps straight to filming without asking about the goal, the message, or the platform, the final video may look good but miss the point.
You should also ask who will be involved in the project. Some productions need a small crew and a simple setup. Others need a director, producer, cinematographer, art department, sound team, editor, colorist, and motion graphics support. The right setup depends on the scale of the idea, not just the length of the video.
Budget is another useful filter. A serious production house should be able to explain what changes when the budget changes. More shoot days, better locations, larger crews, custom sets, animation, visual effects, and advanced post-production all affect the final cost. A clear explanation is usually a good sign.
Which Projects Are Best Suited to a Production House?
A production house is the right fit when the project needs more than a single person with a camera. This may include brand films, corporate videos, product launches, commercials, event films, documentaries, recruitment videos, and campaign content that needs to be adapted across several platforms.
It is also useful when the video represents the brand in a serious way. If the film will be used in front of investors, customers, partners, or a large public audience, the planning and production value become part of the message. In that situation, the production house is not just making content. It is helping shape how the brand is seen.
The Final Verdict
Production houses can vary somewhat in their approach, and they definitely vary in terms of the people who are involved.
If it is time to work with a production house to create some new visual content around your business, making the right choice regarding which company can represent your brand, bring your dreams to life, and build the visual production you have in mind, is essential.
Ready to start bringing those ideas to fruition? Insight Studios can take your ideas, and turn them into a spectacular visual identity. Get in touch with us today.
