Clients, Agencies, Creators: Want to Save Money? Start Sharing Project Files
After 15 years of working with clients, agencies, and creators, I’ve seen a missed opportunity - one that can save money and help teams build valuable skills.
“But here’s the opportunity many people miss:
Now that clients, agencies, and production companies all use the same software, like Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve and there’s basic video knowledge in all teams, they could easily work together better.
But most don’t.”
How It Used to Be
10–15 years ago, the production process was very simple.
Only the production company had the skills to do video work.
The client had a product to promote.
They went to an agency to create a campaign.
The agency hired a production company to make the video, because only they knew how to do it.
How It Is Now
Today, the process is still similar, but things have changed, and that opens up new opportunities.
Most clients now have someone in-house who can do basic video editing.
Agencies often have team members who can help with video tasks too.
Production companies still focus on the big, high-skill projects that need expert knowledge.
Here’s the opportunity many people miss:
Now that clients, agencies, and production companies all use the same software, like Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve, and there’s basic video knowledge in all teams, they could easily work together better.
But most don’t.
How This Could Save You Money
Let’s say you hire a top creative person or team.
You need their skills for the actual filming and the big creative ideas.
But after the shoot, the work becomes more technical. This includes:
Editing
Adding Subtitles
Color grading
Exporting in different formats (like 9:16, 1:1, 16:9)
These tasks take time, but depending on the project, they don’t always need high-level creative skills.
If your team knows how to do one of them, you can save money by handling this part in-house.
So instead of paying expert rates for basic work, save your budget for the parts that really need their talent.
Real Example
Here’s how it works:
I film and make the video look great. (That’s a skill they don’t have.)
After filming, we both take a copy of the files.
The client edits the video. (Because they have that skill in-house.)
They send the project file to me.
I color grade it and send it back. (That’s a skill they don’t have.)
They finish with text and formatting. (Because they have that skill in-house.)
In the future, if they need a small change, they already have the project files. They can do it themselves - and I’m free to help another client. Everyone wins.
How Easy It Is to Share Files
After filming, you’ll have a lot of video files, maybe 1 TB. Sending that over email or the cloud is too slow. Instead, copy everything to a fast SSD drive right after the shoot.
Now both sides have the files. You can just send project files back and forth over the email.
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