How to Save Money on Video Production

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Important Factors that Affect Video Production

As New Media work hard on every aspect of video production in Doncaster near Sheffield, clients often ask us how we arrive at the results. Many are keen to learn the process that is adopted when creating a corporate video from scratch whilst some wonder how the cost is allocated.

There are many factors that affect the cost of video production and as long as you find a reputable company to shoot your video, you will be pleased with the results. These companies (like ours) are also passing on savings to clients as unlike other everyday items the cost of video production has actually declined over the years. There are also many options available to businesses, allowing your video to cost as much or as little as you would like depending on the features you rank as the most important.

These include (but are not limited to)

The experience of the video production company – the more experience your chosen company has in the production of the video the more money you will save. Without the skills to shoot perfectly you could find your budget being spent on editing, dubbing and tweaking when you could have got it right the first time. A good production company will also advise on motion graphics for the video incorporating them seamlessly adding to the overall quality of the content.

Marketing know-how – to have a video that sells your product or service or gets your information across perfectly you need a good marketing brain. A video may look fancy and may be a feast for the eyes, however if you’re spending money to increase your profits you need to know it will do the job. A good marketing script writer will be able to put your message across in a clear and concise way that uses psychology to encourage your viewers to do what you want, whether that’s to listen, buy or contact.

Editing – the editors are the ones behind the scenes who take the best dialogue, the best angles and shots and turn them into a free flowing video that you are proud to promote. Without editors, you would be left with a ten minute video that includes the tea lady, slight shifts of camera and lines that are fluffed. No matter how great the cameraman an editor is always needed and their magic can be astounding as they turn a hum drum reel into a crowd pleasing triumph.

Equipment – The choice of equipment can make a difference to the overall cost, as a HD camera will cost more to hire than a simple camcorder. Quality also differs between each piece of equipment. This also applies to other equipment as a video production team may have access to a wonderful array of tools allowing motion shots or even shots from above. The costs all depend on your idea of the finished results and what equipment you think will be needed to get there.

A video can be as expensive or as cheap as you would like. You can shoot your own video on your smartphone and upload it to YouTube or you could spend millions of pounds hiring a Hollywood production company along with their sparkling sets. However most business videos are looking for the middle ground, business owners know they need to speculate to accumulate and there is no better way of doing this than presenting your information, product or service through multimedia.

There are ways however that you can adapt the price, depending on your overall vision you can add or remove factors that increase the costs. Regardless of your budget a good video production team will still produce an excellent product and if they think the quality may suffer they will advise of alternative ways to get the result you want.

The Length of the Video – It makes sense that a two minute video will cost a lot more than a thirty second video. Can you say all you need to in one minute, or do you need that extra sixty second to get your point across?

The Location of the Video – Shooting on location can add costs to the video production. However many are enhanced with shots of the public or a business premises. Could you bring your products or staff to the studio? A good video production company will be able to create bespoke sets for shooting that incorporate your brand perfectly. Don’t forget that shooting on location also adds to your own expenses such as travel, meals and accommodation.

People – You will need people in front of the camera for your video. Whether these are actors, presenters or models, each one costs money. Can you say what you need to just with a web presenter? Or do you need a roomful of extras that will charge by the day?

Writers – It makes sense to ensure you have a good marketing script writer on hand, as ultimately their words will pull your viewers in leading them to your product or service. The cost of the writer will all depend on the other factors such as the length, the information already present and the amount of copy you need. A good marketer will be able to sell your brand in half the words that a cheaper one could, making it more cost effective.

Equipment – A good video production company will have access to a range of high tech tools and gadgets. From HD and 3D cameras to special automotive arms that allow the camera to shoot shots smoothly on the go. The cost to hire each piece varies considerably, so it is worth considering if you really need all of the tools at your disposal.

Crew – It takes only a few professional video producers to shoot a high quality video, however if you decide to incorporate public interviews or street shots, the crew will need to increase in size.

Props – Many videos need props, you may even need to hire a vehicle to transport the props. Whether you need costume hire, furniture, or the use of a warehouse for a day, each addition will eat into your budget.

How Honesty Can Get You What You Want

Basically a good video production team will be able to work within almost any reasonable budget, however if you’re reluctant to share your limitations they have nothing to work on. Bite the bullet and disclose your optimum price for the video and they will be able to advise of what they can include for the money. Keeping an open mind and having the ability to adapt can also help with budgets, as unexpected costs may mean another part is sacrificed in order to stay within the limits. Don’t despair though as a reputable company will ensure this in no way effects the overall quality of the finished result.

Are You Eligible To Deduct Work Expenses As An Employee?

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The typical answer to whether you can deduct work related expenses as an employee is “No, you have to be a business to do that.” Yes, there are deductions for union dues or pension contributions that affect all workers, but there are also deductions for employees for certain types of expenses depending on what you do for a living. The most common occupations for these types of deductions are commission salespeople, people working at a home office, tradespersons, long-haul transport employees, clergy, artists and musicians. Almost any occupation can qualify depending on the work arrangement you have with your employer.Conditions For Making the DeductionsIn most cases, in order to deduct any work related expenses there are some conditions. You would in fact have to have paid for the expenses. If your company has paid for them, then they cannot be claimed. If your company has paid for part of the expenses then you can claim the other part. If you got reimbursed for paying expenses, there are two options. If you got reimbursed and it was included in your T4, meaning you have paid taxes on what you received, you can claim the expenses you have paid to offset the taxes you are paying. If you received money tax free, then you would not be allowed to make a claim for that same amount because you have already received your money back from the employer. If you have paid for the expenses, you must have receipts to prove what you are claiming. If these expenses are shared between personal and employment, the personal use portion must be calculated and taken out of the claim.The employer has to agree that you did have to incur these expenses in order to do your job. Just because you incurred expenses, it does not mean you can claim them for that reason alone. How do you clarify what is allowed by your boss and what is not? There is a form called the T2200 form – Declaration of Conditions of Employment. This form lays out what expenses you are allowed to claim and what reimbursements you are given at the same time. The employer must sign and date this form and you would have to show it to the CRA if they ask for proof of the claim. There are other forms in special instances, a TL2 for meal and lodging for long haul transport employees and a T1223 for clergy residence deductions. Artists and musicians can also deduct work related expenses in certain situations. The T2200 must be filled out completely and accurately, otherwise it will not be valid.You cannot claim the same expenses in two places on the tax return. This is known as “double dipping” as you can make twice as much of an impact from the same expense. Even if the expense is legitimate in both places, it should only be claimed once. It is up to you the taxpayer which option would give you the best tax refund.What Types of Expenses Can Be Claimed?The T2200 would govern exactly what can be claimed. The most common expenses are automobile use for the company, home office expenses where you are working at home instead of being physically at the office, office supplies and meal expenses. Office supplies and meal expenses are relatively straightforward except that meal expenses are claimed at 50% of the actual amount paid.In terms of home office expenses, the general concept is that whatever expenses you would incur to have an office is allowed to be claimed. This would include utilities, rent and maintenance fees. Property taxes and insurance can be claimed in some cases but not in every case. Mortgage interest cannot be deducted for employees. The percentage of the house used for the office must be considered as well in this calculation.For automobile expenses, this would include fuel, maintenance, insurance, licensing fees, parking, interest on financing and depreciation the car as well. The portion of the car used for employment purposes would be calculated using the kilometres driven for work divided by the total kilometres driven.What About the GST and HST?For the GST/HST portion of these expenses, there is a GST370 form to claim back and GST/HST that was paid along with these employment expenses. The idea is that the GST/HST should be paid only by the final consumer. Any business that is involved between the natural source of a product and the final consumer will charge GST/HST and then claim it back at each stage of the way so that the sales taxes will be offset.Only the final customer cannot claim this from anywhere unless they get a GST/HST credit for lower income, but this is a different situation. The employee who is getting reimbursed the GST/HST through the GST370 form is acting like the employer for these expenses so this is where the rebate comes from. This form must be signed by the employer as they must be a GST/HST registrant in order for any claim to be available. There are different rates available on the form to cover the varying rates of HST in Canada. If you do receive a GST or HST rebate through this form, this would be considered income and would be entered in the year it is received which is typically the following years’ tax return. Note that not all expenses have GST or HST in them even if you qualify to get them reimbursed. The individual expenses should be scrutinized to make sure there actually was GST or HST paid in the first place.

In Relationships Health and Fitness Matter

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I am sure I do not need to explain to you how important it is to eat right and stay fit. Few of us have avoided the many health recommendations and advertisements that are practically every where you look. And if you are in a relationship you may have noticed that either you or your partner is more aware of this issue than the other one.Proper nutrition plays a vital role in keeping one healthy. But if meals are being prepared for one or two people it is often easier to grab something on the run or have a quick snack than it is to prepare a full meal. I completely understand that because I am very guilty of not eating right.The reasons that your health and fitness matter in a relationship are many. First of all you should always take the best care of yourself that you can. Additionally, you should want nothing less for your partner.Being healthy will mean that the two of you will be able to do a wider variety of things. And yes, I know that some illnesses are unavoidable but we do owe it to our partner and ourselves to try to maintain our health. A longer life with our partner would not be a bad thing!So my suggestion is that you and your partner discuss ways to take better care of yourselves. Perhaps you will find that planning meals and cooking together will add a new interest to your life. Or maybe you will find a weight management plan that you both want to practice. Working together to promote your health will result in another bonding experience for you as a couple and you will enjoy the efforts much more than if you do it on your own.The same is true about fitness. But before I elaborate on this I must say that I am not into physical activities. I enjoy walking and biking and I like to work out. But I have never enjoyed sports. The same is not true of my husband. He loves to play golf and he enjoys playing softball.Because we have different interests does not mean that we cannot share that time together. My husband will go for walks with me and I have gone to the golf courses with him. I also watch his softball games. Although our activities do not offer a totally shared experience we have found ways to integrate each of our interests.The benefits are wonderful. I love our walks because it is one-on-one time. We get to enjoy nature while having interesting conversations. The times at the ball fields are fun and exciting. And when I go to the golf course we walk so that I can get more exercise.With determined efforts to keep the two of you healthy and fit you will find multiple benefits. It is another shared experience that will strengthen your relationship.