What are My Options for Outsourced Video Editing?

Outsourcing video editing means sending all or part of the post-production tasks to an external person or company. The people completing the work are not your employees, so you’re not their boss. That’s an important dynamic to consider as it places you mainly in the position of being a client, rather than a supervisor or manager.

The most common forms of outsourcing include:

‍Freelancers

Solo individuals who provide video editing services on a 1:1 basis with clients. These people are usually hired through platforms like Fiverr or Upwork. Those sites may provide a rough framework in which to conduct business with freelancers, but the communication is essentially directly with each individual freelancer. This type of outsourcing can be useful if your budget is limited or you have infrequent video projects. Make sure you're on the same page when it comes to scope of work and payment terms, as a freelancer can more easily dodge unwanted requests or expectations.

‍Specialized Post-Houses

Companies focused exclusively on post-production. They’re often a team of individuals that specialize in different elements of post-production (like editing and visual effects). While they may claim to be US-based, many of the options for post-houses in the corporate and commercial industry actually have their editors located overseas. That’ll ripple throughout many facets of working with them, from lower prices to limited communication. Be aware of this situation because you may essentially be unknowingly working with a freelancer (but with a post-house representative in-between). Our company is a post-house and you can check out what makes us unique.

Production Companies or Agencies

Full-service agencies that include post-production as a part of their offerings. Many video production companies will take on editing-only projects from clients. They may have editors in-house, or they may contract the work out to their network of freelancers. It’s a mixed bag in this option, so if who is pushing the buttons is a concern for you, look into how their team is structured from an employment perspective. Production companies or agencies may have their attention diverted away for larger, more full-scope projects that push editing-only projects to the back-burner.

Now What?

If you're strongly considering outsourcing, be aware of the pros and cons when it comes to the three main outsourcing options. Freelancers may be cheaper, but they provide less reliability and scale than post-houses or production companies.

Here's a guided list of the articles in this series, but feel free to check them out in the order that makes sense to you:

1. Overview
2. Types of Outsourced Editing (you are here)‍
3. Advantages of Outsourcing Video Editing‍
4. Drawbacks of Outsourcing Video Editing‍
5. Advantages of In-House Video Editing‍
6. Drawbacks of In-House Video Editing‍
7. Important Questions to Decide if Outsourcing or In-House is Best for You

At Archaius, we focus on providing our clients the closest thing to a fractional in-house team. Meaning, we want you to feel like we’re right down the hall, but only when you need us.

Reach out through our contact form if you’d like to get the conversation started.

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