Print these out and bring them to every vendor call, including ours. If the answers don't sound right, walk.
Any company can say on its website that it specializes in legal work. The answers to these ten questions show whether it has filmed attorneys before and whether it understands bar advertising rules. They also show whether the company plans where each video will run, on the site, on social, in intake, before anyone picks up a camera.
It is easy to sign with a company on the strength of its reel and find out after delivery that nothing was planned for where the video would go, or that the package left out half of what you thought it included.
Why ask it
Anyone can cherry-pick their best single video. Three finished videos from one shoot day show whether the quality holds across a whole day of filming, or whether the reel is a highlight collage drawn from ten shoots.
What a good answer sounds like
Three separate videos from one shoot day, each strong on its own. That tells you the company can plan a full day of filming and keep the quality up in every cut it delivers.
Why ask it
Planning is where the video gets its point of view. A working session before the shoot settles who talks on camera and what each video is for. Skip that session and you pay for footage that has no job to do.
What a good answer sounds like
At least one working session before the shoot, an hour minimum, often two. They should come back with a shot list tied to your firm's marketing goals.
Why ask it
What you get should be ready to publish the day it lands, on the site and everywhere else it was planned for. If all you get is an MP4 and a link, the video sits in a folder while someone at the firm figures out where it should go.
What a good answer sounds like
Social cuts in vertical and square formats, a guide for where each one goes (website, social, intake, presentations), and ideally a usage license in writing.
Why ask it
Attorneys are trained to be careful on the record. An interviewer who doesn't understand that will get stiff answers and call it a day. Ask for the names of the crew who will be in the room and what legal work they have filmed.
What a good answer sounds like
Specific names, and shoots for law firms they can point to. Better still if the lead interviewer has a background in legal video or documentary.
Why ask it
Attorneys tell us this on most of our shoots. Handing them a script makes it worse, because reading turns the interview into a performance. What works is an interview that feels like ordinary conversation, with time to warm up.
What a good answer sounds like
They interview instead of using a teleprompter, and they can talk about coaching people who are comfortable in court but stiff on camera. A patient, documentary-style process.
Why ask it
The lowball pricing you see on a quote sheet often excludes travel, social cuts, music licensing, revisions, and b-roll.
What a good answer sounds like
One all-inclusive number that covers travel, social cuts, music, licensing, and revisions, with no surprise invoices.
Why ask it
In our experience, a video that avoids dated references and trendy editing keeps working for about 5 to 7 years. One built around current design trends starts to look old much sooner.
What a good answer sounds like
Somewhere around 5 to 7 years, with the caveat that a firm that changes fast may need updates sooner. They should be able to say why, and point to videos they shot two or more years ago that are still running.
Why ask it
Legal testimonials are governed by state bar advertising rules. Some states require disclaimers. A production company that has never worked with a law firm will get this wrong, and it's the firm's name on the ad.
What a good answer sounds like
They know the phrase 'past results do not guarantee similar outcomes.' Having handled state-bar-compliant testimonials before, they can tell you what gets one in trouble and how they avoid it.
Why ask it
Testimonials on a website are hand-picked. A phone call with a past client is where you find out what the process felt like, especially the parts nobody brags about.
What a good answer sounds like
A willing list, including at least one firm in your practice area or size. Companies doing strong work want you to make those calls.
Why ask it
The revision policy tells you what happens if the first cut misses. A hard cap ('two rounds, then we charge') means you could end up paying extra just to get to a video you can use, or settling for one you can't.
What a good answer sounds like
A guarantee you're happy before you pay the final invoice, or a policy where revisions continue until the video works. Whatever they promise, get it in writing before the shoot.
“If a company can't answer most of these on the first call, they're not going to figure it out on your shoot. I'd keep looking.”
We put the longer argument in a separate piece on why strategy comes before the shoot.
The first step is a free 30-minute Strategy Call. Bring your questions, and we'll walk you through how an engagement runs and what your firm would get out of it.
If you're not happy with the finished videos, we reshoot for free.
Or call us: 770-525-6192
