Over 10 years of productions and 200+ projects, the same mistakes recur. They cost on average 30% more budget and 3-5 weeks delay. Here are the 8 most frequent — and how to avoid them before they derail your project.
Contents
The 8 recurring mistakes
Mistake 1 — Briefing in meeting rather than writing
"We discussed it yesterday in meeting, it's validated." No. An oral brief is interpretable 5 different ways by 5 people. Always formalise in writing before launching production. See our brief template.
Mistake 2 — Choosing the cheapest thinking you save
A quote 50% cheaper than others always hides something: undersized crew, rushed post, billed revisions, overruns at delivery. "Low-cost" generally costs 30% more than the median quote at the end.
Mistake 3 — Validating by 5+ person committee
The bigger the validation committee, the flatter the film. Each participant wants to add their mark — and the result becomes a compromise without intent. Maximum 3 validators, ideally 1.
Mistake 4 — Underestimating sound
"Sound, we'll see in post." False. Poorly recorded sound is irrecoverable. Always plan a sound engineer separate from cameraman for a pro project. The additional investment (€300-500/day) saves the project.
Mistake 5 — Shooting without weather plan B
For weather-dependent outdoor shoots: always a half-day buffer in scheduling. Otherwise, first bad weather = re-shoot billed 2-3 extra days.
Mistake 6 — Wanting to say everything in one film
"The film must present our history, activities, values, ESG commitments, clients and outlook." Result: 4 boring minutes with nothing remembered. One main message per film — if you have 4 messages, make 4 films.
Mistake 7 — Neglecting subtitles
80% of videos on LinkedIn and Instagram are watched muted. No subtitles = no audience. Always plan subtitles in the quote (typically €200-300) — non-negotiable.
Mistake 8 — No call to action at film end
Film ends, viewer doesn't know what to do. Wasted effort. Always conclude with a concrete CTA: "Discover more on kymaproduction.com", "Apply before June 30", "Contact us for a quote". Without CTA, no conversion.
Hidden pitfalls nobody mentions
The music rights trap
Using music from a Spotify playlist in a corporate film = risk of YouTube takedown and SACEM fine. Always go through: stock library music (Artlist, Epidemic Sound = ~€250/year), or original composition (€3,000-15,000). No shortcut.
The image rights trap
Filming your employees without written authorisation = risk of labour tribunal complaint. Always have an image rights release signed, for the duration and uses planned (corporate, social, TV — each support to mention).
The "included" post-prod trap
If the quote says "post-prod included" without detail, ask: colour grading included? Pro sound mix included? Light motion design included? Multilingual versions included? Often "included" means "editing only" and the rest is hidden options.
The "we'll validate later" trap
"Shoot progresses, we'll validate edit later." Without intermediate validation, you discover at delivery an edit you don't like — too late for major changes. Plan a validation checkpoint after rushes or pre-edit.
How to avoid these mistakes: the 4 safeguards
- Formalise everything in writing. Brief, validations, changes — always by email or document. Oral disappears, written remains.
- Choose the middle ground. Neither cheapest nor most expensive. The median quote (often the best) is generally from a studio that owns its range.
- Centralise validation. 1-3 validators maximum. If a committee is mandatory, designate a unique synthesiser of feedback.
- Anticipate blind spots. Subtitles, music licence, image rights, weather. Including them from the quote avoids bad surprises.
With these 4 safeguards, you avoid 90% of typical problems. The remaining 10% is human factor (sick actor, refused authorisation the day before) — irreducible, but manageable.
