How to Choose a Video Production Company in Nigeria
Before you hire a production company for your next commercial or brand film, ask these questions. A practical guide from a Nigerian studio that has filmed for GTCO, Nigerian Breweries and Pernod Ricard.
Most brands in Nigeria hire a production company the same way: someone in the team knows someone, a quote comes in, and the cheapest reasonable number wins. Sometimes that works. Often it ends with a film that looks fine on a laptop and falls apart on a billboard screen, or a shoot that runs two days over because nobody planned the location properly.
We have been on both sides of that table. Zahn Studios has produced commercials, brand films and documentaries for GTCO, Nigerian Breweries, Pernod Ricard, Cadbury, Martell and others since we registered as a company in 2023. These are the questions we would ask if we were the ones hiring.
Look at finished work, then ask what the brief was
A showreel tells you what a company can make look good for ninety seconds. It does not tell you whether they can deliver your brief. Ask to see two or three complete films that are close to what you need, and ask what the client asked for in each one.
If you are a food brand, look for food. Food is one of the hardest things to film well, because it changes by the minute. Steam disappears, sauces skin over and greens wilt under lights. A company that has filmed it many times will show you that in the work. Our own Street Food film for GTCO and the Farm to Table strawberry piece are the kind of examples you should be asking any studio for.
Ask who will actually be on set
Some companies sell with a senior director and send a junior crew. Ask for names. Who is directing, who is behind the camera, who is editing, and who is managing the project day to day? At Zahn the answer is a small, fixed team: Tekena Williams directs and shoots, Amos Bode is our second cinematographer, Chika Ezemeh edits, Bilkisu Rufai manages projects and Vanessa Williams runs operations. You should be able to get the same clarity from anyone you hire.
Check what equipment they own
Owning equipment is not a guarantee of quality, but it tells you two things. First, the company is less likely to cancel because a rental house double booked a camera. Second, they are not adding a rental mark-up to your budget for every lens. We own about 70 percent of what we use on a typical shoot, including a Sony FX3, and we rent the rest for specific jobs. Ask any studio what they own and what they will rent for your project.
Ask how they handle pre-production
The quality of a shoot is mostly decided before anyone presses record. A good production company should talk you through:
a script or treatment you sign off before the shoot
a shot list and a call sheet
casting, and who is paying for usage rights
location recces and permits
a plan B for rain, power cuts and late talent
If the conversation jumps straight from your brief to a shoot date, slow it down.
Understand what is in the quote
Two quotes for the same brief can be millions of naira apart and still both be fair. The difference is usually in what is included: number of shoot days, crew size, cast fees, music licensing, colour grading, sound design, and how many versions you get at the end. Ask for a line-by-line breakdown, and ask how many rounds of edit changes are included. We have written separately about what a TV commercial costs to produce in Nigeria.
Ask about delivery formats
A TV spot, an Instagram reel, a cinema ad and a LinkedIn video all need different cuts, aspect ratios and lengths. Agree on every version you need before the shoot, because the director frames shots differently when they know a 9:16 cut is coming. Changing your mind after the shoot usually means cropping, and cropping costs quality.
Check whether they can work where you need them
If your shoot is in Abuja, Lagos, Kano or outside Nigeria, ask whether the company has worked there. Local knowledge saves days. We work across Nigeria, and we have filmed in Kano for GTCO Fashion Weekend and in Morocco for Hotel Barceló. Travel shoots need visas, equipment paperwork and local fixers, and a company that has done it before will price and plan for that properly.
Talk to a past client
Ask for one reference and call them. Ask whether the film was delivered on time, whether the budget held, and whether they would hire the company again. That five-minute call will tell you more than any pitch deck.
If you have a project coming up and want to talk it through, get in touch with us. We are happy to look at your brief and tell you plainly whether we are the right fit.