A Videos Company Uncovers 7 Myths About Video Marketing Timelines
When you need a video, time is often the first thing on your mind. You want it soon, you need it to perform, and you do not want it to drag on forever. Understandable. But here is the reality: many assumptions about how long video production takes are simply not accurate. People frequently ask, “How long does video production take?” or “How quickly can I have the final version?” The internet offers quick answers, but in practice, the real timeline depends on a range of variables, many of which are misunderstood. These misunderstandings can set up unrealistic expectations that lead to frustration, delays, and disappointment. If you have ever thought you could get a standout video in under a week or assumed editing is just a few clicks away from being done, you are not alone. These are common beliefs, but they are rarely accurate. A videos company experienced in sectors like corporate, training, animated, health and safety, and marketing often encounters these myths shaping client expectations. Let’s unpack the most common myths about video marketing timelines and explain what actually affects how long a quality video takes to produce.
Myth 1: “I Can Get a Great Quality Video in Just One Week”
Why People Believe It
Tight deadlines are common in marketing. A campaign launches soon, an event is approaching, or a product needs promotion. It is tempting to assume a video can be added to that plan in a matter of days.
Why It Is Incorrect
Video production is not one task, it is a sequence. From planning and scripting to filming, editing, and final delivery, each step takes time. Even with a small team, quality takes more than a few days. For instance, animated explainer videos often require scripting, voiceover, storyboarding, visual design, animation, and sound editing. That process alone can stretch beyond two weeks. Live-action projects need logistics, location planning, and talent coordination. Once filming wraps, editing can take several days depending on the video’s complexity.
The Truth
In most cases, expect between 2 to 6 weeks for a well-produced video. Urgent timelines are sometimes possible for simple formats, but they often involve trade-offs in quality or messaging. A videos company can help you prioritise and adapt your concept to match a tighter deadline, but it is never just plug-and-play.
Myth 2: “Editing Is the Fastest Part of Making a Video”
Why People Believe It
After all the filming is done, it is easy to think editing is just stringing clips together with a few transitions and music tracks.
Why It Is Incorrect
Editing is often the most time-intensive phase of production. Why? Because it involves a series of deliberate decisions. First comes reviewing all the footage, sometimes hours of it, to find the strongest moments. Then there is trimming, sequencing, adding graphics, music, titles, and colour correction. For more complex edits, multiple drafts are shared and reviewed before final approval.
Editing time can vary wildly: a basic cut for a talking-head video might take 3–5 hours. But for a training video, case study, or branded piece involving interviews, motion graphics, and b-roll, editing alone could stretch across several days.
The Truth
Editing is not just about quick technical fixes, it is part of the storytelling. A videos company brings editorial judgment, pacing, and precision to the table. Rushing editing often means losing the message you were aiming for in the first place.
Myth 3: “Animation Is Quicker Than Filming”
Why People Believe It
There is a misconception that animation skips over the need for sets, lighting, or camera crews. It seems like something you can just design on a screen and render out.
Why It Is Incorrect
While animated videos remove certain production tasks like filming, they add many others. Scripting and planning remain essential, but in animation, every visual element must be created from scratch. A 90-second animation could require hundreds of illustrated assets, detailed storyboards, and multiple animation passes.
Unlike filming, where hours of footage can be captured in one day, animation builds each frame manually or semi-manually. Even motion graphics, often assumed to be “quick,” require style consistency, timing, and review.
The Truth
Animation can be the right choice for certain messages, but it is not inherently faster. In many cases, it takes longer than live-action filming. If a videos company recommends animation, it is for strategic reasons, not because it is faster.
Myth 4: “If It’s Not Viral Overnight, The Video Failed”
Why People Believe It
People often equate success with views. Viral videos get attention, so the assumption is: if it is good, it will go viral quickly.
Why It Is Incorrect
Success in video marketing is rarely measured by overnight numbers. Business videos are not viral content, they are strategic assets designed for specific audiences. A health and safety video for internal staff will not go viral, nor should it. A training video viewed 30 times might be a success if it results in better staff performance.
Even consumer-facing videos take time to build momentum. Distribution strategy, SEO, targeting, and timing all influence performance. There is also the long-term value: a well-produced video might serve your business for years.
The Truth
Virality is not a measure of success in most business contexts. Instead, impact, clarity, and relevance matter more. A videos company helps shape videos that deliver results, not empty views.
Myth 5: “The Client’s Feedback Doesn’t Impact the Timeline”
Why People Believe It
There is an assumption that once the videos company begins production, the timeline is set. Feedback is just part of the process and should not affect delivery.
Why It Is Incorrect
In reality, feedback can either keep a project on track, or delay it. When feedback is slow, unclear, or changes significantly from earlier direction, it causes revisions and delays. Especially in the edit stage, changes to structure, voiceover, or graphics can add days or even a week.
The most efficient productions have clear direction from the outset and fast, consolidated feedback at each stage.
The Truth
Client involvement is important, but how and when you provide feedback matters. A professional videos company will build check-in points into the timeline, but delays in those points will affect the final delivery.
Myth 6: “Simple Videos Don’t Take Much Time”
Why People Believe It
When a video looks minimal, perhaps a presenter speaking to camera, it can appear easy to produce.
Why It Is Incorrect
Even “simple” videos involve logistics. Booking a studio or location, setting up lighting, sound, preparing scripts or prompts, and scheduling the right time to shoot are all time-dependent. Then there is editing, sound balancing, and final delivery. Small production crews do not mean less planning. If anything, simpler videos require more precision to avoid looking unfinished.
The Truth
Minimal does not mean easy. The simpler the format, the more polished the execution needs to be. A videos company ensures these small-scale productions still meet professional standards and deadlines.
Myth 7: “Using the Latest Tech or AI Means Instant Video Production”
Why People Believe It
The rise of AI in editing, scripting, and design gives the impression that video can now be generated with little human effort or time.
Why It Is Incorrect
While technology can speed up some tasks, it does not replace the decision-making, creative judgement, or review process involved in making a video. AI tools might assist with transcribing or rough edits, but they do not know your brand tone, audience, or goals. Shortcuts often need reviewing and adjusting, and that takes time. Videos are still made for humans, by humans.
The Truth
Technology improves workflow, but it does not eliminate the process. A professional videos company may use efficient tools behind the scenes, but delivery still relies on clear thinking, feedback, and refinement.
What This All Really Means About Timelines
Video production is not a linear, automated process. It is a series of interdependent steps that require coordination, decision-making, and precision. Myths about speed often come from misunderstanding just how much work happens behind the scenes, most of which is invisible when you are only watching the final result.
A videos company works to manage this process and keep it efficient, but quality always takes time. When you begin a video project with realistic expectations, you are far more likely to get a result that works, for your business, your brand, and your audience.
If your goal is to produce something quickly and professionally, the best place to start is with a clear brief and a realistic timeline. That allows your videos company to plan, schedule, and deliver a result that not only looks good but also performs well, now and in the long term.
Don’t let timeline misconceptions slow you down. Contact Sound Idea Digital now to talk through your video needs and find out how we can deliver on time without surprises.
We are a full-service Web Development and Content Production Agency in Gauteng specialising in Video Production, Animation, eLearning Content Development, Learning Management Systems, and Content Production.
Contact us for a quote. | enquiries@soundidea.co.za | https://www.soundideavideoproduction.co.za| +27 82 491 5824 |
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