In the age where cat videos reign supreme, and memes are the ruling class of internet, one hot trend is DIY (do it yourself). DIY furniture. DIY wedding decor. DIY holiday themed desserts. Audio/video production is no exception to this trend…but, should it be?

One of the biggest factors in trying to DIY is the idea that you can save money. As UK based event site, eventjuice.co.uk laid out in this article, budgeting is the most important aspect of any conference, gala or what-have-you. Phase one of any event is to brainstorm themes and concepts. After you’ve envisioned the perfect idea, phase two is laying out a budget and researching how to stay within that budget with the costs of each component.

“Don’t sacrifice the integrity of your event by skimping on AV,” says our Business Development Director, Doug Netolicky, offering up advice to anyone considering the DIY route for A/V production.

He elaborated that you don’t want to spoil the ambience of a large event by shirking the costs of professionally mixed audio, lighting and video components. A poorly staged party is one of the fastest ways to cheapen the time you’ve spent planning, not to mention the lackluster feeling your guests will leave with. Video and event production company, TalkingTree Creative, explains here why it is best left to professionals to create video components for your company.

Factors to consider if you’re still unsure whether to DIY or not to DIY:

1. Time: The time spent trying to learn how to generate audio/video content from scratch could be used instead to negotiate with venues in order to score the perfect location for your party. SuccessfulMeetings.com explains the leverage you have when searching for a venue.
2. Money: By extraneously purchasing or renting all of the equipment you would need to create the effect you want at your event, you could very well end up spending more than you would have spent on a custom A/V package from a production company.
3. Headache: Have you ever bit off more than you could chew and only ended up frustrated? While most of us have created an iMovie at some point, it’s very different than projecting live audio and video on LED screens at a concert. You’ll save yourself the frustration and exasperation as to why you can’t hear the lead singer over the blare of the background guitarist.
4. Scale: If you were looking to project a slideshow at a birthday party, it would be a different story than syncing up 9 different microphones while simultaneously running lights and projectors and making sure they all blend properly. Keep in mind the scale of your production and understand that in most cases, you’ll be better off hiring a production company to help you pull off your vision.
5. Equipment Expertise: For as easy as expert audio and video engineers make their jobs seem, they’ve spent years honing their trade in order to seamlessly bring a/v productions to life.

When it doubt, it’s better to outsource audio/visual setup and production to a company that specializes in it. Rausch Productions and 16th Avenue Music are both companies that have worked nationally on a number of diverse events. If you have questions about an upcoming event, call us to create your custom production package that entails all of the features you envision.