You know you need more video. Your competitors are doing it, the stats all scream that it works, but the process of actually making it is a nightmare.
Wyzowl recently found that 93% of marketers report strong ROI from video. But a 2024 report from PwC shows that most CEOs say the main blocker to innovation and change in their teams (marketing included) is “finding qualified talent.”
Finding a freelance video editor on Upwork or Fiverr feels like a second job. You’re sifting through endless portfolios, rolling the dice on quality, and playing project manager for someone you’ve never met. It’s slow, inconsistent, and frankly, a huge drain on your team’s time.
What if you could skip all that hassle and just get great videos?
No haggling, no guesswork, just a smooth process that delivers the awesome YouTube videos and short-form content you need.
Smart startups and creators are doing exactly that. They’re moving beyond open marketplaces to platforms and subscription services built for results. These alternatives handle the vetting, the project management, and the headaches so you don't have to.
This pain goes beyond just finding a freelance editor that fits your team. A 2024 report found that even though 87% of marketers say video increased their sales, a third of them say that a “lack of time and resources” is blocking them from publishing more video content.
Here are 5 custom video production agencies that startup founders and marketing leaders work with to get quality video content without the chaos.
1. Clipwing: your YouTube partner
Clipwing started from the frustration its creators had with editing and cutting shorts from their video podcasts. They’ve built a complete system to take that off your plate and make your YouTube content consistent & awesome.
Perfect for video podcasts, talking head-style vlogs, product demos & tutorials, and video-first marketing teams. Just sign up and send them your recording files.
Each week you’ll get a professionally edited long-form video, awesome thumbnails that match your branding, and 3 stellar short-form videos to grow your channel even faster.
The Clipwing team goes beyond flashy edits to deliver videos that show your ideas in engaging ways across long and short-form videos.
Why companies and creators love it:
It’s completely managed: They handle the entire editing process from start to finish.
Fast and consistent: Get your videos delivered every week to grow your channel and keep publishing regularly.
Professional quality: Videos and shorts that match your brand vibe and clearly communicate your key messages.
Get your time back: Drop off your files, add as many notes as you’d like and Clipwing’s production team takes care of everything else.
Finally, there’s no delay in starting your video campaign. On-boarding is as simple as joining a Slack channel and uploading your first batch of files to a shared Google drive.
With a set monthly subscription price and fixed delivery schedule, there’s no questions about going over budget or wondering when the next project will finally be done!
2. QuickFrame: the video-only marketplace to find freelancers faster
QuickFrame is built for speed and performance. Need a stack of TikTok ads, a YouTube explainer, and a LinkedIn carousel video by next week? Their AI-powered platform matches you with a vetted creator and provides a dedicated producer to manage the project.
It’s the antidote to the slow, plodding pace of traditional freelance hiring and perfect for one-off launch videos, event promos or ad campaigns.
Why it’s a CEO favorite:
Ridiculously fast matching: Submit your brief and get paired with a pro in days, not weeks.
Data-driven creatives: Their creators know how to make videos that actually perform.
Mostly hands-off: Their team handles the production details and their platform includes video reviews and change request submission.
Crystal-clear pricing: Choose project-based or subscription plans with no surprises.
3. Glimmer: global production partner
Need a professional recording crew in Berlin, Tokyo, or São Paulo? Glimmer is your answer. It’s a vetted marketplace of top-tier videographers and production companies available in over 190 countries.
It’s built for enterprises that need high-quality, localized video with the security and scalability of a major platform.
Why it’s a CEO favorite:
Access to local top talent: Find proven recording and production teams nearly anywhere in the world.
Enterprise-grade security: Centralized billing and contracts make finance teams happy.
No quality guesswork: Every creator is pre-vetted and reviewed.
Perfect for global campaigns: Manage everything from one dashboard.
4. 90 Seconds: video production in the cloud
90 Seconds is a cloud platform to manage entire video productions, from booking vetted creators anywhere in the world to reviewing edits and approving final cuts. It’s built for speed and efficiency, ideal for brands that need a streamlined process for commissioning video globally.
Submit your brief and get bids for each specific role you need for your video. For long-term partnerships, 90 Seconds offers productized video orders that your team can request with a central payment dashboard to manage budgets across multiple projects.
Why CEOs choose 90 Seconds:
Global cloud platform: Manage projects from brief to delivery in one place.
Worldwide recording and production network: 7,000+ vetted video professionals in over 120 countries.
Productized videos: Standardized pricing for over 100 different video types.
Collaboration tools: Production team members, feedback, change requests, approvals and budgets all in one place.
Fit to your needs: Scale up for global campaign rollouts or stay steady with continuous production.
5: Creamy Animation: the explainer video specialists
Nobody on your team wants their face in front of the camera? Creamy Animation focuses exclusively on producing animated explainer videos, product demos, and motion graphics.
Their platform simplifies the process of creating complex animations, making them the go-to for SaaS, tech, and fintech companies that need to simplify complex messages.
Why brands dig Creamy:
Focused Product: Total specialization in animated video.
Stress-free management: Smooth, managed process with a single point of contact.
Clear pricing: Packaged pricing for different tiers of animation quality and complexity.
Quick delivery: Faster turnaround on complex animation projects than generalist video editors.
The Bottom Line
The data backs this shift up. Companies using video grow revenue 49% faster. But the old way of finding talent is broken. These production agencies understand that your goal isn’t to hire a freelancer, it’s to get an amazing video.
And amazing is found not only in cool zooms or great graphics, but in delivering your key ideas, features and updates clearly!
They fix the core frustrations:
Quality: Pre-vet talent so you don’t have to. (Goodbye, portfolio deep dives!)
Time: Manage the project so your team can focus on strategy. (Hello, productivity!)
Cost: Subscription and package pricing kill budget creep. (Finally, predictability.)
Ready to make the switch? Ask yourself:
What’s your goal? Brand awareness with a cinematic hit from a place like Glimmer or lead generation with performance-focused video ads from QuickFrame?
Which services do you need? Will your team handle the recording and outsource the post-production or do you need a full on-site recording team as well?
What’s your volume? A one-off project or a long-term video content partner? (This is where subscriptions from Clipwing shine).
Who’s your audience? Need to explain a complex product? An animation specialist like Creamy Animation might be your best bet.
How do you want to pay? Ready to fully commit to video marketing and make full use of a monthly subscription or do you want to dabble with one-off campaigns now and then?
The right platform isn’t just a vendor; it’s a partner that removes friction and delivers what you actually need: results.
