How Much Does It Cost to Film a Video?

We understand that this seems like an easy question to answer. However, a blanket answer is not only inaccurate, it’s unfair for clients seeking out the best for their business. The best answer to this question is “It depends.”

Quality over quantity is key due to how effective video production is with reaching future customers. There are many factors to take into consideration when building a budget for your project. When filming your video, do you want an aerial view of your business with a helicopter or a drone? Do you want your business filmed across the street? Do you want customer testimonials or product demonstrations included in your video? These are just a few of the many questions that can be addressed when meeting with your film crew, as they will affect the cost of a video.

Video Production Costs Breakdown

Basically, there are three major phases in the video production process. All three of these phases contain services required to create your video. Take a look at the many factors that affect pricing in this video production costs breakdown.

Pre-Production

At the beginning of your project, a draft and general outline of your video will be written alongside professionals, as well as a script for any presenters or narrators to follow. Script writers and marketers usually charge between $60/hour to $150/hour. Depending on the contents of your video, your production team may have to do extensive research to complete your top-notch video the first time around. Additionally, if your project demands it, we may need to scout for sites or obtain permits to film your video in the perfect location.

Production

This is where the magic happens. Video directors and cameramen will use top-quality equipment to complete the filming process. Directors can charge $25/hour to $250/hour while cameramen usually charge $25/hour to $400/hour (depending on the equipment and length of video). 

Post-Production

After your video has been filmed, editors will clean up, render, and prepare it for distribution. Video editing can cost anywhere between $60/hour to $175/hour and video rendering can cost $30/hour to $75/hour.

Video Production Cost Summary

The money needed to film your video depends on the type of video you’re interested in creating. If your business needs a video with still photographs, a professional voice over, and minimal graphics, video production cost can range anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000. If your budget ranges from $3,500 to $5,500, a small crew can create an HD commercial featuring aerial views of your work from a drone. And projects with a budget of $10,000 or higher can utilize things like more crew members, special camera lenses, an art department, and more.

Many production companies provide you with a video production rate card, breaking down how much all of the services will cost when filming your video. Rate cards are the most effective way to organize the services you’re paying for, allowing you to efficiently prepare your budget. For more information on service costs, go ahead and give us a call.

Production Company Rates

When filming a video, corporate video production rates can range anywhere between $1,500 to $10,000 per finished minute. These prices can be higher or lower depending on the type of video your project demands. For example, the rates of event videography and explainer customer testimonial videography might vary due to the services and equipment needed to create them.

Production company rates all depend on the type of video. At Beverly Boy, we know that your business deserves a top-quality video, so let us put our experience to work. Give us a call today to start filming your video!