What Does a Three Minute Professional Talking Head Video Cost to Create?
Talking head videos represent interview-style video content that involves the use of topical experts who represent the story behind a product, event, service, business or brand such that the filmed video appears as an interview that showcases just the interview subjects as the primary focus. In making the subject matter expert the center of focus for the video, a professional talking head video can draw the attention of your audience and build credibility for your brand or whatever it is the expert is there to represent. While there are a lot of lovely things about talking head videos, before you get started with producing this type of content, you’re probably wondering, “What does a three minute professional talking head video cost?”
The fact is, producing a video can have various costs involved regardless of what type of video it is or how long it is. Naturally, length is a key factor in determining the cost as is the style of the video and the complexity of the shooting and editing involved in the production, so these are typically starting points in determining the overall cost of production or the estimated production costs for budgeting purposes.
At Beverly Boy Productions, when clients ask us what a three minute professional talking head video will cost, we’re usually pretty quick to explain that the costs are going to vary somewhere between about $1800 and $9,000. How do we come up with this estimate? We base it on the fact that the average cost per finished minute of video is between $600 and $3,000.
Immediate Considerations in Three Minute Professional Talking Head Video Cost Estimates
First, it’s important to consider the length and the style of the video in determining the total cost of production. With a three minute professional talking head video, cost estimates can be based on the estimated overall length of the video which is 3 minutes. Some videos, particularly those that do not have an estimated total final cut length, can be much more challenging to estimate because before any estimates can be made a decision must be made on the total length of the video.
Another thing that makes estimating three minute professional talking head video cost easier than some projects is the fact that there is already a plan for the style of video. A talking head video requires some rather basic interview footage, focuses on a single subject matter expert, and generally can be shot with a 2 camera setup. All of this means that most of the time, a video like this will be on the lower end of the cost spectrum per finished minute.
Below is a look at the price estimates for the various elements including crew, equipment, and talent, which must go into the production of a three minute professional talking head video:
- Video Director – $25 to $250 per hour
- Script Writer – $60 to $150 per hour
- Video Editor – $60 to $175 per hour
- Cameraman – $25 to $400 per hour
- Talent – $60 to $500 per hour
- Equipment – $25 to $100s per hour
- Studio rental – $100 to $400 per hour
- Narrator – up to $400 per hour
- Audio files – $30 to $1,000
- Video Rendering – $30 to $75 per hour
- B-roll – Additional 10% or more added to shooting costs
- Miscellaneous fees – $100 to $1,000s depending on production
With these estimates, it’s easier to see the various costs that you can expect to plan for when you’re budgeting for a three minute professional talking head video. Just keep in mind that even the above rates can vary quite significantly depending on the experience of the crew, the estimated level of difficulty involved in the production, and various other factors.
Features that Can Increase Three Minute Professional Talking Head Video Cost
In addition to the factors that are immediate considerations when producing a talking head video, there are some features that are less often considered but can still drive costs up rather quickly. For instance, if you’re interested in having a “bird’s eye view” of your location or a particular viewing area for your footage, you’re going to need drone footage which means you’ll have expenses associated with the drone rental, drone pilot fees, and expenses associated with any permitting that is required in order to capture drone footage.
Likewise, if you intend to incorporate animated footage into your three minute talking head video, you’re going to have additional expenses associated with hiring an animator and an editor that can work in post-production animation. It’s very important to keep in mind that animation is more than just cartoon characters! Animated text, text that moves in any way on the screen, is common in talking head videos and the animation expense is something that’s very easy for someone that’s new to video production to overlook when creating a budget.
As you can see, defining the three minute professional talking head video cost that you can expect for your project can take many turns. The best way to get a true estimate for your budget is to contact a professional like Beverly Boy Productions for additional details that are specifically based on the details of your project. Give us a call to learn more!