If you’re reading this blog, chances are you’re interested in getting a video for your website. Naturally, the first question to come to mind will probably be:

What is the cost of video production?

But asking a video production company how much a website video costs is a lot like asking a real estate agent “what does a house cost?”. The answer, of course, should really depend on the resources you have to invest – not on the actual average. For this reason, when approaching the idea of video production, the better question to be asking is: what kind of video can I make with my budget? The purpose of this post is to introduce you to a few different products that can be achieved across a variety of budgets.

Point and Shoot Video: $800-$2,000

If you are looking to make a video where all you need to do is deliver a simple message to the camera, then a point and shoot video could be just what you need. A point and shoot video is great for businesses that want a product that looks more professional than a iPhone video, but doesn’t necessitate any bells and whistles. This is often the style for a series of YouTube videos or tutorials. If you are going to do a point and shoot video, your spokesperson needs to know what they are going to say before the cameraman arrives. A big part of keeping the cost down is having clean, well-delivered sound bites that require minimal editing.

What to Expect in a Point and Shoot Video

Professional video and audio quality (High Definition)
Filmed in a few hours
Small production crew — one, maybe two cameras
Possible use of a teleprompter

What not to Expect in a Point and Shoot video

Use of multiple locations
Interview multiple team members
Pre-production
B-roll (visuals that support the dialogue)

Business Explainer Video: $3,000-$5,000

A budget in this range is often considered an entry level video. Bear in mind that entry level is does not need to be synonymous with bad quality, but rather a professionally done video that attains its affordability by keeping things simple. In this price range you should expect to have both professional audio and lighting, high definition images, and a nicely edited final product. However, for under $5,000 you are unlikely to get a cinematic masterpiece that brings your audience to tears; there is simply no time for in–depth pre-production and brainstorming of a unique concept. A common video at this price point is a Business Explainer Video which tells potential clients ‘who you are and what you do‘. This type of video is often filmed in the style of an interview and features either an owner/operator or a key employee talking about the business. As the title suggests, the goal of the video is to explain who you are and what your company does. See below an example of what kind of video you can expect in this price range.

What to Expect in a Business Explainer Video

Basic Pre-production (simple concept)
Professional video and audio quality (High Definition)
1 Filming day, 1 or 2 locations
1 or 2 Interviews, often the business owner
Simple B-roll (visuals that supports the dialogue)

What not to Expect in a Business Explainer Video

Interviewing multiple team members
Multiple filming days/locations
Hair/Make-up artist

Storytelling Video: $5,000-$10,000

Once you get into the $5,000-$10,000 range you can get a much more personalized product. This is the price range you want to be in if you are looking to have a video that tells a story or evokes an emotion in the viewer. The primary reason that the cost of video production rises for these types of videos is that they require more pre-production. Pre-production consists of concept development, storyboarding, scriptwriting, sourcing the relevant props or outfits, scheduling actors, location scouting, and the planning and organization that happens before the cameraman presses record.

Storytelling videos are different from the ‘who we are and what we do’ videos in that they are much more of an artistic product. Because of this, it is important to find a video production company who has a style that you like. Hiring a video production company is like hiring a band. Just as every band has a different sound and style, every video company will offer a unique approach, so it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with their work and style. Then, choose the company whose style you like the best. Storytelling videos are a powerful way to promote your brand, but as you can imagine, the stories don’t just tell themselves. A captivating storytelling video is the result of good pre-production, cinematic filming, and an artistic eye in editing.

What to Expect in a Storytelling Video

Pre-production
Professional video and audio quality (High Definition)
2-4 filming days, multiple locations
Cinematic B-roll
Hair/Makeup artist
Lifestyle models or actors

Corporate Video: $5,000-$10,000

When larger companies do a Business Explainer Video, it is often far more involved than when a small company does the same video. The reason for this is that larger companies often need to feature a variety of employees from different departments and divisions across multiple locations. As you can imagine, each interview adds significant amounts of editing time and often requires specific b-roll (visuals that support the dialogue), and so the cost of video production for these types of videos rise. A good video production company can synthesize all of the long form interviews and b-roll into a 3-5 minute piece that showcases the features and benefits of the company.

What to Expect in a Corporate Video

Pre-production
Multiple filming days/ locations (different divisions or plants)
Interview multiple team members
B-roll
Hair/Makeup artist

The cost of video production can vary quite dramatically. The trick is to make sure you are comparing apples-to-apples as you are searching for a video production company. Business Explainer videos are a great option for smaller companies who are looking to bolster their online presence without breaking the bank. You just might not be able to exercise your creativity as much as you would like. If you’re looking to have that emotionally charged, cinematic video or looking for a unique concept then be sure your budget is in the higher range. At the end of the day, if you choose your video production company wisely, you will have a professional and effective video for your website.

9 Comments

Warren on June 17, 2016 at 12:27 am

Having done my fair share of these types of videos, your price range listed here, especially for the multi-day, multi-crew shoots with equipment, etc. are not realistic and on the very low end even when you range them in $5000-$10,000 range.

I guess you might want to include a city/market where things are cheaper and mention this. In the Los Angeles market, bringing in a crew with make-up, a grip/electric, lighting gear, one to two cameras as you suggest, a possible second operator, sound person, PA, food, actors (non-union of course) etc., you have already blown a $10,000 budget. With pre-production and script writing factored in, it gets quite expensive.

I’d imagine if you are shooting in rural Utah or another part of the country, it might be much cheaper.

I’m really not trying to give you a hard time, but this will mislead so many people and when they get a budget that is realistic, it won’t be in their expectations.
- flypress on June 17, 2016 at 4:04 pm
  
  Warren – we appreciate your feedback and insights. As you’re in the industry, I’m sure you can sympathize in the challenge of giving a generalized answer to the question of cost. We are a boutique video company in Toronto, Canada, so we did our best to have the information in this post reflective of our GTA area/market. The prices we’ve mentioned are probably most accurate when hiring a small, but effective production company. And you’re right, a storytelling or corporate video budget of 5-10k will certainly not go far if requiring a large production crew and/or actors. Thanks for chiming in.
- Gordon on June 21, 2016 at 3:19 am
  
  I tend to agree about the estimates of how much it will cost. There is always something that will make the cost go up. Graphics or the edits aren’t working or someone forget to get something for shooting day and you need to improvise. The above mentioned will delay in time and money.
Ryan on June 17, 2016 at 2:40 pm

Informative post.
Thanks.
- flypress on June 17, 2016 at 3:50 pm
  
  Thanks for the feedback. It’s hard to comprehensively answer this question, but it gives a framework for decent web video.
Gabriel on June 20, 2016 at 1:53 am

Thank you for the informative post that tries to educate clients, love it!! I know it is a framework and each individual business needs to look at their own costs as well as understand each clients needs.
Amy Wong on June 20, 2016 at 1:14 pm

Thank you for the post. It provides context for costs. Moreover, it substantiates the idea that you get what you pay for. If you want quality, there are costs associated with a quality product.
- Chu Osakwe on June 21, 2016 at 12:47 pm
  
  I love your statement Amy. Indeed one gets what one pays for.
- Chu Osakwe on June 21, 2016 at 12:53 pm
  
  Very useful post. Thanks @ Warren for giving that insight about your part of the world. I also agree with Amy, you indeed get what you pay for.