How Much Does A Video Cost?

If I take a dozen eggs to the checkout line in my local supermarket and ask the cashier how much it costs, I don't expect his/her answer to be, "Well, it depends." And yet when I'm asked about the cost of producing a video, my first answer is almost always, "Well, it depends." Unlike the finite product of twelve large Grade A eggs in the cardboard carrier in my hand, there are several key variables that affect the cost of video productions. And with video everywhere today, being shot on all types of devices by people with all kinds of experience, I think it would be helpful to talk about two of the most important variables that impact the cost of a video production.

Time

Time is money. It's as true for video production as just about any other industry. Video productions have typically worked in half-day and full-day billing increments. An hourly rate may be available, but the need to set up and tear down a video shoot usually means a crew will have to bill for a half-day at a minimum, even if the actual video recording is only an hour. Therefore, the more time required for a video shoot, the more it will cost. A one-day shoot is cheaper than a two-day shoot, etc.

If you have a video need and a limited budget, which is fairly typical of any production, as all budgets have limits, one of the first areas to consider is if you can accomplish what you need in one day instead of two days. Moving from a full-day shoot to a half-day shoot might be more tricky, as you don't want to sacrifice time with interviewees or capturing b-roll footage, if possible.

Maybe looking at another cost driver would be helpful so that you don't have to sacrifice shoot time.

Complexity

The more complex the video you want to produce, the more it probably will cost. Sure, it would be cool to have a helicopter land and have your CEO exit and run toward the camera, but that shot isn't cheap if your company doesn't have it's own helicopter!

Other kinds of decisions that add to the complexity of a video shoot include:

-- Number of cameras. Each camera, generally speaking, requires an operator. At the minimum, there will be an equipment charge for the additional gear.

-- Lighting. Video productions typically include a basic lighting package. Anything beyond that package will be an additional cost.

-- Teleprompter. It can be a great tool and sometimes there's no way around using one. That said, there can be additional costs for the Teleprompter gear and an operator.

-- Post-production. There are many ways to increase the complexity of post-production, from the need for 3D animation and graphics, to professional voiceover to captioning the video. These and other post-production complexities increase post-production time, which will increase the cost.

There are more variables that can affect the price of a video production and perhaps folks will add some of their own in the comments, but these are the two areas that I typically address when discussing the cost of a video. And while devices like smart phones and GoPro cameras are making the video experience more accessible, the variables time and complexity don't change. Equipment cost for shooting an iPhone video may be less than shooting 4K with a Red camera, but if it takes a day to shoot either way, it's still a day for which the shooter will bill you. Beyond that, what will the video cost? It depends. And now you know why.