How Much Does a Corporate Video Cost?

Quick answer £1,500 – £15,000… or more.

It’s true. There is huge variance in video production costs, and this answer probably isn’t very helpful. But like so many important investments such as house, a car or a website, the cost is often the result of both size and complexity – and video is no different.

A straight-forward presentation to camera for example could be 60 minutes in duration, but will cost a small fraction of a high-end YouTube Ad running at 60 seconds duration. The question of cost can therefore only be answered when video content, style, and duration have all been broadly identified.

A more helpful way to answer this question would be for you to be shown a selection of videos that are similar in style, content and running time and be given a comparative cost for each.

Any experienced production company should be able to do this and also give you a clear explanation of the elements in the video that either increased or lowered the production costs.

You won’t of course be shown the exact video that you are wanting – because that will be unique to your requirements – but you will start to get a feel for similar approaches and the costs involved. You’ll also begin to get an idea of what aspects of production you could save money on and where you feel it might be essential to direct a significant funds.

You will no doubt have a rough indication of the sort of budget you have available, and from here on in, as with any purchase, it is down to you to spend it wisely.

To do that, it’s helpful to understand where the major costs may arise and so maybe the question should be:

Without proper explanation or a breakdown, it’s easy to think production companies pluck costs out of thin air, if you don’t have a breakdown of where your money is going.

So, let’s take a look at some of the key drivers of cost:

• Time spent in creative development and script writing
• Time in pre-production – planning and co-ordination
• Number of days filming
• Number of cameras and crew
• Additional filming equipment – lighting, autocue etc
• Transport and accommodation
• Studio hire
• Casting and Actors
• Location scouting and hire
• Voiceover Artist, Voiceover Artist
• Motion Graphics and CGI – Computer Generated Imagery
• Music licensing
• Days spent in production
• Days spent in post-production – editing, colour grading and sound mixing

This is by no means an exhaustive list – and it’s important to point out that not all of these items are required in a production either, but it is an indication of where the majority of costs typically come from.

Not all production companies are equal of course, and one of the biggest factors in cost can be production values. Production values are the technical standards that go into your production. This arises from the quality of the cameras, microphones, lighting – and most importantly how the gear is used i.e. the expertise and experience of the crew!

Production values are also embedded in your production right from the start. How well written is the script for example? Does it connect with your audience? Does the storyboard really represent your brand values and will the edit be polished enough for the production to truly sparkle?

You may have a budget of £100,000 for a worldwide product launch, or you may have under £1,000 for a quick personal introduction on your website. Either way, you don’t want to be paying over the odds and will want to keep your costs as reasonable as possible.

90% of our clients come to us with reasonable expectations of budget. That’s probably good news for you because it means the chances are, whatever you have available, a video can be produced for that budget.

Now whether this represents best value is another matter of course – strangle the budget too hard and you could have a cheap looking production that is not worthy of your brand. Go wild with your spending, and maybe you could have achieved two videos for the same cost.

In reality, there is usually a sweet spot where best value can be achieved for your aims – and this is where you need good advice, options and examples from your chosen production company.

If you can be clear about your budget range and open minded about ideas, and approaches, and you are working with a production company that truly understands you, your brand and your market, you will find that sweet spot.

And that will give you the answer to how much a corporate video costs.