How much does it cost to produce a video?
This is the most common question we get—it’s also the trickiest to answer.
Production companies will price your film based on two things: complexity and time. The complexity of a production is determined by factors like…
Number of locations
Number of actors
Size of the crew
Amount of visual effects
The more complex your video is, the more time it’ll take to produce—which means the higher your costs will be.
These decisions are finalized during development and pre-production, if you’re collecting bids, you’ll receive more accurate estimates by considering these factors ahead of time. Do your best to give prospective vendors an idea about the locations and characters involved—as well as the general style of the video you want to create: live action, animated, 2D or 3D, mixed media, etc… They’ll help you figure out the remaining details.
Note: Crew rates are paid by the day, not by the hour. A producer will break a script or treatment down to decide how many days are necessary for production.
Video production ranges wildly in scope and cost.
On one end of the spectrum, solo producers handle everything from writing to shooting to editing, and they typically tackle projects that are a little smaller in scope. On the other hand, full-service video production houses like Freytag Films work with a number of specialists (crew members) to tackle larger and typically more complex projects.
Solo producers rarely charge more than $15,000, whereas many production houses won’t consider productions for less than $30,000. (We work with all budgets.)
Depending on your budget, you may want to consider searching for freelancers on platforms like ProductionHub versus full-service production companies.
Feel free to reach out if you need any guidance.
What are some of the costs involved in producing a video?
We’ve mentioned a few factors that influence the scope of a production, but here are some other hard costs that may add to your budget:
Travel. If you’re hiring a production company from out of town, or if filming needs to take place in a different state/country, you’ll be expected to pay the crew’s way. This includes things like travel costs, housing costs, and meal stipends. Oftentimes, only the principal members of a crew (like the director, producer, and DP) will make the trip, and other crew members will be hired locally to save on costs.
Gear. Most production companies rent gear based on the needs of a project. Even if they own the gear themselves, they’ll charge you a fee to use it based on current market rates.
Insurance. Every production must be insured to protect the crew, the equipment, and the filming locations. The larger a production (meaning, the more gear, people, and time required) the more expensive it is to insure.
Craft Services. A production is expected to feed its cast and crew. We call this craft services (or “crafty” for short). If it’s a typical 10-hour day on set, this includes breakfast, lunch, and of course, coffee and snacks to keep the crew moving. Sets longer than ten hours will also provide dinner.
Production Design. Some productions require a production designer to “dress” locations based on the desired look. This might include renting and staging furniture, painting walls, hanging art, or building entire sets.
Props and Wardrobe. Most of the time, a production is expected to provide its actors (otherwise known as “talent”) with costumes; and oftentimes a script will call for specific props like phones, food and drinks, books, etc… Each of these things is provided by the production company.
How much do you pay upfront?
Most production companies follow AICP guidelines and require a 75% deposit with the remaining 25% due upon delivery. Why’s the deposit so large? Because there are a ton of upfront costs involved in production: renting equipment, booking locations, buying props, hiring actors and crew members…
Plus, there’s a lot of risk.
A production company owes all of its vendors their dues whether or not the client pays the remaining balance. Collecting a 75% deposit ensures that the producers will be able to settle all of their accounts in the unlikely event that a project falls through mid-production.
Note: When you’re preparing to hire a production company, make sure you’re in a position to pay a deposit.
Here are some general budget ranges for productions of varying complexity:
A low-complexity production may include…
One day of production
A single location
1-2 actors
A small crew (6-10 people)
Minimal visual effects, like titles and lower-thirds
Something like this might cost $30,000-50,000 or more if you work with a full-service production house. A medium-complexity film may include…
2-3 days of production
Two locations
2-4 actors
Medium-sized crew (10-15 people)
Motion-graphic sequences or light visual effects
A production of this complexity might cost $50,000-70,000. Anything exceeding this scope would be considered a high-complexity film, putting you closer to a six-figure budget.
So what does it cost to produce a video?
The honest answer is: it all depends on what you’re looking for.
We encourage you to reach out and tell us a bit about your project. Even a quick conversation will give us a sense of what your production might cost and whether you should consider hiring a production company like Freytag Films or a solo producer, like one of the many talented people in our network.