How much does a video cost?

One of the most often asked questions we get right off the bat is, "So how much does a video cost?" Good question! The simple answer is - "As much or as little as your budget allows to do the job you desire.” This usually comes from clients whose video production hasn’t been high on their list of priorities in the past but now realize the impact videos can have on their business. Our goal is to help you understand where the budget is going, so with that in mind, let me first provide an analogy.

Caller: "Hello, I heard you are great at building houses, and I'm in need of a house. How much does a house cost to build?"

Builder: "Well, what kind of house are we building? How big of a house do you want? Do you want brick, stucco, or hardy plank? What about hardwood floors, or carpet?  You get the picture. You see, just like the number of variables in building a house, there are many variables that go into producing a video. So let me offer some things to consider that will help you along in the process of budgeting for a video and as you seek a production team. 

CREATIVE

It’s your brand. What do you want it to reflect? Are you looking for your production team to bring you the “big idea?” If so, then there's a cost involved with that and you should budget for it. We believe it’s important to be part of a client’s whole planning process from Discovery to Delivery and everything in-between.  Being with you in the planning from the beginning ensures that we stay on track to produce a video that speaks to the right audience with the best creative, and in the end, provide the value you desire in a video. Then before we start the pre-production phase we make sure the script is locked and ready to go.

PRE-PRODUCTION                                                                                            

These things don’t just happen, they are important but time-consuming, and must be considered in the budgeting process. 

1. Scheduling – Although flexibility is always needed, a project coordinator is necessary to develop a detailed schedule.  This scheduling phase is time-consuming but saves both time and money in the long run. It is an expense the production company has to deal with.                                                                             

2. Locations/Scouting - Do you need one location? Five? You’ll need to consider a larger budget if you need to shoot in multiple locations. The production team will consider that as they create the script.                                      

3. Crew/Equipment - Organizing the crew and making sure that you have the right equipment is crucial. Knowing how many arms and legs needed on shooting day is vital to running a smooth ship. You don't want to send your only PA to the store when he/she needs to be helping on set. Or realize later you needed an established aerial shot and should of budgeted for a drone. Remember time is money!!                                              

4. Casting – Who will be in the video? Family, friends, employees or actors? There's a broad range of costs when it comes to talent from on-screen to voice-over. For professionals, the production company will “pre-screen” the talent based on fit and budget. The final casting process can be time consuming, but you should be able to block off a day (or less) to hold casting somewhere. In the end having professional talent may cost more, but it could save you money in time during the shoot.                    

5. Breakdown "Shooting Script” - Once the final script is approved, it’s necessary to work with the production company to break down the shot list. This is important to keep the production rolling along and not waste time.  It also aids in the editing process.

There's more to go into pre-production, but at least you get a feel of why costs can typically go up if not budgeted.

PRODUCTION

Shooting Day can be both stressful and fun at the same time. Proper budgeting for production can alleviate much of the stress that comes with too few people doing too many jobs. Just a few things to think about that impact the actual production on shooting day that will need to be budgeted. 

1. Travel - The location should be considered. Will travel be involved as out of town shoots obviously cost more. Plus if it's an overnighter, then lodging, meals, and other travel expenses need to be part of your budget. Food on the set is also important. It might be a little thing, but it’s still a thing.

2.  Props - Although typically this could fall under "Pre-Production" because we will be buying props before shooting day. However, budget some contingency funds in case you want to add a prop that might enhance the shoot to convey your message better. Sometimes it's just little things to help decorate the set.

3. SET-UP - Time is money no doubt. So even if you hire a small production team for what you think might be a 1/2 day shoot, expect there to be much more time involved with setting up and tearing down. Remember, setting the right mood for a scene...takes time. 

POST PRODUCTION                                                                                              

So we’re through shooting and now comes the hard part but also the most exciting…the edit! Editing includes cutting the footage (and arranging it in a timeline), choosing the right music, audio mixing, color correction, motion graphics, voiceover recording and any other elements together to deliver the final product. Here again, the video can be über polished with great effects, but if you want something to look like a Samsung or Apple commercial, there's a price tag that comes with it.                                        

SET A BUDGET RANGE                                                                                    

While we can’t tell you exactly how much a video cost, I hope you now have a better idea of what goes into video production and are ready to create your budget.  Let me recommend that you establish a range which can provide some flexibility in the creative process. There are so many cool things that can be done in video production but we don’t want to mislead you into thinking you can have something that your budget can’t support. By providing a budget range, producers will be able to tell you the unique things they can do for you in that range…creative things to achieve your objectives and move your business forward.

If you're interested in working with us or knowing more about us and what we’ve done for others, shoot me an email at todd@atlantaideastudio.com or go to atlantaideastudio.com. I can also lead you to some basic pricing and budget ranges specific to projects we've done. 

And that's a wrap!!