Many marketers are now eager to use web video for business, but when it come to the video production process, they don’t quite know where to start. Sit back, relax, you’re in the right place! I’ll outline the main corporate video production cost factors below, but first, here is a short clip from Video Marketing expert Dr. Lee Frederiksen from Hinge Marketing, sharing his insights on corporate video production.
This video is intended to demonstrate how to make a basic interview much more engaging than just a talking head.
So, did you notice how you felt more engaged by the editing, music and image quality? (If so please “like ” and subscribe!) I think you’d agree, if that was shot on my iPhone, it just wouldn’t have the same impact.
To look closer at what’s involved, lets go over some of the main video production cost factors:
Market price: Lets face it, San Francisco is more expensive than Arkansas! You might be able to hire a cameraman in a small town for a sandwich but in San Francisco, you can expect to pay somewhere between $600-$1,500 a day depending on experience, talent, etc.
Quality level: There are wide variations in quality and competence. I see three levels of quality that can be applied to each of the below aspects of video production costs. To illustrate, here are the 3 levels of manpower quality:
- Basic: The most basic fulfillment: a warm body that shows up.
- Pro: Competence: someone who can do the job to industry standards
- Premium: (AKA: Experienced and Talented): These people are actually really good at their job. If you want to make stand out content, you probably need this level of resources.
Manpower costs: Depending on the basic, pro and premium considerations can be anywhere between minimum wage all the way to thousands per day for a well known actor/director, etc. You can save money by finding people who can do some of these themselves, but beware, if they are doing too much, quality will always suffer. For example, I’m a decent writer and creative and can produce and edit too, but I don’t do all those at once. If your cameraman is doing sound and lights, there’s only so much they can do in a day while keeping quality high.
Here are a few of the roles involved in the video production process:
- Producer
- Director
- Host/Actors
- Concept Creator/Writer
- Camera Operator (Director of Photography – or D.P.)
- Gaffer/Lighting
- Sound Operator
- Wardrobe and MUP (Make Up Person)
- Production/Set Designer, etc.
- Production Assistant (P.A)
- Editor
- Graphic Designer
- Motion Graphics Animator
Video Production Equipment: Cameras, lights, sound equipment, monitors, tripods, dolly, etc. There are wide ranges in quality but even a decent basic camera kit costs thousands of dollars.
Video Production (shooting): How many days and where/what are you shooting? Customer testimonials shot all around the world or a CEO interview in a conference room? The video production costs are going to vary widely!
Video Post-Production (editing): Need just need a quick 1-day edit? Or a 10-day marathon? That could be the difference between boring and amazing! I firmly believe that the more you put into editing, the more you get out. Give me boring footage and a month and I’ll give you amazing!
Graphics and Animation: One of the biggest misconceptions is the talent, time and cost that is required to make many of the stand out graphics and animation examples that clients send along as a reference for what they want to produce. That animated video you love? There’s a reason you love it: it was made by talented pros, who aren’t cheap!
The wild cards: Of course there are other factors at work that will be specific to each project like the complexity of the material, the speed at which the team can work due to weather, location, crowds, field noise, jet lag, etc.
Assets: Another important consideration while determining video production costs is the availability of assets. It’s frequently more challenging that you’d expect just to get a logo and a font from a client! Maybe that wait is eating into available editing time.
Approvals: Don’t forget your time cost! On many occasions I’ve sent a review video to a client and they don’t have time to get me feedback for days. With a deadline looming, even if a vendor works round the clock to make up last time, the final product quality ends up suffering.
Distribution: Once you have a video, how are you planning on getting people to watch it?! The art of promotion via social networks is a fast changing and complex craft, taking far more time that most professionals have available. I estimate that one must spend 20% of their time to be successful with social networking; can you spare 2 days a week? Or maybe I should ask: can you afford not to?
The key take-aways: The key point I’d hope you’d take away is that quality matters and it applies to all the parameters mentioned above. In any complex sale, it’s only natural to want to ‘commoditize’ the solution, but not all video production is equal. If you want to earn views, you have to give your audience something worth their time, worth sharing and commenting on. Respect your audience and you may earn their respect too.
Feel smarter? Please do me a big favor and share this post! I encourage comments on You Tube and please re-Tweet away!
I’m also available for free consultations so contact me with any questions regarding video production costs, video production process or corporate video production projects.
Good luck out there in video production land!
Dane Frederiksen
Digital Accomplice/Principal
Dane@digitalaccomplice.com
Twitter: @DrDane
Nice article. My only challenge would be that the process to make these decisions does not have to be that complicated. My company makes videos such as this one starting around $800, but I’ve seen similar segments produced for as much as $10,000 by reputable production companies. The key is to have a trusted adviser who can break down the key deliverables and measure their cost against the value they deliver.
We regularly work with clients who shoot their own footage to save money. Digital cameras costing less than $1,000 can provide incredible results. And we’ve found with some basic training, interviews and cut away footage can be effectively captured without a huge budget.
At the same time, we encourage (and offer) some of the professional elements like music beds, cut in shots, and professional graphics to produce a high impact final product.
Bottom line for me is find a trusted video professional to help you sort out what you need and what your budget should be. That will help reduce the costs of doing it yourself or being overcharged.
Very helpful information. Thank you
Nicely composed Dane. Would you consider voiceover or narration as part of the actor/host category or should it be called out on its own? As you know, the voiceover is often the glue that smooths out the transitions of the piece.
Thanks,
Micah
Great article. This is the biggest hurdle for most mof us, the dreaded “how much will it cost?” Just becuasde it’s online, they assume it is going to be dirt cheap.
I like the way you puit things and would like to share the thoughts with some clients.
Sharon, I think there are really 4 key points to communicate to clients:
1- Every project is different in what it calls for ( some need no shooting, just voice over and graphics, some need no graphics, some need almost no editing…)
2- each parameter is scalable in technical quality (there are lots of camera types, lighting packages, editing systems)
3- each parameter is scalable in talent/experience/inspiration applied to it by the person performing that function
4- time: time can be allocated in a completely scalable way too: 1 day shoot w/ 3 day edit vs. 3 day shoot w/ 1 day edit.
that’s why it’s hard to just answer “how much does video cost?” it’s like asking how much is a building?! well, do you need a cabin or or shopping mall?!
Dane,
Brilliant round robin.
The breakdown bullets as well, many folks have no real concept (going in from scratch) of what needs to be lined up even for a simple shoot. They toss out a “needs to look like this” from You Tube and hit the assume button.
Adobe Premiere has the CS review module as well, allowing for clients to suggest changes or “approvals”. However, that can be a double edged sword.
Day rates? try an average for one camera and operator at $500 half day minimum, 10 hour day, plus (+) that onto remote travel, lighting, days shot, writing/scripting, directing, the the edit bay, motion art and yes, a nominal expenditure is going to be be you get what you pay for.
This is a great piece, thanks for making it available.
Dane,
Thanks for this great article.
I used to be in advertising and shot TV commercials for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Now clients are horrified if a video is going to be $1000. Has anyone else run into this problem? Dane mentions the range of a day rate of between $600-$1000 but what about the whole shebang including editing. What kind of prices are you getting out there? How are you breaking it to the clients so that they want to proceed? I appreciate the advice.
Exactly! Everyone knows enough to wear nice clothes to work, get a haircut, brush your teeth…but then they go and shoot a shaky-cam video of a boring interview and expect that to somehow captivate potential customers as they drone on about how great they are…just about hilarious if it weren’t so tragic. It’s just money on the table destined for their more compelling competition…
Great video – We get clients asking about video for the web all the time – we tell them the quality that you put up there is a reflection of your business. It is hard to make them understand what it takes to do a great job- camera and talented operator- all necessary audio and lighting package
Thanks for putting this piece together
interesting refreshing article. My thoughts exactly. Here in Souuth Africa we are constantly up against the same challenges. Brilliant video. Thanks
Thanks Sylvia, Glad it helps. Even after 16 years producing video, it’s always challenging to scope out costs when every parameter is variable in quality!
Dane, I just love this blog post…it really describes, in a very straightforward approach, the various aspects of video production and why a professional can really add value.Thanks!
Very nicely done video. Clear to see how premium production elevates the message.