Those are planning bands. They are not a rate card.
Video is priced by scope because the phrase “one video” leaves out most of the job. A one-minute interview edit filmed in an office is one video. A one-minute commercial with casting, locations, art direction, music, motion graphics, and six platform versions is also one video.
The run time can match while the production plan is completely different.
A practical set of planning bands
| Planning budget | What it can often support |
|---|---|
| Under $10,000 | A tightly scoped interview, testimonial, simple explainer, small studio capture, or focused event assignment with limited versions |
| $10,000 to $25,000 | A polished production day, a small professional crew, stronger pre-production, multiple interviews or deliverables, and a more complete post process |
| $25,000 to $50,000 | A campaign with deeper creative development, more scenes or locations, talent, art direction, motion, or a larger set of finished assets |
| $50,000 to $100,000 | A commercial, multi-day brand production, substantial event operation, travel, larger crew, or complex post and versioning |
| $100,000 and above | Large-scale commercial or event work, national travel, extensive talent and locations, high deliverable volume, or a long-running campaign system |
A well-designed $9,000 project can be excellent. A poorly planned $90,000 project can still waste money.
The goal is to put the budget behind the parts the audience will actually feel.
The four buckets behind the price
1. Creative development and pre-production
This is the thinking and planning before the shoot.
It may include:
- discovery
- concept development
- scripting
- interview planning
- story research
- casting
- location scouting
- schedules and call sheets
- crew and equipment planning
- props, wardrobe, and art
- releases, permits, and insurance coordination
Pre-production can look expensive when it appears as a line item. It is usually cheaper than solving the same problem on set with a full crew waiting.
2. Production
This is the visible part of the job.
Production costs may include:
- producer and director
- camera crew
- sound
- lighting and grip
- production assistants
- studio or location
- cameras and specialty equipment
- hair, makeup, and wardrobe
- props and set design
- talent
- travel
- hard drives and media management
- overtime
A larger crew is not automatically better. The right crew is the smallest team that can safely and reliably accomplish the plan.
3. Post-production
Post is where the footage becomes the finished work.
It may include:
- footage organization and backup
- transcripts and story selects
- editing
- graphics and animation
- color
- sound design and mix
- music and stock licensing
- captions
- vertical and square versions
- language versions
- review rounds
- final quality control
A project with one shoot day can still require several weeks of post. That is common when the story has many interviews, the graphics are custom, or the campaign needs a large family of versions.
4. Third-party and pass-through costs
These are costs paid to other people or businesses for the project.
Examples include:
- talent
- studio or location fees
- permits
- travel and hotels
- catering
- music licenses
- stock footage
- props and wardrobe
- shipping
- insurance riders
- specialty rentals
Ask whether these are included, estimated as allowances, or billed at cost.
Three example scopes
These examples are intentionally broad. They show how the plan changes the budget.
A compact executive interview
One executive. One location. A small crew. A clear interview outline. One main edit and a few short clips.
The budget stays controlled when the client has the speaker, message, location, and approval path ready. It rises when the project adds several executives, a second location, teleprompter work, heavy graphics, or many versions.
A brand story campaign
Several interviews. Supporting scenes. A developed concept. A producer coordinating people and locations. One hero film plus social cutdowns.
The creative and pre-production effort grows because the team is shaping a story rather than documenting one conversation. Casting, location, wardrobe, art, music, and a more refined finish can push the project into a higher band.
Event content with fast delivery
Multiple cameras. Several spaces. Interviews, stage coverage, sponsor moments, media management, and editors working during the event.
The budget follows simultaneous coverage and delivery speed. Every room that must be covered at the same time needs a plan. Every same-day edit needs people and equipment dedicated to post while the event continues.
Why two bids can be far apart
A lower estimate may be more efficient. It may also include less.
Compare:
- Who develops the concept and script?
- How many shoot days and hours are included?
- Which crew roles are present?
- Is sound handled by a dedicated person?
- Is the studio or location included?
- How many final pieces are delivered?
- Are vertical versions built separately?
- What level of graphics, color, and sound finish is included?
- How many review rounds are included?
- Are travel, talent, music, stock, and captions included?
- Is raw footage part of the handoff?
- How long are files archived?
The cheapest total may ask your team to provide the missing producer, writer, location, scheduler, graphics, or quality control.
That may still be the right choice. Count the work honestly.
What usually raises the budget fastest
More locations
Every location adds scouting, travel, setup, breakdown, access, parking, power, sound, and schedule risk.
More people on camera
More speakers mean more coordination, interview time, footage, editing choices, and approvals.
More deliverables
A hero film, six vertical clips, three ads, a silent event loop, a cut for the sales team, and caption files are separate outputs. The shoot may be shared. The post work keeps multiplying.
Faster delivery
Rush work can require added editors, parallel workflows, pre-approved templates, and overtime. Speed is an operating plan.
Custom creative elements
Casting, art direction, sets, wardrobe, animation, visual effects, original music, and specialty equipment can raise production value. They also add coordination and cost.
Complicated approvals
A large review group can add time even when the production itself is simple. Legal, compliance, executives, partners, and several departments need a clear order and one feedback owner.
How to lower cost without making the work feel cheap
Start by protecting the idea and simplifying the logistics.
Useful moves include:
- film several related pieces in one location
- batch interviews or topics into one production day
- use one strong set instead of several average ones
- lock the script and claims before the crew arrives
- bring decision-makers into pre-production
- reduce company moves
- build vertical framing into the shoot plan
- choose a smaller deliverable set with a clear purpose
- use real employees or customers when the story supports it
- approve music, graphics, and references early
- use an existing studio when it solves location, sound, and weather problems
Cutting the sound person while recording six interviews in a noisy space is rarely a smart savings move. Removing an unnecessary second location might be.
A producer should be able to explain the difference.
Should you tell a production company your budget?
Yes, when the number is real.
A budget gives the producer a boundary for the plan. It helps them decide whether to recommend one polished piece, a batch of content, a simpler location, fewer versions, or a different production approach.
You can also share a range:
We are trying to keep the full project between $20,000 and $30,000, including production and post. Show us the strongest way to use it.
That is more productive than asking for a dream scope and revealing the budget after the proposal is built.
A trustworthy producer should still explain what the money buys and where the tradeoffs are.
Questions to ask before approving the budget
- What is included in pre-production?
- Which crew roles are included?
- How many shoot hours and locations are assumed?
- What final deliverables and versions are included?
- What level of graphics, color, and sound finish is included?
- How many review rounds are included?
- Which third-party costs are estimates?
- What can change the price?
- What is excluded?
- Where would you simplify if the budget needed to drop by 15 percent?
- Where would you invest first if more budget became available?
- What dates are held only after a deposit?
What this means for your budget
Use the planning bands to begin the conversation, then build the number around the actual job.
A more useful question is: What will it take to make the right piece, with the right people, for the right audience, on the schedule you actually have?
That answer can be scoped.