PRICING

MUCH DOES VIDEO PRODUCTION COST?

Pricing video production is a lot like pricing out a car: it all depends on if one is discussing a 1994 Chevy Geo or a brand new Porsche 911. Both have four wheels, an engine, and will get you from point A to B, but the cost, and the reason behind those costs, are very different.

Before we get started, it’s helpful to understand our process, and what all goes into making a great video.

Generally, we price videos on a per-project basis, with discounts for video packages. Once a proposal has been delivered, we will never go over budget without explicitly getting the client’s go-ahead before doing so. Live-action video prices are based on complexity rather than length, which is why a fifteen-second video can cost millions of dollars, while a much longer video can cost a fraction of that.

However, we know it can be frustrating for clients getting started who don’t have a framework at all for how much video costs. For professional video production, budgets tend to start at a few thousand, average in the tens of thousands of dollars, and go up from there for bigger productions.

The primary considerations when it comes to budget are complexity (how hard will this be to produce?), length and size of the shoot (how many days do we need a crew and how big will it be?), talent (how many actors, how specific is the casting, and how long will the video be shown?) and post-production (how complex will the edit be and will we need to create motion graphics?).

When we create a proposal, we will ask you questions that help us figure out the answers to the above questions. If you have a target budget in mind, we will work with you to give you options to deliver the best video possible within the desired scope.

LOCATIONS

Locations are a good place to start when thinking about pricing. How many different locations are required to complete your video? Generally, you can expect to get up to a max of 2-3 different locations into a single shoot day. This is one reason why a fifteen-second video that requires 10 locations shot over the course of several days can cost significantly more than a 20 minute video shot in a single location.

COMPLEXITY

This is one of the easier elements to understand. A talking head interview is going to require less setup than a shot that tracks a subject through a warehouse in real time. Is there one actor or twenty? Do we need to hire a trained dog? Is a car going to explode in the background? You get it.

CUSTOMIZATION

Factors like costuming, set design, and casting can quickly make a relatively simple shoot more complex and expensive if it needs to be customized. It may be possible to utilize a living room somewhere we have access to for free, but if a client requires a living room with 15 ft ceilings and a lime green carpet, seeking out and renting that location could potentially cost thousands of dollars. Maybe that living room even needs to be built as a set?

This is why two videos can look nearly the same but cost very different. Much of the budget can be relatively invisible in the video where much of the production work goes towards giving the client exactly what they need. That’s why Hollywood productions spend millions of dollars. If the director wants Spiderman’s bedroom to be bright pink with a round window, that’s exactly what’s going to happen, regardless of how much it is going to cost.

SPEED

This is a big one. Polymyth has no problem turning around projects on ultra-tight timelines, but it costs significantly more to put together a full production in a matter a days rather than weeks. The old saying goes that you get to pick two out of the three: good/fast/cheap. We refuse to compromise on the quality of any of our projects, so it costs more to expedite a project.

GETTING AN ESTIMATE OR PROPOSAL

Given a target budget range, we can work with the client to ensure that any creative developed falls within the accepted parameters. No matter what the budget is, Polymyth always makes sure the final product looks great. 

All pricing discussed here is for the complete production of the video. This includes creative development, pre-production, the actual shoot, and all of the post-production required. We do, however, provide a single aspect of production if needed (like editing only) and are happy to work alongside other agencies, video companies, and creative teams.

Ready to get a free proposal or estimate for your project? Scroll down to the bottom of the page or reach out to us today!

BUT I KNOW THIS DUDE WHO WILL DO IT FOR ONLY 100 BUCKS

Everybody has access to a camera and editing software these days. It’s all on your phone! Once, the primary thing separating a professional from everyone else was simply equipment. Back then, it cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to shoot on 35mm or build a set at the local TV studio.

No more. Now, what makes one a professional is skill, creativity, and vision. That is what we offer our clients. It doesn’t hurt that we own all our own broadcast-quality video, lighting, and audio equipment, but our real asset is the experience our people bring to the project.

We’re there every step of the way, making sure your video is something you’ll be proud of and that will connect with your audience. Polymyth is dedicated to excellent customer service and transparency. We don’t disappear and show up with a finished product; rather, we keep the client involved every step of the way.

Save yourself the headache and go with the pros.

WHAT’S THE FINE PRINT?

We’re not here to trick you or add hidden fees. We don’t work hourly and charge you when it takes more time to get it right. If the scope of the project changes at all during the process, Polymyth will inform the client and provide suggestions for how to keep the project within the original budget. We will never, ever surprise you with an invoice that is more than what we agreed to.

Get aN ESTImate

Polymyth works with every client to get a clear picture of their needs and puts together a project budget before beginning. There are never any fees or additional charges without client approval.

The more information about your project you can include, the more accurate we can make your estimate.