Recommendations for video production
- Thread starter Solly
- Start date
T
The Byre
We are in the length of string territory here!
The length of a video has little bearing on the overall cost. So you will need a very precise brief on what type of video and what has to be filmed and what sort and quality of animation. Again, talk to @Paul FilmMaker.
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And just for anyone looking at this, typical filming prices. Filming is pretty predictable unless it is bespoke. E.g. We are doing a bespoke car chase for a customer which is £12.5k on a closed road which is considered 'low cost' for this kind of shooting. However, assuming we're talking about filming in an office, interviews, explainers etc...
1. Standard filming and edit: £2.5k. Sometimes customers want extras so this means an extra £1k. E.g. we shot 40+ videos in a single day for a customer and this is typically £3.5k. They went from wanting a couple of explainers to 40+ videos which we scripted, shot and edited adding logos, music and B-Roll.
2. Conferences. Either £2.5k or £5k. Depends on what is needed at the conference, not the size of the conference.
3. Social shooting: £1k per day including edit because social is lower quality visuals (often watched on phones) and just music rather than sound. E.g. Selling coffee machines? We send a single shooter to film the coffee machines working, someone making a coffee, customers using the coffee machine in their car dealership etc... And then we edit with some graphics, music, sound effects of coffee machines going hiss from our library etc...
4. Animation. £2k per minute as an 'average' price.
Animation is usually the biggest challenge because of the massive differences in price. Pixar spends a million a minute for their animation! High end animation is £25k a minute. But for a 'normal' business, the range is:
A whiteboard explainer is £1,000 for 90 seconds and animation is £1.5k - £2.5k per minute. However, most SMEs can do everything with voiceover and a product demo, hence the 40+ videos in a single day. This is usually thrown into the standard filming and edit.
As with everything, you can get cheaper and more expensive.
1. Standard filming and edit: £2.5k. Sometimes customers want extras so this means an extra £1k. E.g. we shot 40+ videos in a single day for a customer and this is typically £3.5k. They went from wanting a couple of explainers to 40+ videos which we scripted, shot and edited adding logos, music and B-Roll.
2. Conferences. Either £2.5k or £5k. Depends on what is needed at the conference, not the size of the conference.
3. Social shooting: £1k per day including edit because social is lower quality visuals (often watched on phones) and just music rather than sound. E.g. Selling coffee machines? We send a single shooter to film the coffee machines working, someone making a coffee, customers using the coffee machine in their car dealership etc... And then we edit with some graphics, music, sound effects of coffee machines going hiss from our library etc...
4. Animation. £2k per minute as an 'average' price.
Animation is usually the biggest challenge because of the massive differences in price. Pixar spends a million a minute for their animation! High end animation is £25k a minute. But for a 'normal' business, the range is:
A whiteboard explainer is £1,000 for 90 seconds and animation is £1.5k - £2.5k per minute. However, most SMEs can do everything with voiceover and a product demo, hence the 40+ videos in a single day. This is usually thrown into the standard filming and edit.
As with everything, you can get cheaper and more expensive.
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And I struggle to sell videos for £500-1000 in 2023!!
I know this is on old thread, sorry, but this is a great post and I've visited it a couple of times. To some people these prices might seem expensive, but if you were to break them down with inside knowledge, you'd find they are value for money.
I should say that in realm of videography, I'm at the bottom of the pond and find it very hard to gain traction. I've had a gut full of working for free and now I can charge for my work, have been offered ridiculous amounts for videos in the past (so they like what they see) even as counter offers to what was an already reasonable quote. Needless to say that while any money received would be good, I'm not prepared to work for the minimum wage (or less!) and some of these low offer are very wealthy clients. I was even offered to be paid in beer once! My younger self might have thought that cool and a dream job, but my older, mortgage laden self begged to differ.
Interesting times....
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T
The Byre
This is true of everybody when they first set up their own dog-n-pony show!
One possible answer when selling corporate video services to businesses is to link the cost to improvements in sales or improvements in website hits, measured by clicks and/or rebate codes. This means understanding what makes a video sell goods - @Paul FilmMaker did a video on this topic. I would advise you to check his videos at https://www.fnxmedia.com/ YT stuff at https://www.youtube.com/@fnxmedia-videoproduction5604
One thing is certain - it is not fancy equipment! As long as a camera is on the Netflix 'approved' list, it'll do and that means it can be just a Black Magic 6K thing, a couple of decent lenses and maybe a 4K DSLR for B-roll footage. Add the standard MKH416 and a couple of lapel mics and all the other bits and bobs one needs (grips & lights!) and you're good to go!
One of the mistakes some of those at the bottom of the pond make, is to buy expensive gear (which becomes obsolete as soon as you've bought it!) in the hope that it will attract better-paying clients. In corporate video, they wouldn't know an Arri LF from a lump of cheese! All they're interested in is sales.
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M
MRQ
Out of curiosity... what is your professional background/training with respect to video production?
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I was a surveyor in a previous life with video as my hobby. My problem is with sales. People like the product but I'm clearly not talking to the right people. That said, since the post in June, things have taken a turn and I've made some interesting connections that might really make a difference.
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My problem at the moment is delivery! I'm creaking a bit but this should ease up soon. I'm a bit boom / bust and just coming off a high.
Where are you based? Always happy to have a chat with another videographer.
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