What Does Video Production Actually Cost? A Realistic Guide for Brands
- Jun 18
- 7 min read
Updated: Jun 30
The most common question we hear before a first conversation is some version of: what does this cost?
It is a reasonable question. And the honest answer is that it depends — on scope, on crew, on talent, on how many shoot days are required, and on where the work will ultimately run. But "it depends" is not useful if you are trying to understand what you are working with before picking up the phone.
This article gives you real ranges — industry-standard investment levels for professional-quality production across the three video formats brands rely on most: TV commercials, documentary-style brand films, and website and social content systems. These are ranges for professional production at the level where quality is not a variable. Not the largest agency budgets, which run significantly higher. Not the lowest market rates, which come with corresponding tradeoffs. The range where serious brands get serious work made.
Why the working budget comes first
Before any creative work begins on any production, a working budget needs to be established — a ceiling that everything gets built around. This is not a commitment to spend a specific amount. It is the parameter that makes the creative work relevant.
A project designed around one ceiling looks nothing like one designed around a ceiling three or four times higher — different crew, different talent pool, different locations, different scope of post-production. Without knowing which world we are working in, any concept, pre-visualization, or creative direction we develop may be entirely wrong for the actual project — not because the thinking was bad, but because it was built around the wrong set of constraints.
Production companies that quote before a working budget is established are working from assumptions rather than a defined plan — which means the number they give you reflects those assumptions, not your actual project.
The ranges below exist to help you establish that ceiling. If your organization has a defined allocation, you would simply provide the realistic upper limit. If you are still determining what to invest, the ranges below will show you generally what is achievable at each level — so you can make that decision with real information rather than a guess.
For more information on determining your working production budget, see How to Set a Working Production Budget Before Development Begins
Jump to the section most relevant to your project:
TV + Paid Media Commercials
Typical investment: $35,000–$100,000+
Commercial production at this level covers everything from concept development and scripting through the shoot and final delivery — creative agency work and production company work under one roof. These are campaigns designed for real distribution: TV, YouTube, Meta, and paid social. Work that needs to hold attention, land the message, and stand up everywhere it runs.
$35,000–$75,000
At this level, a clearly defined campaign concept is executed with a controlled scope and disciplined production approach. One primary execution, a lean crew and location, and a defined shoot day. The emphasis is on clarity, impact, and work that performs confidently across paid placements without unnecessary complexity. This is the right range for regional campaigns, focused product launches, or brands entering paid media with a strong single spot.
*Brands distributing at this level typically support the spot with a regional media buy of $100,000 to $400,000.
$75,000–$100,000
This range supports two distinct scenarios. The first is a single execution produced at a higher level — more complex locations, a larger crew, elevated talent, and a greater degree of production polish to match the scale and credibility of the brand. The second is a broader campaign scope: multiple executions, format adaptations, or a shoot that spans more than one day or location. Either path lands in this range. The right one depends on what the campaign actually requires. This is the right range for national digital campaigns, brand refreshes, or any production where the quality ceiling matters as much as the asset count.
*Brands distributing at this level typically support the spot with a media buy of $500,000 to $800,000 — making production quality a meaningful factor in how efficiently each media dollar performs.
$100,000+
Above $100,000, productions carry significantly more complexity: larger crew, more complex location, elevated talent and usage costs, and finishing work at full broadcast standard. These are campaigns where scale, precision, and execution carry real weight — national TV buys, major brand moments, or campaigns where the work will be seen at significant volume and the stakes are high.
The variables that move commercial production costs most: number of shoot days, crew size, talent and usage rights, location complexity, and the number of finished formats delivered across platforms.
*Productions at this level are typically supported by media buys of $600,000 - $1,000,000 or more, where the quality and recall strength of the creative directly affects the ROI of the full campaign investment.
For a detailed look at how the TV commercial production process works at Intrigue Studios, see TV Commercial Production Process.
Documentary-Style Brand Films
Typical investment: $25,000–$75,000+
Documentary-style brand films are built from real stories — founder narratives, mission films, and brand documentaries — captured with cinematic restraint and structured to hold up over time. These are not commercials in disguise. They are about establishing credibility and trust through honest, well-crafted storytelling.
$25,000–$35,000
At this level, a focused single-subject film is executed with a streamlined production scope and cinematic restraint. One primary interview subject, supporting B-roll captured over one or two shoot days, and a finished piece that establishes credibility, communicates values, and holds up across website and sales contexts. This is the right range for a founder story, a company origin film, or a mission piece with a clear point of view and a defined use case.
$35,000–$75,000
This range supports brand films with greater creative depth, broader coverage, or more complex production requirements. Multiple interview subjects, multiple shoot days or locations, more expansive B-roll coverage, and editorial with a higher degree of polish and pacing sophistication. A social cutdown or shorter derivative cut is commonly included at this level. This is where brands building a content foundation for ongoing campaigns, high-visibility storytelling, or multi-subject narratives typically land.
$75,000+
Above $75,000, you are looking at productions with significant scope: multi-day shoots, meaningful travel, ensemble interview casts, and cinematic production standards that approach short-form broadcast documentary work. These are brand films built for major brand moments, investor and partner audiences, or campaigns where the storytelling needs to carry real weight across multiple high-visibility contexts. The variables that move brand film costs most: number of interview subjects, number of shoot days and locations, B-roll complexity, travel, and finished length.
For a detailed look at how the TV commercial production process works at Intrigue Studios, see Documentary-Style Brand Film Production Process.
Website + Social Content Systems
Typical investment: $25,000–$300,000+
A content system is not a single finished piece. It is a library — a cohesive set of video clips, photography, and supporting visual assets designed to work together across an entire website, social campaign, or brand platform. What separates tiers in content system production is not just the number of assets delivered. It is the level of production value applied to each one — the crew, the talent, the planning, and the creative discipline that determines what the work actually looks like.
$25,000–$50,000
At this level, a focused production captures the core assets needed to support a basic website refresh or initial digital presence. A lean, skilled crew, a defined asset list, and an efficient shoot — with an emphasis on clarity and brand-appropriate quality. The work is professional and versatile, built to anchor a digital overhaul and support light social use without the complexity of a larger production.
$50,000–$100,000
This range is where production value becomes the defining variable. A fuller crew, dedicated creative direction, professional talent casting, and visual styling and wardrobe that are planned rather than improvised. The result is not just more assets — it is assets that look like they were made for a brand that takes how it is perceived seriously. Every setup receives a higher level of intentionality and craft applied. This is where most serious brand rebrands land, and where the visual quality of the system reflects the scale of the brand it represents.
$100,000–$300,000+
At this level, the production is built from the ground up to serve a brand at the highest standard of scale. Productions in this range are driven by one of two things: exceptional production value — significant talent investment and a creative footprint that ensures every asset in the library is executed with the same discipline and visual standard — or exceptional scope, where the volume of assets required to cover a brand's full range of people, products, locations, or platforms demands a production of corresponding size. Either path lands here. These are productions for major brand relaunches, national marketing efforts, or organizations where the work needs to compete at the highest level.
The variables that move content system costs most: production value and crew scale, talent casting and usage rights, number of shoot days and locations, styling and wardrobe complexity, total asset count, and the number of finished format variations required across platforms.
For a detailed look at how content system production works at Intrigue Studios, see Website & Social Content System Production Process.
Smaller productions
Not every project requires a full signature production. For standalone pieces, supporting content, or clients building toward a larger engagement, we also take on smaller-scope work independently — editorial and explainer videos, testimonials, product videos, motion graphics, and editing-only projects. These typically range from $1,500 to $15,000 depending on scope.
If you are not sure whether your project fits here or in one of the ranges above, the first conversation will sort it out quickly.
What these ranges do not include
These ranges cover production — creative development, the shoot, and post-production delivery. They do not include media buying, platform distribution, ad management, or licensing fees beyond what is specified in the production agreement.
How to use this information
These ranges are a starting point, not a quote. Use them to orient your working budget — to understand which financial world your project belongs in before creative development begins. Once you have a sense of where you are, the next step is a conversation.