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Breaking Down Corporate Video Costs

Posted by Debbie Camper on April 4, 2024

Corporate videos can be hard to put a definitive price tag on for a few reasons. First of all, there is no one generic model of a corporate video. You could be producing a live-action training video, an animated explainer video, an event live stream, a full-scale documentary or anything in between.

Second, video work contains numerous stages, from ideation and pre-production to shooting and on through editing and post-production. It’s your choice which of these steps you’ll tackle in-house and which will go to video production service outsourcing partners, adding further complexity to totaling your video production cost.

Despite all the variables and complexities, you can start quantifying your video expenses. By breaking down the full production process and examining each piece, you can get your costs back under control and draw up an effective corporate video production budget.

What Factors Go Into Corporate Video Production Cost?

The total bill for a corporate video project doesn’t just include a single, round figure. Rather, numerous elements go into any production. Some of these expenses you’ve likely planned for ahead of time, while others may be surprising or unexpected.

Just a few of the areas of video production that lead to costs include:

• Pre-production, writing and creative ideation: Developing the initial idea for a video to get it ready for the screen is an essential process. Whether you take this task on internally or outsource it to a video production partner depends on factors ranging from your level of staffing to the amount of control you want over the finished product.
• Location scouting, permitting and transportation: Whether you’re filming on-location or in a studio, there are expenses involved. In some cases, you’ll pay for the use of a sound stage, while in others your focus will be on acquiring the necessary permits and arranging transportation to the location for all necessary talent and technical crew.
• Gear rentals or purchases: Acquiring equipment is always necessary and is one of the areas where the internal and outsourced video production models vary most sharply. Companies that build their own video departments may end up buying or renting gear, while in other cases, these tasks are left up to a third-party video crew.
• Talent and crew member salaries: Whether it means spending on a one-off freelance contract or adding a permanent salary to the books, organizations need to set aside budget for both the talent appearing in their videos and the crew members in charge of the production.
• Post-production costs: The post-production process today can take many forms. A company may opt for sophisticated, Hollywood-level visual effects or more standard editing. In some forms of video, prominently including motion graphics and animated videos, the lion’s share of the budget goes to this studio work, with little or no physical filming needed.
• Distribution and marketing: This is a potentially overlooked aspect of corporate video production costs: Once the clip is complete, it’s important to promote it and make it visible to the target audience. This may involve spending for a social media marketing push or even to run the video on TV.

For every step in the process, there are ways to think economically or control video project costs. For instance, not every location charges the same types of fees for permits or transportation. You can also opt to use stock footage instead of new B-roll or reuse evergreen elements of animated videos. Working with an expert video production service allows companies to pick out efficient methods around destinations, gear, crew member utilization, editing and much more.

How Do You Control Your Commercial Video Cost?

When it’s time to set up your corporate video strategy for maximum cost-effectiveness, your ideal method will depend on your needs. How do you plan to use videos? What video type are you most eager to produce? How often do you want to release content?

Many organizations are experimenting with new processes and strategies to optimize their video spending. For instance, companies that may have once favored an in-house video workflow are now considering outsourcing to a third-party video production company, either for specific tasks or the whole process. This move is meant to counteract the inherent inefficiency of building an internal team that isn’t used 100% of the time.

Learn more about the process of optimizing your corporate video cost.

Ready To Manage Your Corporate Video Costs?

Whether you’re interested in a full-scale outsourcing program or are seeking ways to improve your utilization of internal video resources, there are numerous ways to tighten up your spending. All these approaches begin by taking a clear-eyed look at your exact video needs, so you can match your production style to your objectives.

Crews Control’s experts can deliver an efficient, informed approach to video production, no matter which elements of the process require extra attention. Having a video production company on your side can help you prevent additional costs that arise due to indecision or inexperience.

Read much more about the various ways companies are rethinking their video production methods in our eBook.