Why Does Video Production Cost So Much?
It’s widely known that video is the most effective form of communication, marketing, and advertising.
But why is video production so expensive?
Maybe you’ve thought about having video advertising made for your business, or for personal reasons (either way) and looked into it only to find that you were a little surprised at the price tag.
Although prices vary a lot from one videographer to the next, or one production company to the next, cost could get quite high, and this is for good reason.
Now, there are a lot of factors that got into video production that can make it it an expensive venture, but the outcome will, and should, produce an effective brand awareness and solid push promotional strategy.
Here, we are going to break down all that goes into a video project and show you how all the costs are justified.
Let’s say you hire a videographer to come out and film for the day, so you are paying them just for the day…actually no. This is where other factors come into play. There may be travel to and from the location, location expenses, lodging expenses, additional crew costs either those who have traveled to the location or hired local crew. There are countless hours of post-production costs. We also have to think about the pre-production, everything that goes into the pre- planning before the actual production starts. This includes script writing, planning offshoot list, locations, hiring of crew and talent.
So let’s start breaking down and entire list of potential costs of a video marketing project that can explain how the budget comes together.
Every dollar that is spent in video production aligns with the quality of the product. It pays to use skilled professionals who specialize in each discipline of the final process. This would include videographers, editors, location sound recordists, lighting experts, sound mixers, and other crew necessary to capture and deliver the best image and sound.
High quality cameras, lighting, sound equipment, and editing software can be costly to purchase or rent. The higher the quality of gear, and skill level of crew used to film and capture picot and sound, the better the final product will be.
In the pre-production, or planning stage, script writing, storyboarding, and location scouting all require time and resources.
Production expenses can include the hiring of all crew, hiring of actors, location rentals, storage drives for the video footage, obtaining permits and production insurance, and catering for the crew. Transportation, accommodation, and other unexpected expenses can also contribute to the overall cost of production.
After the shooting has wrapped, the post-production begins. The ingesting and management of all video files and the syncing of the sound is all in preparation for the video editing to start. Editing, color correction, sound design and mixing, and graphics all add to the cost. Video production is labor-intensive, with many hours spent on shooting, editing, and other tasks. Clients often expect high-quality videos which look and sound great and really tell their story, which requires time and resources.
All of these expenses combined make video production a significant investment, but the quality of the final product reflects the money spent and can justify the expense.
