“How much does a video cost?” is a fair question. It’s also quite a hard one to answer until we know what the video needs to do. A straightforward interview and a campaign with several locations might both end up a minute long. Getting there involves very different amounts of work.

The useful starting point is the brief. Who’s watching, where will they see it, and what do you need them to understand? Add the deadline and a realistic budget, even if it’s a rough one. That gives a videographer something to plan around.

Crew, equipment and time all belong in the quote, including the work around the filming day.

What happens before and during the shoot

Planning is work, too. Someone needs to develop the idea, prepare interview questions or a script, organise the schedule and work out how to film it. A quote that includes this will look different from one that assumes you’ve already done it.

For filming, check what the crew and kit cover. One camera operator can be a sensible fit for some jobs. A busy event or a complicated shoot may need more people, particularly when good sound, lighting or simultaneous coverage matters. Ask what’s included rather than assuming a camera package contains everything.

Locations, travel and accommodation can add to the cost. So can equipment hired for a particular shot. None of that needs to be mysterious; it should be discussed while the plan is still easy to change.

The edit deserves its own budget

Filming gives you footage. Editing gives you the film. That means reviewing material, finding the story and making decisions about what stays. Sound, colour and graphics need attention as well. A short finished video can still take a substantial amount of editing.

Animation needs a clear brief of its own. An animated logo and an explainer built from scratch are very different jobs. The design work, length and complexity all affect the time required.

An experienced editor may work quickly because they know which decisions to make. You’re paying for that judgement as well as their time. Counting mouse clicks would make for a fairly strange invoice.

Compare what you’ll actually receive

When you compare quotes, compare the scope alongside the total. Check the number of filming days, the finished films and the versions you need. A main film plus several social edits is a different delivery from one export.

Agree how feedback works: how many rounds are included, who brings the comments together and what happens if the brief changes. Check any music or stock licensing, whether VAT applies, and whether delivery of the rushes is included or needs a separate agreement.

Leave room to make sensible choices

A budget limit is useful information. Share it early and you can work out where the money will make the biggest difference. Fewer locations, a simpler animation treatment or a more focused set of deliverables may make the project manageable.

Discuss a contingency that reflects the actual uncertainties, particularly if weather or access could change the plan. Agree how extra work will be approved, too. Nobody enjoys discovering the new total at the same time as the invoice.

Send Ace Media your brief, budget and deadline. We’ll help you work out what the project needs and put a clear quote against it.