How to Budget for Your Film Project
The most-asked question we get (and for good reason) is about cost.
“What is your pricing?”
Often we will receive email inquiries with a short description of what type of film services a business owner is looking for and then the familiar question, “What is your pricing?” When planning your film budget, there are several factors to consider in addition to the cost of hiring a videographer. We’re here to break down everything for you, so you know what to expect and what to ask about when inquiring about film services.
First, let’s talk about the cost of hiring a videographer. Every videographer prices their services differently depending on time, experience, final deliverables, location, etc. We offer a few set packages, however, every client is unique and has different needs, so many times we create custom packages. We find that our Services Sheet gives a starting point for the client when inquiring about pricing and what to expect for shoot time and deliverables. From there, we can hone in on what they specifically need and how much it will cost. There are several variables that go into the cost of our film services and we ask several questions that determine how much goes into the pre-production, shooting, and editing of the project.
These are some of the questions we will ask to determine budget:
Do you already have an idea for the film, are we working on it together, or do you want us to handle the ideation for the film?
How much planning needs to happen? (the answer is probably more than you think)
Do you want any narration? Do you want it to be on-camera interviews or just voice-over? How many people do you want to have a prominent talking head role in the film?
Does the film need B-Roll? What do you want to capture? How many locations? How many shoot days do we need?
How long is each film? Do you need multiple versions at different lengths?
What are the final deliverables? Do you need multiple aspect ratios for each deliverable?
What is the timeline for the project?
In addition to the cost of hiring your videographer, there are some other costs you should keep in mind:
Do you need to hire hair & makeup?
Do you need to hire a wardrobe stylist, food or prop stylist?
Do you need to hire models?
Do you need to rent a location to film, such as a studio or Airbnb rental?
Do you need to purchase any props for the shoot?
This list of questions may look a little intimidating for someone who has never ventured into film for their business, but rest assured that you do not need to know the answers to all of these when you inquire! Our job is to guide you through these questions and help you figure out exactly what you need. We don’t like anyone to be blindsided by cost, so in our FAQ page we give a range of pricing that most projects fall into. We hope this is helpful as you plan and prepare for your next film project, and if you have any questions about pricing or budget, please don’t hesitate to reach out!