How much does video production cost in the UK?
A film in the UK costs between £2,000 and £40,000, and more at the very top, because "a video" can mean a ninety-second interview with one person or a multi-day shoot across several locations. Most of our work sits between £5,000 and £15,000. Tell us what the film has to do and who needs to watch it, and we'll tell you where in that range yours falls, before either of us spends an afternoon on it.
What the price depends on
"It depends" is nebulous, and it leaves you on shifting sands. We drill into what you want to achieve, what is standing in your way and what can work best for you within your budget. No surprises. Just results.
Agencies stay cagey partly because knowing your budget helps them negotiate, and partly because video really does vary enough to make a price list feel risky. We get it. We've just found that clients who know what things cost brief better, spend more carefully and end up happier with the film.
Video production prices at four budgets
£2,000 to £5,000
This is where professional production starts. It usually means one shoot day in one location with a tight brief, such as a short testimonial, a single social film or a piece for internal communications. You get proper kit, an experienced crew, and a real edit with the colour graded and the sound mixed.
What it won't stretch to is several locations, hired actors or heavy motion graphics. A ninety-second interview with one person and one clear message can work very well at this level, and a flagship brand film can't.
£5,000 to £15,000
At this budget there's room for one or two shoot days, a treatment written for your brief, and post-production with time to get it right. It suits brand films, promotional videos, case study films and training content.
The difference you'll notice is the thinking before the camera comes out. We talk through what the film has to do and plan the shoot to that. Then we finish it to a standard that holds up on a homepage, in a pitch deck or on a screen at a conference.
£15,000 to £40,000
Here you're into multi-day shoots, several locations, bigger crews, professional actors or presenters, or complex animation. The films we've made for OakNorth and Dojo sit in this bracket, with full pre-production and the time in the edit that the budget pays for.
£40,000 and up
This is campaign territory. Broadcast-quality brand films, a series of films made together, or anything with a lot of animation or visual effects lands here, and it's planned as a full production from the first conversation.
What changes the cost of a video
Shoot days come first. Each extra day adds crew time, kit and travel, and while two days isn't twice the price of one, it's a good deal more.
Animation lives almost entirely in post-production, so a two-minute animated explainer can cost more than the live action version because of the hours it takes to build. Simple motion graphics cost less than full character animation.
Actors, presenters and voice-over artists are paid separately. Using your own staff and customers, which we prefer for most brand and testimonial work, takes that cost away and usually makes the film more convincing.
Time matters too. A normal production runs four to six weeks from brief to delivery, and squeezing that into two weeks costs more in editing hours. Changes beyond the agreed review rounds also cost time, and the cheapest way to avoid them is to get everyone who signs off to agree before the edit starts.
Videographer day rates in the UK
If the film's planned and you only need it shot, we can quote a day rate for directing and camera. Sound or a second camera can be added if the day needs them. Get in touch with the date, the location and what you need filmed, and we'll come back with a number.
A day rate covers the shoot. The edit, the grade and the sound mix are quoted on top, which is why most clients find a whole-project price easier to plan around.
Video production packages
One-off films aren't sold as packages here, because two films at the same length can need very different shoots. Each one is quoted on what it actually needs, as a fixed price for the agreed scope.
The exception is social video. That runs as a monthly package, planned with you and filmed in batches, with a minimum of three months, and the social media video production page explains how it works.
Getting better value from the budget
Better value isn't the same as cheaper. It means the money goes on the things that change the result.
The brief makes the biggest difference. If we know what the film has to do, who's watching and what they should think when it ends, every decision after that gets easier and cheaper. There's a guide to writing a brief for a video production company if you'd like a starting point.
Ask for every cut you'll need in the first conversation. A main film, cuts for social and a short version for the sales team can all come from the same planned shoot day, for far less than filming again later, and each is delivered in the format it needs, from 16:9 to 9:16 for Reels to square for LinkedIn.
And keep the brief the size it started. The most expensive videos we've worked on weren't expensive because they were ambitious. They were expensive because the brief kept growing.
How to get a quote
Tell us what the film is for, who'll watch it, roughly how long it should be and when you need it. If there's animation, more than one location or a budget you already have in mind, mention that too, and we'll tell you what's achievable within it.
Send us what the film is for and a rough budget, even if that is all you have. You'll get a free thirty minute conversation, a straight answer on whether a film will help and a ballpark price, and nothing is charged unless you decide to go ahead. A written proposal follows, showing what you're paying for and why.
FAQ
What's the minimum budget for a professional video?
We'd put the floor at about £2,000 for something that looks properly professional. Below that you're into DIY or a freelancer on a day rate, which isn't always wrong, but it's a different product.
Why do quotes vary so much between production companies?
Because "a corporate video" means very different things to different people, and production companies carry very different overheads. A full-service London agency and a sole trader with a camera will both call what they do "corporate video production". The difference shows in the brief conversation and in the finished film.
Is it worth spending more on a video?
Not always, and we'll say so. A £3,000 testimonial used in every pitch is excellent value, while a £3,000 brand film meant to sit on a homepage for three years probably isn't. What matters is what the film is worth to you if it works, and the thirty minute call ends with a straight answer on whether it will.
How long does video production take?
Four to six weeks from brief to delivery is typical. A faster turnaround is possible and costs more, and productions with animation, several locations or a lot of people signing off take longer.
Can I get a fixed-price quote?
Yes. Every proposal is a fixed price for the agreed scope, with travel built in from the start, so nothing turns up on the final invoice. If the scope changes, we'll talk about it before the cost does.
Do you charge for the first conversation?
No. We're happy to talk through a brief, give you a rough ballpark and tell you whether we think we're the right fit, all for nothing. If we go ahead, you'll get a written proposal.
What payment terms do you work on?
Usually half when the project starts and half on delivery. Bigger productions can be paid in stages.
Bring us the problem. We'll make the film.
A thirty minute conversation with the team. No obligation.