Kavanagh's Weblog

The answer to all these questions are somewhat the same, it really does depend. Here’s where the work really begins. The cost of a project depends on a number of factors— and on how you set about addressing them.

The first thing to think about is the mission of the project. What will this video do? Do you know the specifics, or will it take a bit of discussion? Is it going to be an introduction to your company, or a piece about a particular product? Will it feature your employees as the on-camera talent, or will an actor or actors play the role of host? Will production be in one location or several? How much of a role will graphics or animation play? Will you shoot in a high-end format or inexpensive digital one? Will a soundstage be required?

Answering these questions will help define the production budget and make an estimate much easier to complete. If you have a sense of what the elements will be, you’re halfway there. We can work out the cost by answering a series of questions.

That’s one way to approach media project budgets. Another workable way to define them is to decide in advance what your budget is, then discuss the project in terms of one basic question, “What can we do to achieve our mission within that number? (‘cause let’s face it, most of the time, you already have an idea what the number is, even if you haven’t said it out loud)” This can also yield good results and can sometimes be a better way to focus on the project, rather than throwing out a wish list and having to begin paring back one element at a time.

If you’re going to work with a good production company, one of the benefits to the client should be to take advantage of our experience and ideas. We can suggest ways to approach a project that you might not have encountered, ways that can meet your needs within your budget.

So, that’s a more nuanced answer than you probably wanted, but it’s honestly more helpful than giving out ballpark figures that keep changing as the facts of the production and the mission emerge. If you can find an experienced, creative, effective producer you trust and respect, one of these methods will work well. It’s better than a scattershot Request for Proposal letter to twenty companies— and it builds a collaborative relationship from the beginning of production.