Video production costs are one of the most searched — and most misunderstood — topics for businesses looking to commission video content. The range is genuinely enormous: you can spend £500 or £500,000 and technically call it “video production”. What you get for each figure is a completely different thing.
This guide breaks down what different budgets actually get you, what drives costs up, and where the real value sits — from the perspective of a production company that operates across all of these tiers.
What affects video production costs?
Before getting into numbers, it’s worth understanding what actually drives costs. It’s not just camera equipment — it’s the combination of time, people, and complexity.
- Crew size: A one-person shoot costs a fraction of a six-person crew with a director, DP, sound, gaffer, and PA
- Shoot days: More days = more cost, but often better material
- Pre-production: The planning, scripting, casting, and location work before the camera rolls
- Equipment: The difference between a mirrorless DSLR and an ARRI Alexa is significant — in cost and in how the image looks
- Post-production: Edit, grade, sound design, music, graphics, motion design — each adds time and cost
- Talent and locations: Actors, voiceover artists, licensed locations, and permissions all vary widely
Video production cost tiers: what you actually get
£1,000 – £5,000: entry level
At this budget, you’re typically getting a one or two-person crew, shooting on prosumer cameras, with minimal pre-production and a basic edit. This tier works for:
- Social media content and short-form clips
- Simple interview or talking-head videos
- Event coverage
- Internal communications
It won’t work for anything that needs to look premium, carry serious brand weight, or be placed in paid advertising. At this budget, you’re working with constraints — and those constraints will be visible on screen.
£5,000 – £20,000: mid-range
This is where you start to get a properly structured production: a dedicated director, cinematographer, and small crew; proper location scouting; a scripted or shot-listed approach; and a real edit with colour grade and sound design.
Most of our work at Salt & Gorse sits in the £8,000–£20,000 range for commercial content. At this level, you can make something that genuinely looks professional, holds up on any screen, and serves a real commercial purpose — whether that’s a brand film, a product video, or a campaign piece.
This tier is the sweet spot for most UK brands commissioning video for the first time, or looking for a reliable production partner they can work with regularly.
£20,000 – £75,000: high-end commercial
At this level, you have a full crew — typically five to ten people — with specialist roles for every department. You’re shooting on cinema-grade cameras like ARRI or RED, with a proper lighting setup, professional cast, multiple shoot days, and comprehensive post-production including motion graphics and licensed music.
This is the territory of broadcast commercials, high-profile brand films, and content that needs to carry weight across TV, cinema, and premium digital placement.
£75,000+: broadcast and major campaign production
Major campaigns with large casts, international locations, significant VFX work, or complex stunts and production design. At this level, you’re typically working through a larger agency structure, with the production company executing against a fully developed creative brief.
The most common mistake when budgeting for video
The most common mistake businesses make when budgeting for video production is underspending on pre-production. A cheap shoot with no proper planning will cost more to fix in post — or produce footage that simply can’t be made to work, regardless of how much time you spend editing.
The other common mistake is treating production cost as the only cost. If you spend £5,000 on a video and then pay nothing to distribute or promote it, the production cost was largely wasted. Budget for amplification alongside production.
What does a London video production company cost?
London production companies often carry higher day rates than regional ones — but that gap has narrowed significantly as remote working has normalised and production companies like ours work across the UK regardless of where we’re based.
At Salt & Gorse, we’re based in Cornwall but regularly work with clients in London, across the UK, and internationally. Our day rates reflect the quality of what we produce, not a London postcode premium. For clients who need London-level production quality without London-level overhead, that’s a meaningful difference.
Getting a video production quote
The best way to understand what your specific project will cost is to have a direct conversation about it. Every production is different, and a quote built on a proper brief will always be more accurate — and more useful — than a generic budget guide.
If you’re at the stage of exploring what’s possible at your budget, get in touch with us at Salt & Gorse. We’re happy to talk through what different budgets can realistically achieve, and what approach would work best for your project.