If a company needs a video, one of the first questions is completely understandable: how much does video production cost?
I'd rather answer that directly than hide behind the familiar “it depends on the project” line. In 2026, a production day combining video and photography starts at €1,050 + VAT on my published price list. Ongoing content production starts at €700 per month + VAT. A separately scripted corporate video, brand film or commercial, on the other hand, is priced according to what the project actually involves.
And yes, the price range for the latter can be wide. Not because video production needs to be unnecessarily complicated, but because the word “video” can mean completely different things.
I've worked on shoots where a small crew and lightweight equipment were exactly the right approach. On another production, a lot of work goes into bringing the concept, people, location, lighting and execution together before the camera even starts rolling. The length of the finished video tells you very little about that work.
In this article, I'll use my own experience to explain what actually determines the cost of video production, what starting prices I've published, and how a business can get more out of its budget. I'll also share indicative example budgets. These are illustrations, not the prices of actual client projects or binding quotations.
How much does video production cost in 2026? Let's start with real prices
A price list is a useful starting point, as long as we're comparing like with like. One short video a month, a combined six-hour content day and a separately planned commercial film aren't the same product.
Here are the starting prices for content production published on my website as of October 2026:
| Production package | Published starting price |
|---|---|
| Photo + Video Content Day – a combined six-hour production day | from €1,050 + VAT |
| Essential – ongoing content production | from €700/month + VAT |
| Growth – ongoing content production | from €1,290/month + VAT |
| Partner – ongoing content production | from €2,290/month + VAT |
| Larger campaign or advertising production | Quoted for each project |
The idea behind the Photo + Video Content Day is to create both photo and video assets for several uses during the same six-hour session. The published package description includes three finished videos, four to six short-form videos and more than 50 photographs. The actual production is still planned around the agreed content, schedule and shooting conditions.
With the monthly packages, you're largely paying for consistency. Essential includes a light shooting session and a few short-form videos; Growth covers more frequent production; and Partner is a broader monthly collaboration. These packages require a minimum three-month commitment, so it would be misleading to compare their monthly price directly with a single standalone shoot.
One important distinction: €1,050 is the starting price of a specific content-production package. It's not a promise that every corporate video or brand commercial can be made for that amount. A script, multiple locations, dedicated sound recording, performers or more extensive post-production can turn it into a very different project.
Why can two corporate videos of the same length cost completely different amounts?
Imagine two videos, both exactly two minutes long.
In the first, we film an interview at the company's premises and capture a few work situations to support it. The location, people and schedule are already arranged. It may be possible to handle the shoot with one filmmaker and a fairly lightweight setup.
The other two-minute video has a separately developed concept, three locations, several performers, carefully built lighting, sound design, possible animation and different versions for different channels. Days are spent preparing before filming, and the work continues long afterwards in the edit.
To the viewer, both are simply “two-minute corporate videos”. To the person producing them, they're nothing alike.
That's why I don't calculate corporate video pricing primarily by the number of minutes in the finished film. The price comes from the work needed to make the result happen.
What actually makes up the cost of a corporate video?
1. Concept, planning and scriptwriting
Not every production needs a detailed storyboard, but every production benefits from a clear goal. Who is going to watch the video? What should they understand, remember or do afterwards?
If we only start deciding what we're making when everyone arrives on set, it's easy to spend time on everything except filming. Good pre-production is not a decorative line on a quote. Often, it's what makes the whole shoot run more efficiently.
2. Shoot days and crew size
A one-person production works surprisingly well in many situations. I enjoy being able to move quickly, respond to what's happening and film without taking over the entire location with equipment.
At other times, a dedicated sound recordist, gaffer, assistant or a larger team really is necessary. That doesn't make a smaller production inferior. It simply means that the goals and requirements are different.
3. Locations, travel and logistics
I'm based in Turku, Finland, but I also shoot elsewhere in the country and internationally when a project calls for it. If we move between several locations in one day, time has to be set aside for packing, travelling and setting everything up again. Travel and accommodation, when required, belong in the budget just as much as filming itself.
4. Editing, colour grading, sound and graphics
This is where running time can be particularly misleading. A one-minute video may take much longer to edit than a five-minute video. Finding a story in the footage, building the rhythm, cleaning up dialogue, colour grading and finishing graphics all take time. The work doesn't stop when the cameras turn off.
And if the same film needs portrait and landscape versions, subtitles, shorter ad cuts and versions in different languages, each deliverable comes with its own workload. It's usually much smarter to consider those needs before filming.
5. Usage rights and final deliverables
A film for a company's own website and a long-running paid advertising campaign aren't always the same from a licensing perspective. Where the footage can be used, music rights, permissions from people appearing in the video and other licences need to be agreed based on the production. These details also affect the final quote.
Three indicative video production budgets for businesses
Now, the numbers. These examples illustrate possible productions in Finland in 2026. They aren't invoices from completed client jobs, and they don't replace a project-specific quote. The budget can go up or down depending on the content, schedule and approach.
A simple interview or standalone social video: approximately €900–€2,500 + VAT
When the subject is clear, the location is ready and a small team can handle the shoot, production can be pretty straightforward. Even then, time must be allowed for discussing the brief, filming and finishing the material.
At this budget level, defining the scope is particularly important. One really good video is more useful than a promise of ten pieces that no one has time to make properly.
A scripted corporate or brand video: approximately €2,500–€6,500 + VAT
When the goal is to tell the company's story, plan a distinct visual language and capture several scenes, the process usually takes more time. For a project like this, I wouldn't start by choosing a camera model. I'd start by asking what makes the company interesting and how to show that honestly.
This budget allows a different amount of work than a simple interview, but it doesn't automatically mean a huge crew. The scale of the production should fit the idea.
A larger commercial or campaign production: approximately €6,500–€15,000 + VAT or more
Multiple locations, actors, detailed sets, a bigger crew and demanding post-production can increase the cost quickly. There is no fixed upper limit: extensive campaigns can cost considerably more than this range.
To me, the point isn't to create the most expensive production possible. It's to find the right scale. Sometimes one well-planned shoot day achieves everything required. At other times, forcing a larger project into one day ends up costing more through reshoots and compromises.
I don't start by asking how long the video should be. I'd rather ask where it needs to work and what it's supposed to achieve.
What do different video productions look like in practice?
A price tag never tells the whole story. Actual projects make it easier to see what different production approaches can achieve. Here are three references published on my website. They aren't examples of projects billed at the prices above. They simply demonstrate different goals and deliverables.
Canon Nordic – combining video, photography and a creator's own experience
For the Canon Nordic R6 V collaboration, the goal was to explore what the camera could do in real-world use, rather than just repeat technical specifications. The work combined video, photography and behind-the-scenes material.
It's a useful reminder that one production can lead to several different deliverables. That affects the planning and the cost, but it can also help a company get more use out of a single shoot across different channels.
Here is a video published as part of the same reference:
Brightin Star – a product video, portraits and content built around one idea
In the Brightin Star AF 85mm project, the product story came from actually using the lens. The videos and portraits showed how it performed in real shooting situations. The package combined moving images and still photography.
It wasn't just about making “one video”. It was about building a group of assets around one product story. The same principle is useful for a company that needs to feed several channels during a campaign.
Point of Origin – when storytelling shapes the production
Point of Origin was created in collaboration with Nikon and Rajala Pro Shop. The project brought together cinematic storytelling, photography and content for different channels. It shows why the concept and visual language can matter far more than any individual piece of equipment.
When the aim is to make people feel something, recording a few quick clips may not be enough. But an ambitious visual idea doesn't necessarily need an oversized crew either. Resources should serve the story.
How can a business reduce video production costs without sacrificing quality?
There's no big secret to this. Usually, the savings come from not doing unnecessary work.
- Decide how the content will be used before the shoot. When we know whether this is for a website, paid advertising or several months of social content, we can choose the right scope.
- Combine the right things into one shoot day. With the people and location already in place, it makes sense to consider whether we can also capture a few photographs, interview clips or short edits.
- Prepare your own team and location. Agree on schedules, people, permissions and props in advance. Shoot-day hours aren't the ideal time to discover that the person being interviewed isn't available.
- Don't order everything just in case. If one focused video solves the problem, that's a perfectly good result. When content is needed regularly, a monthly production may make more sense than repeated last-minute bookings.
- Share your budget range early. That doesn't mean the quote will automatically land at the maximum. It helps me design something realistic from the beginning.
I explored how to get more value from a single shoot day in an earlier article: What should a business know before commissioning photography or video production? Here, the same idea matters specifically because of how it affects the budget.
Should a company make its own videos or hire a professional?
Not everything needs to be outsourced. An honest, quick video shot on a phone can work much better on social media than something that feels overly stiff or polished. If the goal is simply to share a quick update or answer a customer question, I wouldn't automatically turn it into a full production.
But when a video needs to represent the company on its website for years, shape the perception of the brand or run in paid advertising, planning and finishing become much more important. A professional shouldn't be hired only because they own a better camera. The real value is in storytelling, production management and post-production as well as filming.
For many companies, the best answer is a combination: make everyday content in-house, then bring in a professional for important campaigns and the core visual assets that need to last.
How should you ask for a video production quote?
You don't need a perfect brief. It's enough to have a rough idea of what you want to achieve. A perfectly good first message could be: “We need a video for our new service, but we're not yet sure if it should be one commercial or several short social videos.”
If you already know the following, we can usually get moving faster:
- what you want to communicate and to whom
- where the video will be published or used
- when the content needs to be ready
- whether you need one film or several versions
- where the shoot is likely to take place
- what kind of budget range you have in mind
Some of these can still be undecided. Helping figure them out is part of my job, just like filming.
Frequently asked questions about video production pricing
How much does a corporate video cost?
Corporate video costs depend largely on planning, shoot days, crew and post-production. A small, clearly scoped project isn't comparable to a multi-day brand film. The indicative figures in this guide, starting around €900–€2,500 and extending into many thousands of euros + VAT, illustrate different project sizes rather than one universal price list.
How much does one social media video cost?
It depends on whether the video is filmed on its own or captured alongside other content during one session. Producing several short videos at once can lower the cost per finished piece. The quote is based on the full workload, not just the number of exported files.
Can you make a corporate video for around €1,000?
In some tightly scoped situations, yes, but not for every project. My published Photo + Video Content Day starts at €1,050 + VAT and covers a particular type of content package. A more extensive corporate film is priced separately.
How much does video editing cost?
Editing costs depend on the amount of footage, how much work is needed to build the story, colour grading, sound, subtitles, graphics and alternate versions. There is no sensible fixed price for every project before seeing the material and understanding what it needs to become.
Is video production more expensive in Helsinki than in Turku?
The city alone doesn't determine the price. Since I'm based in Turku, a local production generally involves less travel than one farther away. But the final cost comes down to the schedule, locations and scope of the project, not a postcode.
Does the price include VAT?
The business starting prices and illustrative budgets in this article are shown excluding VAT, marked “+ VAT”. The precise tax treatment and any additional costs are always detailed in the quote.
So what is a sensible video production budget?
One that achieves what you actually need the video to do. I know that isn't as easy an answer as putting a single number in a table. But it's more honest, and usually a lot more useful to the client.
If you need regular, lightweight and fast content, an expensive standalone brand film may not be the right investment. But if your whole company's message needs to come across in one long-lasting video, cutting corners at the planning stage can be an expensive mistake.
I prefer to start with what a company wants to achieve, then build the production around that. Cameras and the rest of the equipment matter, but we can make those decisions once we know what the equipment needs to accomplish.
You can find out more about my video production services, see the published content-production starting prices or browse selected projects. If you have an idea, a half-finished brief or a budget already in mind, that's enough to get started.
Tell me about your project and request a quote →
About the author
I'm Jere Alanen (Jeyshoots), a photographer, filmmaker and content creator based in Turku, Finland. I create video and photography for businesses, brands and creative projects in Finland and internationally. The published package prices in this guide come from my own price list; the example budgets are indicative, and each final quote is based on the actual production.
