HOW SMALL BUSINESSES CAN ESTIMATE VIDEO PRODUCTION COSTS

When you have a small business, each penny matters. You already know that video is a powerful ally—it gets you on the map, brings customers through the door, and wins their trust. But how do you utilise it effectively? We here at Headroom Films create videos for companies large and small and all different types, and we're too well-versed in the benefits of knowing ahead of time just what the video production costs.

Here is a quick summary of the key things that drive pricing and how to get the most out of your investment for small businesses.

1. What Drives the Cost of a Video?

The price of a video is founded on several basic variables:

Type of Video: A straightforward interview or explainer video will generally cost less than a brand video with multiple locations or scripted scenes.

Duration: Longer videos may require additional days of filming and extended edit.

Number of crew: A simple shoot could have only one person operating off-camera.

Larger productions may require a director, camera, lighting and sound crew.

Equipment Requirements: Spec cameras, drones, lighting and specialist equipment can increase the cost.

Post-Production: Colour grading, editing days, motion graphics, and sound mix all contribute to the end cost.

Locations and Permissions: Filming in public locations or renting a venue could be an added cost.

Number of Interviews: If your program features interviews, the number of interviewees will directly affect the cost. Each will need to be edited on to achieve the best soundbites, which takes time. When booking out a day of shooting, you want to make the most of it—so if interviews are planned, try and get people sequentially so you can use the set time to best effect and be as efficient as possible.

2. Small Business Average Budget Levels

As a rough guide to estimate costs, here's how video budgets tend to break down (though prices differ depending on where and complexity):

£500 - £1,500: Undemanding films like interviews, social first videos, or straightforward event coverage shot in a single location.

£1,500 - £5,000: Medium budgets with more planning, crew, and possibly some motion graphics or animation.

£5,000+: Big productions with days of shooting, scripts, actors, and high production values.

3. Getting the Most for Your Money

Even with your budget stretched, you can produce great content. Here's how to make the most of it:

Be Clear on Your Goals: What do you want the video to do—gain awareness, gain sales, gain sign-ups? Throwing balls of clarity to the creatives will help guide the direction.

Stay on Target: A well-shot one-minute video can generally have more impact than a longer one that gets lost.

Plan Smart for the Shoot: If you have to shoot several different kinds of content—interviews and product video, say—plan to get it all done in a single day of shooting.

Recycle Your Footage: A single shoot can drive several edits on your website, social media, and email campaigns.

4. Working with Headroom Films

Here at Headroom Films, we keep it easy with straightforward, fixed-fee packages so small businesses can plan ahead with certainty. We're a small team that appreciate the restrictions of finite time and budget.

Our Partner Packages are perfect for agencies and SMEs who need regular, high-quality material without the inconvenience.