Video Production Cost
Estimate what a professionally produced video costs in Australia, from a single-camera talking head through to a scripted brand film with a full crew.
The format sets the crew size and how much of the budget goes to pre-production.
A shoot day is roughly 10 hours on location including setup and pack down.
Ask what the quote includes for revisions. Two rounds is the Australian norm, and every round after that is usually billed hourly at $90 to $160.
💰 Ways to save
- Shoot multiple videos in one day rather than booking separate days. The expensive part of a shoot is not the rolling camera, it is the mobilisation: crew call, gear hire, travel, lighting setup and pack down. Once the lights are up and the crew is on site, adding a second and third piece to the schedule often costs only the extra edit time, which can halve your effective cost per finished video.
- Supply your own locations, talent and props where you credibly can. Your own office, warehouse or job site is free, whereas a location fee plus a permit for a public space in a capital city runs $400 to $2,000 a day. Genuine staff and customers on camera also skip talent day rates and usage fees, and they often read as more authentic than a hired actor.
- Do the scripting and storyboarding yourself if you have a clear message. Pre-production is typically 15 to 25 per cent of a production budget, and a client who arrives with a locked script, a shot list and approved key messages saves the production company days of back and forth. Just accept the trade-off: a weak script cannot be rescued in the edit.
- Negotiate a footage and project-file handover clause at the quote stage, not at the end. Owning the raw rushes and the edit project means next year's refresh or a new cut-down does not require reshooting. Many producers will include it for a modest fee up front, but treat it as an expensive extra once the job is delivered.
or from $21/week over 5 years , indicative finance
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## What video production actually costs in Australia
Pricing reviewed: June 2026.
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Pricing reviewed June 2026. Indicative Australian costs, not a quote.
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Understanding video production costs in Australia
What video production actually costs in Australia
Australian video production sits on a very wide spectrum. A single-camera talking head or customer testimonial, shot in half a day by a solo operator and edited simply, typically lands between $1,200 and $3,000. A proper brand film with a small crew, one full shoot day, a colour grade and a sound mix runs $4,000 to $12,000. A scripted commercial intended for broadcast or serious paid media, with a director, a producer, professional talent and a lighting department, starts around $20,000 and climbs quickly past $60,000 once talent usage and post are added. Event and conference coverage is cheaper again, usually $1,500 to $4,500 a day, because the content is captured rather than constructed.
How agencies and producers build a quote
Almost every Australian quote is assembled from day rates rather than a single number. A director of photography charges $900 to $1,600 a day, a sound recordist $650 to $950, a gaffer $700 to $900 and a producer $800 to $1,400. Camera and lighting packages are hired at $400 to $1,500 a day depending on whether it is a mirrorless kit or a cinema camera with a full lighting truck. Editors bill $600 to $1,000 a day, colourists $900 to $1,800 and motion graphics artists $700 to $1,200. When you see a $9,000 quote for a one-day shoot, it is usually one shoot day of crew and gear plus three to five days of post.
Why the edit costs more than people expect
Clients consistently underestimate post-production, which routinely absorbs 40 to 60 per cent of a video budget. A ten-hour shoot day generates hours of rushes that someone has to log, select, assemble, refine, grade, mix and master. Add motion graphics, lower thirds, an animated logo sting and licensed music clearance, and the post schedule stretches further. Music is its own line item: a production library track costs $50 to $400 depending on the licence term and media, while commissioning original music starts around $1,500. Stock footage to plug gaps runs $80 to $400 a clip.
Usage rights, talent fees and the licence trap
The single most common budget shock in Australian video is usage. Hiring an actor for a day buys their performance on that day, not the right to run the finished ad indefinitely. Usage is licensed by media (online only, paid social, broadcast, cinema), by territory and by term, and a 12 month Australia-wide all-media buyout can add 100 to 300 per cent of the original talent day rate. The same logic applies to music and stock. Before signing, write down where the video will run and for how long, and get the quote to cover exactly that.
What changes the price most
Crew size and shoot days are the two biggest levers, and they compound: a full crew on a three-day shoot is not three times a small crew on one day, it is closer to six. After that, the drivers are travel (regional and interstate shoots add flights, accommodation and per diems of $600 to $1,200 per crew member), locations, and how many finished deliverables you need. Six aspect-ratio variants with burned-in captions from one hero edit is a genuine cost, usually $80 to $200 per version, but far cheaper than commissioning six videos.
Regional and city differences
Sydney and Melbourne carry the highest crew rates in Australia, typically 15 to 25 per cent above Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, largely because of the concentration of agency and broadcast work competing for the same freelancers. Regional producers are cheaper on the day rate but often need travel covered, and specialist gear such as a cinema camera package, a jib or a lighting truck may have to come from the nearest capital, which adds freight. Tasmania, the Northern Territory and far north Queensland almost always involve a travel component for anything beyond a basic shoot.
Getting comparable quotes
Ask every producer to quote against the same brief: number of finished videos, running time, number of shoot days, number of locations, deliverable formats, where the video will run and for how long, and how many revision rounds are included. Without those seven items fixed, two quotes are not comparable, and the cheaper one is usually cheaper because it assumes fewer shoot hours, a smaller crew or a narrower licence. Also confirm who owns the raw footage and the project files, because that determines what a refresh costs you next year.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a corporate video cost in Australia?
A standard corporate or brand video with one shoot day, a small crew and a professional edit typically costs $4,000 to $12,000 in 2026. A simple talking-head testimonial can be done for $1,200 to $3,000, while a scripted commercial for broadcast starts around $20,000.
What is a typical video production day rate?
In Australia a director of photography charges $900 to $1,600 a day, a sound recordist $650 to $950, a producer $800 to $1,400 and an editor $600 to $1,000. Camera and lighting hire adds $400 to $1,500 a day depending on the package.
Why is editing so expensive compared to the shoot?
Post-production usually consumes 40 to 60 per cent of the budget. One shoot day generates hours of footage that has to be logged, assembled, refined, colour graded, sound mixed and mastered, and motion graphics or animated titles add several more days on top.
What are usage rights and why do they cost extra?
A talent day rate buys the performance, not the right to broadcast it. Usage is licensed by media, territory and term, and a 12 month Australia-wide all-media buyout can add 100 to 300 per cent of the talent day rate. Music and stock footage licences work the same way.
Do I own the raw footage?
Not automatically. Many Australian production companies retain the rushes and project files by default and deliver only the finished master. Negotiate a handover clause at quote stage, where it is often a modest fee, rather than after delivery where it is usually treated as an expensive extra.
Does using a drone add much to the cost?
Licensed drone aerials typically add $600 to $1,200 for a half day. The operator must hold a CASA remote pilot licence and operate under a certified or accredited arrangement, and flights near airports, over people or in controlled airspace need approvals that can take several weeks.
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