How much does it cost to produce an imagefilm?

You're planning to use an image film to promote your company and are wondering what the costs will be? We'll give you an idea of the costs you should expect and how they're calculated.

Creating an Image FIlm - Can it be done alone?

Producing a video is not difficult in the age of smartphone cameras. In theory, you can therefore make your own video tutorial, with the help of a tutorial from the internet. 

The disadvantage of such DIY videos is that they will never be as professional as the result of an image film agency. 

The first step in calculating the cost of an image film is to know what you want. It is nearly impossible to give a general answer to this question, because the price of a car can vary between 1000 and 100,000 euros and more. The same applies to an Imagefilm!

The complexity of the image film

The cost is determined by a number of factors, one of which is the complexity of the film you are looking for. The following criteria are taken into account when determining the cost: 

• How elaborate is the story?
• Where is the filming location?
• How big does the team have to be?
• How elaborate is the editing overall?

For a typical two to five minute image film, a shooting time of two to seven days is needed. The simplest solution is that you know your goal and your budget so that the film company can write the script and make you an offer! 

Pre-production:

The pre-production phase is the foundation for your corporate video. Here, it's important to decide whether you want to use your own actors or whether you want to use professionals from your video production agency. The fee will be included in the budget. 

The producer of your film assembles the team and plans the logistics. Usually, free workers are employed, who are paid according to an hourly rate. The film team is the highest cost factor if it is of high quality. 

As part of the pre-production, the concept is also created which is then discussed with you. When you and the team are satisfied, the filming starts. 

The shooting of the image film:

The actors, film crew, director and campaign manager meet on set to make the shoot as efficient and perfect as possible. The content work is the responsibility of the director, who also gives the go-ahead for successful scenes. The actors are paid by the day of shooting, so more effort and more shooting days mean more costs. 

Besides make-up artists, camera assistants, actors, sound man and light man, caterers also belong in a good team, so that the actors are kept happy. The customer himself can, but does not have to be present. If you want to participate in or watch the shoot, you should only observe the team's work, but not disturb it. 

Post production and distribution

The following two steps take place once most of the costs have been incurred. Now the graphic designers get to work. Studio speakers, musical background, designers, and editors now take the helm and turn the rough draft of the film into the finished work. Here too: The more elaborate the production, the higher the cost. 

The last, and most significantly different cost factor is the distribution of your image film. If you choose to distribute your film online, you can save money. The time on TV is more expensive, but not as effective. Here it is largely a question of analyzing your target audience. If you advertise on a main channel in prime time, you can expect to spend between 60,000 and 100,000 euros. Advertising during the news can be less expensive, between 20,000 and 40,000 euros. 

When your target audience is online, the distribution of your video over search engines and YouTube can be much more efficient and is often associated with lower costs. It is true that a high-quality advertising campaign should always be the goal of the promotional film, since otherwise the costs will not have been worthwhile.