It’s one of the most-asked, least-answered questions in the industry, and for good reason. “Video production” covers an enormous range: a one-person crew with a camera, some lights, and basic audio gear knocking out local advertising content, right through to full Hollywood-scale productions. Getting a straight answer isn’t as simple as it sounds.
Why the old pricing model doesn’t work anymore
Back when advertising mostly meant TV, pricing was relatively straightforward. Agencies worked to fixed rates, something like $2,500 per second of creative, on top of media spend. It was a clean, if blunt, way to price things.
That model broke down once the online world arrived. Content creation became something almost anyone could do, good equipment got more accessible, and the sheer volume and variety of video needed by businesses exploded. A flat per-second rate stopped making sense.
How pricing actually works today
Most production companies now land on one of two approaches:
A retainer, a set number of outputs per month or year, priced around ongoing, predictable content needs.
A bespoke quote, calculated around your specific requirements: the outputs you need, the equipment involved, staffing, and other overheads that come with the job.
Neither approach gives you a single number that applies to every project, because the range of what “video production” can mean is just too wide.
So what does it actually cost?
If you’re after a rough per-second benchmark for social media content specifically, a starting figure often lands somewhere in the ballpark of $50 per second, though this varies significantly depending on production complexity, crew size, and deliverables.
The honest answer is: it depends on what you’re trying to achieve, and the best way to find out is to talk through your specific needs.
The takeaway
There’s no universal price tag for video production, because there’s no universal video. What matters is finding a production partner who can scope your actual requirements, not quote you a number pulled from a decade-old rate card.
Not sure what your video needs would actually cost?
Compass Video works with businesses to scope out the right approach, retainer or bespoke, based on what you actually need to produce, not a one-size-fits-all rate. Get in touch for a straightforward quote.