Video Production Budget: How Much Should You Spend?

Josh Emerick
Apr 22
4 min read

Updated: Apr 23

A Thoughtful Guide for Artists, Brands, and First-Time Clients

Josh Emerick thinking about video production budget

Not sure where to start? Good. That means you're thinking.

Most people don’t enter a creative project with complete clarity.

They walk in with a feeling.

A need.

Maybe even a hunch that they should “do a video”—but no clue what it actually takes to get from idea to impact.

So, they ask the natural question: “How much does a video cost?”

Totally fair. But also, totally misleading.

Because the cost of a video? That’s not just a number.

It’s a reflection of your clarity, your priorities, and the kind of experience you want to create for your team, your audience, and your peace of mind.

This guide is for the clients who don’t want to wing it.

It’s for the ones who want to do it right—even if they’re not 100% sure what “right” looks like yet.

We’re not here to sell you on video.

We’re here to help you think about it more effectively.

Today, we're talking about video production budgets!

What You’ll Find in This Guide:

How to think through a video budget without feeling overwhelmed
The real cost drivers in production (and how to align them to your goals)
Why some projects cost $3K and others $60K+
The value of creative collaboration—and how to spot a partner, not a vendor
How we price at JECP (spoiler: it’s not hourly)
What kind of project makes sense at each budget tier

And maybe most importantly—how to walk into your next video call with more confidence and way fewer question marks.

Budgeting Is Hard, Even for Us.

We’ve done over 350 projects across industries. And guess what? Budgeting is still one of the hardest parts.

Not because we don’t know what we’re doing.

But because no two clients are alike. And when you take people’s ideas seriously, you can’t just plug them into a template and call it done.

You have to listen.

You have to ask the real questions.

You have to understand what’s at stake—not just what needs to be filmed.

“Most of our favorite projects didn’t start with a plan. They started with someone saying, ‘We know we want to do something… we’re just not sure what yet.’ And that’s where the work begins.”

At JECP, we don’t get rewarded for dragging things out.

We charge flat rates. If we go over time, we lose. However, we mitigate that risk by being extremely clear, early.

That’s our real skillset.

Not just filming.

Facilitating alignment.

Creating momentum.

Building genuine, collaborative trust with our clients ensures that everything flows smoothly.

What Affects Your Video Production Budget?

Let’s simplify this. The most significant factors aren’t gear or effects.

They're things like:

How clear your idea is
How much planning is needed
How many people are involved
How high the stakes are

Want to shoot a single interview in one room? Great.

Want a cinematic world with actors, custom props, and ten layers of symbolism? Awesome too.

But they don’t cost the same, and they shouldn’t.

Where Your Money Actually Goes:

Category	% of Budget	What It Covers
Pre-Production	~50%	Strategy, workshops, casting, location planning, scripting
Production	~10%	Crew, gear, shoot days, meals, insurance, permits
Post-Production	~30%	Editing, sound, color, VFX, revisions
Miscellaneous	~10%	Travel, unexpected costs, data, safety, backups

These aren’t fluff.

They’re how we protect the outcome, so you’re not left holding a rough cut that doesn’t work.

It’s Not About Cutting Corners. It’s About Spending Smarter.

We’re not here to maximize the spend.

We’re here to maximize the clarity, so the spend makes sense.

Most people focus so much on the shoot day, they miss how much value is built in the thinking beforehand.

That’s where we shine.

And that’s how our clients go from nervous to confident.

“The final product was beyond what we could have done alone. JECP made us feel like part of the team.”

— Zack & Keegan, Ghostwave

What You Can Actually Afford at Different Ranges

We break it down like this—not as a rulebook, but as a gut check:

Budget Range	What You’re Likely Getting
$0–5K	Best for freelancers or lean projects. You likely need to self-produce or keep it simple.
$5–10K	Good for a focused piece. Small team, simple setup, fits into a larger strategy.
$10–30K	This is where storytelling and collaboration thrive. Multiple pieces, stronger production, deeper strategy.
$30–60K	More complexity. Multi-day shoots, VFX, LED walls, travel, or high-volume systems.
$60K+	World-building, episodic campaigns, or branded documentary territory. High impact, high vision.

This isn’t about gatekeeping—it’s about helping you figure out what level of support you actually need.

The Clients Who Get the Best Results

They’re not the ones with the biggest budgets.

They’re the ones who…

Want to do it right the first time
Value the prep, not just the shoot
Care about who they work with, not just the quote
Ask questions early and collaborate on the project with us, rather than just handing us a script.

We don’t try to upsell.

But we will ask you: “What are you really trying to build?”

Because once we understand that, we can give you options, not just a price.

What Makes JECP Different?

We don’t show up with a camera and shoot.

We show up with a plan and ask better questions.

We’ve built our business around process, prep, and people.

That means you’re not hiring just a video team—you’re getting:

A trusted creative partner
A system, not a one-off
Emotional intelligence with technical excellence
Clarity before the camera

We’ve made mistakes, refined our process, and learned that the best creative work comes when we build with our clients, not for them.

“They helped us understand our vision and expand it. The final piece became the foundation for everything we’re building moving forward.”

— Aaron, Buried Crosses

So… What Should You Do Next?

You’ve got a few smart options.

Book a Discovery Call. Let’s talk. No pressure.
Download our Playbook. It breaks down how we think, price, and partner.
Explore Workshops. Want a strategic warm-up? This is our best-kept secret for clients who want to build before they spend.

Whether you end up working with us or someone else, we hope this helped you reframe your approach and feel more confident moving forward.

Because when you see video as a system, not just a service, everything changes.

All love,