How Much Does Video Production Cost?
Ask three production companies the same question and you’ll get three different numbers, not because anyone’s lying, but because “video production” covers everything from a phone-shot Instagram reel to a multi-day ad film with a known actor. The honest answer: in India, video production typically runs from ₹30,000 for a simple social media clip to ₹25 lakh or more for a high-end commercial, and almost all of that spread comes down to five cost components, not the “type” of video itself.
The five things that actually build a quote
Pre-production. Scripting, storyboarding and planning. Often bundled into a quote invisibly, but a rushed or skipped pre-production stage is one of the most common reasons shoots run over budget on the day.
Crew and equipment, by the day. This is usually the single biggest line item. A basic crew and camera setup might run ₹15,000-₹45,000 a day depending on the city, cinema-grade cameras and larger crews push well past that. Metro cities (Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore) generally command higher day rates than tier-2 cities like Coimbatore, for broadly comparable work.
Talent. A professional model or actor typically runs ₹8,000-₹1,00,000+ a day depending on experience and recognition; a known face or celebrity is a different budget tier entirely, often lakhs per day, and usually unnecessary for most small and mid-size brand videos.
Location and production value. Studio rental, props, multiple locations, drone footage, all add cost incrementally. Shooting two products or scenes in one day typically adds only 20-30% to the cost of one, not double, since crew and setup costs are largely fixed per day.
Post-production. Editing, colour grading, sound design, motion graphics, voiceover. This is frequently 40-50% of the total project cost, and it’s the part most likely to be underestimated in a quick verbal quote. Always ask for this broken out as its own line item.
Rough ranges by video type
| Video type | Typical range (India) |
|---|---|
| Simple social media clip / talking-head | ₹30,000-₹75,000 |
| UGC-style ad creative | ₹15,000-₹60,000 per video (often cheaper per-unit in a bundle) |
| Product video (single product, studio) | ₹50,000-₹2,00,000 |
| Corporate/brand film (3-5 minutes) | ₹2,00,000-₹10,00,000+ |
| TV commercial / high-end ad film | ₹5,00,000-₹25,00,000+ |
Treat these as rough orientation, not a quote. Published ranges from agency marketing pages vary wildly and often promote whatever positions that agency favourably, worth comparing at least two or three real quotes for your specific brief before budgeting against any single number, including the ones above.
Where this overlaps with other Akkenna services
“Video production” as a broad category covers several formats that are worth distinguishing, since each has its own cost logic:
- Animated explainer videos (2D or 3D) don’t need a physical shoot at all, so the cost structure is entirely different, driven by animation complexity rather than crew and location. See how much do explainer videos cost for that specific breakdown.
- UGC-style content, filmed on a phone by a creator rather than a studio crew, is usually the lowest-cost format per video and can be produced in volume. See how to use user-generated content for how this fits into a broader content plan.
- Live-action brand films and ad creatives are what this post is mainly about, the format where day rates, crew and location genuinely drive the budget.
How to stretch a video budget without it looking cheap
Batch everything in one shoot day. Capturing a hero video, several social cuts, and still photography in the same session with the same crew can cut the per-asset cost significantly, since the most expensive part is usually getting crew and talent together at all, not the extra hour of filming.
Get a genuine line-item quote. Pre-production, shoot day, editing, revisions, music licensing and final delivery formats should each appear separately. A single bundled number makes it hard to see where money’s actually going, or to negotiate any one part of it.
Lock the script before the shoot. Changes after filming begins are where budgets quietly blow out, both in extra shoot time and in post-production rework.
Be honest about whether you need a shoot at all. For some messages, especially explainer or process-driven content, animation is cheaper and more flexible than a live-action shoot. The “film it for real unless there’s a reason not to” instinct is usually right for product and testimonial content, but not universal.
Get a quote based on what you’re actually making
A number without a brief attached isn’t really a budget, it’s a guess. If you want a clear, itemised quote for your specific video, rather than working backwards from a published range, that’s where the conversation should start. Akkenna, a holistic branding agency in Coimbatore, can scope video production against your actual goal, whether that’s a product demo, a UGC campaign, or a full brand film, so you’re paying for what the video needs to do, not a generic package.
A few follow-up questions
Why do video production quotes vary so much between companies?
Crew size, city, talent, equipment and how much post-production is included all shift the number significantly. Two quotes for “the same video” can reflect very different scopes.
Is it cheaper to shoot in a tier-2 city like Coimbatore than in Mumbai or Bangalore?
Generally yes, day rates for crew and talent tend to run lower outside the major metros, for broadly comparable production quality.
Does a longer video always cost proportionally more?
No. A lot of the cost, crew, setup, location, is fixed per shoot day, so a longer video from the same shoot often costs far less per minute than a second, separate shorter video would.
Ready for a real quote, not a guess?
A short brand audit can help clarify what kind of video would actually move the needle for your business, and what it should realistically cost. Book a brand audit with the Akkenna team.
