A good corporate video production quote should make it clear what will be planned, filmed, edited and delivered—and what the client will pay for it. It should give both the client and production company the same understanding of the scope before work begins.
At Clips That Sell, quotes are usually divided into three main stages: pre-production, production and post-production. Larger external costs may be shown separately, while smaller production costs are incorporated into the relevant stage.
This structure helps clients compare proposals properly. A lower total price is not necessarily better value if it excludes planning, captions, graphics, review rounds or additional versions that another quote includes.
The three main parts of a video production quote
1. Pre-production
Pre-production covers the work required to make filming efficient and ensure the finished video communicates the right message. Depending on the project, this can include:
- A discovery and planning meeting
- Clarifying the audience, communication objective and intended use
- Developing the concept and recommended production approach
- Writing scripts, interview questions or presenter notes
- Preparing a shot list and filming schedule
- Planning locations, participants, equipment and logistics
- Coordinating stakeholders, approvals and compliance requirements
Pre-production is particularly important when several people need to approve the video, when staff are appearing on camera, or when filming must be completed efficiently within a limited period on site.
2. Production or filming
The production section should explain what the filming allowance actually covers. It should identify:
- Whether filming allows for a half day, full day or longer
- The filming location or number of locations
- Whether the crew consists of one videographer or includes an assistant or additional camera operators
- The interviews, demonstrations, presentations or supporting footage to be recorded
- Any special production requirements
The filming allowance also accounts for essential preparation before arriving on site. This includes charging batteries, checking and preparing memory cards, testing equipment, selecting the appropriate cameras, lenses, microphones and lighting, and carefully packing the gear required for the production.
After filming, the recorded footage and audio must be downloaded, checked and backed up before editing begins. These tasks are an important part of protecting the client’s material, even though they occur away from the filming location.
Normal use of our professional cameras, lenses, tripods, microphones and lighting is incorporated into the filming line rather than itemised as a series of small equipment charges. If a project requires unusual equipment, a larger crew or a specialist operator, that should be identified separately.
3. Post-production or editing
Post-production turns the recorded material into the finished video. The editing allowance can cover:
- Creating and organising the editing project and its files
- Obtaining the client’s logos and relevant brand or style guides
- Creating transcripts of interviews or spoken content
- Reviewing and organising the footage
- Selecting the strongest material and editing it into a concise, coherent story
- Editing supporting footage over interviews or narration
- Colour correction and audio processing
- Licensed music
- Professional voice-over where required
- Captions
- Animated introductions and outros
- Titles, name captions and lower-third graphics
- Creating additional lengths or aspect ratios
- Preparing review drafts and final files.
The quote should also state how many review rounds are included. Our standard project quotes generally include two rounds of reasonable review and amendments, based on consolidated client feedback.
The final deliverables should be specific
“One corporate video” can mean very different things to different people. A useful quote should describe the finished deliverables clearly, including:
- The number of finished videos
- The approximate length of each video
- Horizontal, square or vertical aspect ratios
- Shorter social-media versions
- Captions or subtitle files
- Animated intros, outros, titles and lower thirds
- Music and voice-over
- File formats and delivery method
These details are normally included under the post-production or editing section. Stating them clearly prevents a mismatch between what the client expects and what the production company has allowed for.
Which costs may be shown separately?
Larger external costs are usually listed separately so the client can see where the budget is going. These might include professional actors or presenters, specialist crew, venue hire, extensive animation or other significant third-party costs.
Smaller costs—such as normal camera and lighting use, basic captions or routine file delivery—are generally incorporated into one of the three main production stages rather than itemised individually.
Travel is estimated at $60 per hour where applicable. It may be incorporated into the project total rather than appearing as a separate charge, but the locations and travel assumptions should still be clear.
Allow for the client’s approval process
Larger organisations may have more extensive approval processes involving marketing, communications, legal, compliance, subject-matter experts and senior management. This can require additional planning, administration and review rounds.
If that process is known at the quoting stage, the additional work should be included in the scope. If unexpected review requirements arise later, we will discuss them with the client and agree on an hourly rate or additional fee before undertaking the extra work.
How should variations be handled?
Even a carefully prepared brief can change. A new filming location, extra interview, additional video version or substantial change to an approved script may create work outside the original scope.
A professional quote should explain how variations will be managed. At Clips That Sell, if a requested change sits outside the agreed scope, we discuss it with the client and quote the variation before carrying it out. This keeps the client in control of the budget.
Example: what a basic client testimonial quote might include
A straightforward client testimonial video might be scoped as follows:
Pre-production
Approximately one hour of planning with the client to decide on interview questions, the filming location, the people involved and the supporting footage needed.
Production
A half day or slightly longer at one location. The production allowance also covers preparation before the shoot—charging batteries, checking and preparing memory cards, testing and packing the required cameras, lighting and sound equipment. On site, we set up tripod-mounted cameras, lighting and microphones for an interview that may take approximately 30 minutes. We then record supporting “B-roll” of the organisation—some featuring the interviewee and some showing the workplace, people, service or product. After filming, the footage and audio are downloaded, checked and backed up.
Post-production
Editing commonly requires another half to two-thirds of a day. This includes creating and organising the project files, obtaining the client’s logos and style guide, creating a transcript, selecting the strongest interview material and editing it into a concise story. We then add supporting footage, graphics, titles and captions and prepare the review draft.
We usually deliver the first draft within one week of filming. The quote includes two subsequent review rounds, with amendments generally completed within a few days of receiving consolidated feedback.
How to compare two video-production quotes
When comparing quotes, look beyond the total at the bottom of the page. Check whether each proposal includes the same planning, filming time, crew, locations, graphics, captions, deliverables, aspect ratios, music, review rounds and turnaround.
A well-defined quote should make it easy to understand both the price and the outcome. If something is unclear, ask the producer to explain the assumption before accepting the proposal.
Frequently asked questions
Should camera and lighting equipment be charged separately?
Normal use of our professional cameras, sound equipment and lighting is included in the filming allowance. Specialist equipment or additional crew may be quoted separately when a project requires them.
How many rounds of changes should a quote include?
Our standard quotes generally include two rounds of reasonable review and amendments. Larger organisations with complex approval processes should discuss whether additional review rounds need to be included.
Is video production quoted at an hourly rate?
We normally provide a fixed project quote based on the agreed scope. Time-based rates help us estimate the work internally and may be used for agreed variations or additional work outside the original scope.
Get a clearly scoped video-production quote
For typical project ranges, see our video production pricing guide. If you tell us what you want the video to achieve, where it will be filmed and how you plan to use it, we can recommend a practical scope and provide a clear quote.
