How Much Should a 30-Second Video Cost?

 

If you’re a business owner or marketing director looking to create a short video for an ad, you’ve probably wondered: “How much should a 30-second video cost?” The short answer? It depends.

We believe in transparency to help you understand what goes into video pricing.

Here are the three biggest factors that influence the cost of a 30-second video:

1. The Type of Video You Need

 

Not all 30-second videos are created equal. A simple talking head video filmed in your office will cost significantly less than a cinematic brand video with actors, a script, and multiple shoot locations. Here are a few common types:

  • Social Media Ad: Often quick and efficient, starting around $750–$1,500.

  • Animated Explainer: Great for simplifying your message, typically $1,500–$3,000.

  • High-End Brand Video: Story-driven and polished, ranging from $3,000–$10,000+.

 

2. Production Quality and Crew Involved

 

video production crew

 

Higher-quality video means better lighting, sound, editing, and storytelling—but it also means more crew and equipment. The cost will reflect if your project requires a director, cinematographer, drone shots, or studio space.

At 12 Media Group, we typically have a production crew of 2 to 3 people to ensure the production experience is smooth and the video assets turn out amazing.

3. Post-Production 

 

Editing your project can take as much time as filming—sometimes more.

People assume a 30-second video will be cheaper than a longer video, but that’s not always the case.

It can be more difficult to cut a video down to 30 seconds, especially if it needs to be exactly 30 seconds for certain platforms, like Hulu, for example.

 


So, What’s the Bottom Line?

 

With our company, a professionally produced 30-second video will be between $3,600 and $20,000, depending on complexity.

If you want a quick quote tailored to your project, contact us here and let’s talk about your project.

5 Powerful Video Types Proven to Increase Sales

 

The purpose of a professional video is not just to look cool. We always aim to provide a return on investment on your video project.  Each video should serve a purpose to generate revenue.  Here are 5 types of video that can boost sales for your company.

 

1. Brand Videos

 

Businesses that use video on their homepage see conversion rates improve by up to 80%.
(Source: Unbounce)

The videos we tend to shoot the most are brand story videos.  These are great because we interview you, your leadership team, and any other key team members to share why you do what you do.  We also show your process and footage of you providing your service. These are great for building trust and separating you from your competition.  They also humanize your brand.

 

2. Event Recap Videos

event shoot

 

If you host an event like a business conference, trade show, or corporate event, having a recap video shot can boost sales.  Here’s how:  one of the easiest ways to promote an event is to show what the event is like so prospective attendees know what to expect.

We were recently approached by a networking group to shoot a video of their upcoming business summit.  Their main frustration was that they host this event annually, but had ZERO video footage to be able to promote this year’s summit.

These also allow you to show your company’s culture in another way besides just showing your service.

 

3. Drone Videos

 

Drone videos are excellent for boosting sales for construction companies because they show the vast scope of projects that they can handle.  These can also be used to show the progress of a project and highlight the quality of your work.

We are shooting a series of videos for a commercial roofing company showing the before, during, and after of a gigantic project.  They will be using this to pitch other companies with proof that they handle large projects.

 

4. Educational Videos

 

These are a great trust builder for any service builder.  When you educate your potential customer throughout the buyer journey, you create a more informed buyer who’s more willing to do business with you.  We try to include 3 to 5 educational videos with every video shoot project that we do.  These can be posted on your website, YouTube, and social media.

 

5. Testimonial Videos

 

These may be the most powerful of the 5. If you say your company is great, you just blend in with the crowd.  But if your customer tells the story of how your business was able to solve their specific problem, it will carry more weight.  Having a few of these on your website that show your ideal types of clients singing your praises will be your best “salesperson”.

 

If you need help shooting any of these types of video to boost sales for your business, fill out the form below, and we can discuss your project.


 

 

 

How Much is a Professional Video?

 

One of the biggest mysteries regarding creative services is how much you need to budget.  Whether you need a logo, a website, or a professional video, pricing is all over the map.  This has to be frustrating for businesses.

Here at 12 Media Group, we don’t have set pricing, but I want to shed light on how much you need to plan on investing in video production with us.

A video project can range anywhere from $50,000 to $5,000, depending on the scope of the video shoot.

Here are 3 factors that determine the cost of a professional with us:

 

How Many Videos/Assets?

 

Paradigm roofing video

 

During our initial call, we talk about the full scope of the shoot.  Sometimes we’re only producing 1 video, but on most occasions, we are providing our clients with several assets (a mix of videos and pictures).

For example: your shoot could consist of a brand video, some short videos you can use for social as well as some still photos.  We recently had a video shoot with Paradigm Roofing in which we provided them with a testimonial video and we also gave them several photos that they can use in their marketing.

The number of assets is a major factor when we are creating a quote for your business.

 

How Many Days?

 

Another factor in determining price is how many days we will be on location shooting.  Most of our video shoots are done in a couple of hours.

Some video shoots require us to be on-site (or at least come back multiple times on the same day) for the entire day.  For the Paradigm Roofing video shoot mentioned above, we got footage first thing in the morning, then shot the testimonial, and then came back later that evening to get more footage of the roof installation.

Some shoots take multiple days.  We are in the middle of a video shoot for a landscaping company where we are getting footage of multiple phases of a back and front yard transformation.  This video will cost more than a video where we are only shooting for a couple of hours.

 

How Many Videographers?

 

Event videos typically require more than one videographer (or at least a videographer and photographer) to capture all of the footage and to be sure we don’t miss a big moment.

These will require more of an investment, but the return (which most of our clients pay the most attention to) is great on a video because they can be used over a over again for years to come.

 

We hope these factors help you budget for your next video project.