What is the cost of a video production per minute?
A general statement of costs without a really detailed definition of the scope of the project is hardly possible. What we as a video agency can do, however, is the transparent mapping of cost factors.
In a video production with cameras, for example, it is the number of days of shooting, the size of the set, and the equipment required. And of course not to forget the size of the production team. A major part of the costs arises on the days of shooting. Post-production works more or less with the material that was created during the shoot. So if something has been forgotten, then you have to live with it or set up a further shooting with the necessary effort. Good planning of the shooting days is therefore essential and is directly related to the necessary budget.
With 3D visualizations and 3D animations, everything happens on the computer. The cost drivers of classic video production do not occur here, but every single second of such a video has to be animated. This includes a lot of small details. With a realistic 3D animation, the aim is to reproduce reality as well as possible. There are no given laws of nature. Every movement, every light, shadow, and reflection, everything has to be created. Subsequent adjustments and changes are possible but can lead to an effort that may mean several days of extra work.
An animated explainer video is similar to 3D visualizations. The creative work is done on the computer and the entire process has to be animated. However, realism is not required here. Process sequences and storylines play a greater role in this. Subsequent changes or corrections are less critical here and can be implemented more quickly.
Costs can be between EUR 5,000 and EUR 12,000, but can also be several EUR 10,000 depending on the scope of production.
What is the best video length?
As with many other questions, there is no single answer. Actually, you could say a video can be as long as the target group is willing to watch. You often hear that the attention span of users is extremely short and that a video must therefore be short. That is basically correct. However, there are other parameters that come into play here and should be taken into account for the length decision. These include the purpose of the video and placement. So why should the video be produced and where can you watch it? To better explain, here are two examples.
If we assume that a video will be produced for the purpose of advertising on social media channels, then the target group is completely unprepared. The video appears somewhere in the news feed, the viewer may not be familiar with the brand and product and may have had something completely different in mind. So in order to prevent the video from being overlooked when scrolling through, an initial interest must be aroused directly in the first two seconds. To keep this interest alive, the video must not be too long. An average runtime of 20-30 seconds is recommended here. However, it should also be filled with relevant content.
If a video is created as a product film for the website, it can easily be 2-3 minutes long. The reason is pretty simple. A person watching this video hasn't come across the site by accident and is almost certainly looking for more information about the product. That's why the person is willing to watch this video in full.
What video type should be used?
Deciding on the video style should be understood as part of the content strategy. So if the focus is on the company and the employees, then an image film with interview sequences could fit quite well. Complex services can be visualized with 2D animations, possibly as a series. For hardware manufacturers, the product is the focus of interest. Thus, a video shooting or a 3D visualization is ideal. A day of shooting usually means an intervention in day-to-day business, which should be considered.
How long does it take to produce a video?
When it comes to producing video content, good preparation is half the battle. The more detailed the preparatory work, the lower the likelihood of time-consuming errors. As with many other things, fast does not necessarily mean good. Short video snippets to feed Instagram should take little time. In turn, content-rich videos with weighty messaging require more time. Product animation in particular requires more coordination and correction loops. If clear decisions are not made at this point, there may be severe delays. All in all, a production time of at least 4 weeks up to several months can be calculated.
Does video have a higher CTR (click-through-rate) than images?
In order to be able to give an explanatory answer here, we have to go back briefly to the basis of the calculation. The CTR is calculated from the proportion of clicks from the number of impressions, i.e. views by users. So whether it is high or low depends on the generating components. First of all, it is about the number of users who have the opportunity to see the content. In the case of advertising, this is regulated, for example, via the target group settings. Whether users then look at the content and click depends on the relevance or in other words: Is the content interesting or not? This also means that if the target group was chosen incorrectly, the content will most likely not be relevant.
Now back to the question - picture or video? It depends on whether the right medium was chosen and whether the message gets across. So is a video needed to show and explain what is going on, or is a picture enough? Whatever medium is used, it needs to be relevant and interesting enough for users to click. The overall experience leans towards video content as it is more engaging and much more visual. However, if the video is boring and the content isn't thought through, then it won't get good results either.
The final formula is actually quite simple. The content must be interesting and the highest possible number of impressions is required to increase the chance of clicks.
Is a product video cheaper than animation or a real video?
In order to understand this better, you should know how the costs arise for a product animation or a real video.
In video production, the required video material is generated on the day of shooting. This is where most of the costs arise. This requires a production team and the necessary equipment, which can be quite extensive depending on the production. Good pre-production planning is essential to ensure that nothing goes wrong. This is followed by post-production, in which editing, graphic design, sound, and audio are merged.
A product animation does not require a shoot, which saves a lot of money. However, the work on the computer is all the more extensive. Every detail, such as texturing, movements, light, and shadows must first be created. The actual production time is therefore several times longer, which is also reflected in the costs.
Why are the price differences between video agencies so big?
Video agencies vary in size and can therefore have high administrative costs. Well-known brand companies often prefer to rely on large, established agencies and are happy to pay double or triple the price of smaller agencies. On the other hand, the service package is often larger, but this is not necessarily the case. Smaller agencies are usually much more familiar, more flexible when it comes to changes, and sometimes also more resilient. You shouldn't expect a completely fixed price from any agency, but these skyrocket with larger service agencies. Important decision-making criteria are good advice, a deep understanding of the customer's needs, creative solutions, and active communication.
