The honest answer is "it depends," but that's a cop-out. Here are real ranges by production tier, and the levers that actually move the number.
$2,000–$7,500 — solo / duo production. One shooter-editor, a half or full shoot day, interview-plus-broll format, one or two revision rounds. This is the workhorse tier for small-business brand videos and it can look far better than the price implies when the shooter is good.
$7,500–$25,000 — small crew production. A director/DP plus sound, gaffer, maybe a producer; one or two shoot days; real lighting; licensed music; color and mix passes. Most mid-market "about us" films, recruiting videos, and product launch pieces live here.
$25,000–$100,000 — full production. Multi-day shoots, casting, art department, location fees, agency-grade post. Campaign anchor films and broadcast-bound work. Above $100k you're into commercial production with talent, usage buys, and a production company's full machinery — the ceiling is wherever the media plan is.
Shoot days are the biggest lever — every day multiplies crew, gear, and location costs. Crew size is second: each specialist raises quality and cost together. Usage rights are the invisible one: a video for your website costs less than the same file in paid social, which costs less than broadcast, because you're buying a license, not just a file. Revisions quietly inflate budgets when they're unlimited — which is why good producers cap rounds in the contract.
The $1,500 quote and the $8,000 quote are not the same product at different prices. The difference shows up in the edit: coverage you don't have, audio you can't fix, and a video you don't post. The most expensive video is the one you don't use.
If you're the one writing these quotes, present the tier below and above what the client asked for. Budgets are more flexible than briefs — buyers routinely find another $5k when they can see what it buys.
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