A Definitive Buyer's Guide to Corporate Video & Photo: The Cost, What Can Go Wrong, What Types Work Best For You?
Updated: 1 day ago
By Tim Marsh, Managing Director, Lamplight Media. Updated November 2026.
The short answer
A corporate video in the UK typically costs £3,500 to £16,090 + VAT with a production company like Lamplight Media, based on our six most common projects. The price depends mostly on how many shoot days, crew and edit days your project needs. Most projects are delivered about four weeks after the shoot. The most common mistake is starting without a clear brief.
Key facts
Typical cost: £3,500 to £16,090 + VAT for our six most common projects.
Day rates: crew £300 to £450 per day, kit from £250 per day, editing £400 per day, motion graphics £550 per day (January 2026 rate card).
Typical timeline: about two weeks of pre-production, one or two shoot days, a first draft within 10 working days after the shoot and delivery about two weeks after.
Included as standard: three rounds of revisions, royalty paid music, colour grade, audio mix and 12 months of rushes retention.
Where we work: Internationally and across the UK, based from our offices in Woking, Surrey and Southwark, London. Travel within an hour of GU23 is included.
Who is this guide for?
This guide is for anyone about to buy video or photography for their business: marketing managers, founders, PR consultants, HR, internal comms teams; and anyone who has been handed "sort out a video" with a budget and a deadline.
Most of the people we speak to have the same three worries. What video type will actually move the needle? How do we know who to trust to deliver on time and on budget? And why does nobody publish their prices? We wrote this guide to answer all three, in plain English. It covers what each type of video and photography costs, with real example quotes built from our published rate card, what tends to go wrong and how to avoid it, and how to tell which type of content suits your business.
“We have just finished an extensive multimedia project with Lamplight Media. Their outstanding organisation, clear communication, and creative flair were evident from start to finish. Throughout the project, they exhibited patience, understanding, and were highly responsive to any adjustments we requested. Any challenges that came up were managed calmly and effectively. We highly recommend their services.” Hannah Reuben - Owner, Stringberry
What do you need your video to do?
Start with the job, not the format. Once you know what the video has to achieve, the right format, length and budget usually follow. A video built to win trust with buyers looks very different from one built to train new starters.
Your goal | Best format | Typical length | Where it's used |
|---|---|---|---|
Build trust with buyers | Customer case study or testimonial | 2 to 3 minutes, plus short cut-downs | About Us page, LinkedIn, sales emails, socials |
Show who you are | Brand film | 30 seconds to 8 minutes | Homepage, events, trade shows, socials |
Explain a product or process | Explainer video | 1 to 8 minutes | Service page, onboarding, customer support |
Hire people | Recruitment film | 2 to 8 minutes | Careers page, LinkedIn, job ads |
Train staff | Training or internal comms series | 2 to 5 minutes each | Intranet, learning platforms |
Get more from an event | Event highlights and photography | 1 to 3 minutes, plus photos & short reels | Website, social, next year's promotion |
Fill your social feeds | Multimedia content day | Short clips under 30 seconds, plus photos | Website, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok |
For more detail on each format, see the seven types of corporate video every business should consider.
How do you write a video brief a production company can quote on?
A good brief gets you a faster, more accurate quote and fewer surprises later. It doesn't need to be long. It needs to answer the questions a producer will ask anyway:
Audience: who will watch it, and what do they already know about you?
Success: what should viewers think, feel or do afterwards, and how will you measure it?
Deliverables: how many videos, how long, which formats (landscape, vertical, square) and how many photos?
Timeline: when do you need it, and is that date fixed?
Locations: where will we film, and who arranges access?
Budget: a range is fine. It lets us suggest the best version of the idea for your money.
Creative References: two or three videos you like, and one you don't.
Sign-off: who approves the final cut?
"We need a video for our website" is hard to quote. "A two minute customer story for our homepage and LinkedIn, filmed at our client's office in London, live by March, budget around £5,000" can be quoted in a day.
So, you want a brand film, case study or explainer?
Corporate video is any film a business makes to win customers, staff or trust: brand films, customer case studies, testimonials, explainers, recruitment and internal comms. With Lamplight Media, a corporate video project typically costs £4,320 to £11,480 + VAT. It suits businesses that need to explain what they do, prove it works or show the people behind it.
Which types of corporate video work for which business?
Type | Best for | Typical output |
|---|---|---|
Brand film | Businesses that need to show who they are and why it matters | One 30 second to 8 minute film, plus cut-downs and photos |
Customer case study | B2B businesses with long sales cycles | One 2 to 3 minute film, three vertical reels, photos |
Testimonial | Any business with happy clients | A short interview-led film |
Recruitment film | Growing teams competing for talent | One film plus social cut-downs |
Explainer and training | Complex products, processes or onboarding | A series of short videos with graphics |
Internal comms | Leadership updates, change and culture | Short, regular films |
Multimedia content day | Teams that need a quarter of social and website content | 50+ photos and videos from one day |
If you're buying video for the first time, a customer case study is usually the best place to start. It works as a testimonial, a sales tool and social content all at once.
How much does corporate video cost?
Project | Shoot days | Total |
|---|---|---|
Customer case study (multimedia) | 1 | £4,320 + VAT |
Explainer video series | 1 | £4,900 + VAT |
Corporate multimedia content day | 1 | £6,890 + VAT |
Non-scripted brand film campaign | 2 | £11,480 + VAT |
Scripted TV commercial | 2 | £16,090 + VAT |
Try our rate card calculator for more information. What moves the price most is the number of people on set, the number of shoot days and the amount of editing. A single interview with one camera operator costs far less than a two day shoot with a studio, actors and motion graphics. For a TV commercial, airtime is separate: see our TV advertising service.
Crew size depends on your shoot schedule. If several things need filming at the same time, we'll add crew and show it in your quote.
Rates from Jan 2026. Guide only. Costs subject to change with brief. Quotes are valid for 30 days. Rates subject to change quarterly. Please speak to your contact for further clarification on any figures quoted. Final costs may be subject to change if work undertaken deviates from quoted services.
What can go wrong with corporate video?
Script by committee. When six people edit a creative concept or script, it ends up saying everything and nothing. Agree one decision maker at the start, and keep everyone else's input to the brief stage. Ask your project’s producer questions around what your desired outcome is, they will know best how to communicate this through video.
No plan for where the video will be shown. A beautiful film that lives in a folder does nothing. Decide where it will go before we shoot, so we film the vertical and short versions on the same day. Or come with a commercial goal, and we will design the media placement strategy that’s right for you.
Music licensing. Using a popular track without a licence can get your video muted or taken down. We use royalty paid music, included in our editing rate. It's licensed for websites, social media, advertising and broadcast, so you can keep using the video in those places for good.
Too many rounds of sign-off. Every extra round adds time and cost. Three rounds of revisions are included as standard. Gathering feedback from everyone at once keeps you inside them.
Is corporate video right for you?
Do you need to explain what you do more clearly than your website does now?
Do you have happy customers who would talk about working with you?
Are you hiring, launching something or going to trade shows this year?
Would a quarter's worth of content save your marketing team time?
If you answered yes to two or more, corporate video is likely to pay for itself.
Real example: our customer case study for Virtuoso IT, filmed with Cast Group interior designers, gave them a landscape film, a vertical reel and a photo gallery from one shoot day. See the customer case study.
"We had the pleasure of working with Lamplight Media on a customer case study, and the experience was exceptional from start to finish. Their team demonstrated professionalism, creativity, and a clear understanding of our vision. They made the entire process seamless, ensuring every detail was thoughtfully executed. Highly recommend Lamplight Media, thank you for making our recent case study such a success!" Markus McIver - CEO, Virtuoso IT
Ready to start? See our corporate video production, then book a free call.
So, you want an event film?
Event video captures your conference, launch or awards night so it keeps working long after the day itself. With Lamplight Media, full event coverage with video and photography costs from £3,500 + VAT for a one day event. It suits anyone who has spent months planning an event and wants more from it than a few phone photos.
Which types of event video work for which business?
Type | Best for | Typical output |
|---|---|---|
Highlights film | Promoting next year's event and showing sponsors the value | A 1 to 3 minute film |
Speaker capture | Conferences and thought leadership | Full talks, edited and branded |
Live streaming and IMAG | Remote audiences, and large rooms where the back rows need to see the stage | A live broadcast, or live camera feeds on the venue screens (IMAG, short for image magnification) |
Same-day social edits | Keeping the buzz going on the day | Short clips posted during the event |
Event photography | Press, social and your website | 30+ edited photos |
For a first event, a highlights film with photography & social reels gives you the most to use afterwards.
How much does event video cost?
Our event coverage multimedia package, for a one day event at a central London conference centre, costs £3,500 + VAT. That covers half a day of creative development, a day of production management, a Senior Creative and a Stills Photographer on the day, and four days of editing for 30+ photos and videos.
The price goes up with longer events, more stages running at once, live streaming or same-day edits. It comes down for shorter events close to our Woking studio.
Crew size depends on your shoot schedule. If several things need filming at the same time, we'll add crew and show it in your quote.
Rates from Jan 2026. Guide only. Costs subject to change with brief. Quotes are valid for 30 days. Rates subject to change quarterly. Please speak to your contact for further clarification on any figures quoted. Final costs may be subject to change if work undertaken deviates from quoted services.
What can go wrong with event video?
Bad audio. Venue speakers sound fine in the room and terrible on camera. We plug into the sound desk or mic speakers directly, and check it with the venue's AV team before doors open. If the venue doesn’t provide it, we collaborate with live production AV companies to supply this crew & equipment.
Ugly venue. No matter how great we are at what we do, we can’t make a dimly-lit conference room look like a TED talk. Budget for an attractive venue or live production staging & lighting so your event will look as good as you imagine it will in your head. Lighting is everything!
No consent process for attendees. Some guests won't want to be filmed. Mention filming on the invitation, put signs at the door and offer a lanyard colour for people who would rather not appear.
Unrealistic turnaround. If you want clips on the day, plan for same-day editing from the start. It needs an editor on site and a clear list of what to post.
No shot list or run of show. Without a running order, crews miss the moments that matter. Send us the run of show and a list of must-have people and moments two weeks before.
Is event video right for you?
Are you running the event again next year?
Do you have sponsors or partners who want to see the results?
Are there speakers whose talks would make good content?
Will you want photos for press or social within a day or two?
Real example: We filmed and photographed Rakuten's event in June 2024. They came to us to create event coverage photo & video, plus to provide live sound & lighting production for live presentations and fireside chats. The goal of the event was to foster collaboration with industry players, and present themselves as thought leaders in the market. See our event multimedia coverage gallery.
“Lamplight Media exceeded our expectations with their exceptional work on our Telecoms Re-Invented event. Their team demonstrated outstanding professionalism, seamless interactions with guests, and an innovative flexible approach, delivering a polished and high-quality experience from start to finish.” Nastasi Karaiskos - Managing Director, Rakuten Symphony.
Ready to start? See our event video production, then book a free call.
So, you want professional photography?
Commercial photography gives your business its own images for your website, social media, press and print, instead of stock photos everyone else uses, or AI slop. With Lamplight Media, a day of photography costs from around £600 + VAT for the shoot day, or about £1,100 + VAT including planning and editing. It suits any business whose people, place or products are part of what customers buy.
Which types of commercial photography work for which business?
Type | Best for | Typical output |
|---|---|---|
Headshots | Team pages, LinkedIn, press | A consistent set across the team |
Team and culture | Careers pages and employer branding | Natural shots of people at work |
Product | Online shops, brochures, ads | Clean, consistent product images |
Event | Press releases and social | Candid mingling, speakers, branding |
Location and brand imagery | Websites and marketing | A library of real images that represent your brand |
If you only book one shoot, make it headshots plus team and culture photos together. Your website and LinkedIn will use them for years.
How much does commercial photography cost?
Example: a one day headshots plus team and brand photography shoot near our Woking studio.
Item | Days | Rate | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
Project management | 0.5 | £200 | £100 |
Stills photographer | 1 | £350 | £350 |
Stills kit | 1 | £250 | £250 |
Editing | 1 | £400 | £400 |
Total | £1,100 + VAT |
The price goes up with more locations, styling, studio hire or a large number of edited images. A half day is charged at two thirds of the day rate.
Crew size depends on your shoot schedule. If several things need filming at the same time, we'll add crew and show it in your quote.
Rates from Jan 2026. Guide only. Costs subject to change with brief. Quotes are valid for 30 days. Rates subject to change quarterly. Please speak to your contact for further clarification on any figures quoted. Final costs may be subject to change if work undertaken deviates from quoted services.
What can go wrong with commercial photography?
Unclear usage rights. Find out up front where you can use the images and for how long, especially for ads and print. With us, the copyright in the images passes to you once the invoice is paid.
No moodboard or shot list. Without one, you end up with lots of nice photos and none of the ones you needed. Agree the list, and which shots matter most, before the day.
Off-brand styling. Clothes, props and backgrounds that clash with your brand date photos quickly. Share your brand guidelines and tell people what to wear.
Wrong file sizes for the website. Huge files slow your website down, which hurts how it ranks on Google. Ask for web versions as well as full-resolution files.
Is commercial photography right for you?
Is your website using stock photos or out-of-date team shots?
Have you hired, moved or rebranded recently?
Do you post on LinkedIn or Instagram every week?
Do you have press, a brochure or a trade show coming up?
Real example: a headshot session and brand photography for Eloise Gottlieb's business. “I was so impressed with a new set of headshots and editorial photography for my business. They were so easy to work with and made the whole process fun. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to any business.” Eloise Gottlieb - Owner, Eloise Gottlieb Recruitment
Ready to start? See our commercial photography, then book a free call.
So, you want drone footage?
Drone filming adds aerial shots that show the scale of a site, building or event in a way ‘ground’ cameras can't. With Lamplight Media, a drone day costs from £700 + VAT for the pilot and drone, however on our bigger shoots, as our team is multi-skilled, only the £250 drone kit is added. It suits property, construction, events and any brand with a striking location.
Which types of drone filming work for which business?
Type | Best for | Typical output |
|---|---|---|
Aerial property | Developers, estate agents, venues | Aerial video and stills of the site |
Events | Festivals, sports and outdoor events | Wide shots that show the size of the crowd |
Construction progress | Contractors and developers | Repeat flights from the same points over months |
Landscape brand shots | Brands with a striking location | Opening shots for brand films |
Indoor flying | Large interiors, warehouses, venues | Smooth shots through the space |
For most businesses, drone works best as part of a bigger shoot rather than on its own.
How much does drone filming cost?
Example: a standalone drone day to film a demolition site requiring permits, plus 2x social video clips.
Item | Days | Rate | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
Project management, including permits | 0.5 | £200 | £100 |
Drone operator | 1 | £450 | £450 |
Drone kit | 1 | £250 | £250 |
Editing | 1 | £400 | £400 |
Total | £1,200 + VAT |
The price goes up with controlled airspace, which needs more planning, and with weather days. Adding drone to a shoot we're already on costs much less.
Crew size depends on your shoot schedule. If several things need filming at the same time, we'll add crew and show it in your quote.
Rates from Jan 2026. Guide only. Costs subject to change with brief. Quotes are valid for 30 days. Rates subject to change quarterly. Please speak to your contact for further clarification on any figures quoted. Final costs may be subject to change if work undertaken deviates from quoted services.
What can go wrong with drone filming?
Unlicensed operators. Commercial drone work needs a licensed pilot. Ask to see their licence. Our operators are CAA-licensed.
Airspace permissions. Much of London and the areas around airports are controlled airspace. Permissions take planning, so book early. We're Article 16 authorised for controlled airspace.
Weather days. Wind, rain and poor visibility ground drones. Build a backup date into the plan. We reschedule up to a fortnight ahead for the weather.
Gaps in insurance. If something goes wrong, you need to know who's covered. We carry £5M public liability and £1M professional indemnity cover.
Is drone filming right for you?
Is your site, building or event bigger than a ‘ground’ camera can show?
Do you need to show progress on a site over time?
Are you already planning a shoot that aerial shots would add to?
Do you have flexibility on the date if the weather turns?
Real example: our aerial shot of a crowd forming the number 100 on the lawn at Gunnersbury Park & Museum for its centenary organic social media campaign, a canvas of which hangs on the wall of the museum! See the campaign.
“Working with Lamplight Media on A Century of Stories was a real pleasure. The team put in so much hard work, and it showed in everything they delivered. The videos are performing really well on our page so far and have slotted nicely into our own content! Thank you to the whole Lamplight team for capturing Gunnersbury so beautifully.” Martha Hawkes - Digital Content Lead, Gunnersbury Park & Museum
Ready to start? See our drone filming services, then book a free call.
So, you want a video podcast?
A video podcast is a filmed conversation you can publish as a full episode on YouTube and Spotify, and cut into short clips for social media. With Lamplight Media, a video podcast recording day costs from around £3,600 + VAT for 3x episodes. It suits leaders and experts with plenty to say and a team who can promote each episode.
Which types of video podcast production work for which business?
Type | Best for | Typical output |
|---|---|---|
Video podcast series | Thought leadership over months | Full episodes with two or three camera angles |
Interview series | Featuring customers, partners or experts | Shorter, focused episodes |
Clips for social | Getting each episode seen | Several vertical clips per episode |
Start with a short pilot series recorded in one day, so you can test the format before committing to a full season.
How much does video podcast production cost?
Example: one recording day for three one-hour episodes, with six clips for social.
Item | Days | Rate | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
Project management | 1 | £200 | £200 |
Creative development | 1 | £300 | £300 |
Senior creative | 1 | £450 | £450 |
Dual camera interview kit | 1 | £800 | £800 |
Additional camera | 1 | £250 | £250 |
Editing | 4 | £400 | £1,600 |
Total | £3,600 + VAT |
The price goes up with more episodes, a studio set or more clips per episode. Recording several episodes in one day is the best way to keep the cost per episode down.
Crew size depends on your shoot schedule. If several things need filming at the same time, we'll add crew and show it in your quote.
Rates from Jan 2026. Guide only. Costs subject to change with brief. Quotes are valid for 30 days. Rates subject to change quarterly. Please speak to your contact for further clarification on any figures quoted. Final costs may be subject to change if work undertaken deviates from quoted services.
What can go wrong with video podcast production?
Poor sound. Viewers forgive average video but not bad audio. Record in a quiet room with proper microphones for every speaker.
No publishing plan. Recording is the easy part. Decide where episodes go, how often, and who promotes them before the first recording.
No plan for social clips. Most people will find your podcast through a 30 second clip, not a full episode. Plan the clips at the pre-pro stage, not afterwards.
Guests not prepared. Send guests the topics, not a script, a few days ahead. They'll be relaxed and specific instead of nervous and vague.
Is video podcast production right for you?
Do you or your team have a point of view worth hearing every month?
Can you commit to a regular release schedule?
Do you have guests, customers or partners who would join you?
Will someone own promoting each episode?
Real example: Backseat Cinema Club and Sofa Marketing Chats for Lamplight Media (us!). Check them out on our Instagram & TikTok.
Ready to start? See our podcast production, then book a free call.
What does a corporate video really cost?
Across our six most common projects, corporate video and photography costs £3,500 to £16,090 + VAT. The three things that move the price most are the number of shoot days, the size of the crew and the amount of editing. Production expenses such as studio hire and actors add to that when a project needs them.
What affects the cost of a corporate video?
Pre-production days: planning, scripting, call sheets and permits. Project management is £200 per day and creative development £300 per day.
Crew size: one person can run a simple interview. A content day with simultaneous sets needs four. Crew costs £300 to £450 per person per day.
Shoot days: most projects fit in one day. Brand films and commercials often need two.
Kit: from £250 per day for a single videography camera kit to £1050+ for TV-commercial quality kit.
Edit days: usually the biggest single cost. Editing is £400 per day, and the number of days depends on how much we film and how many versions you need.
Motion graphics: £550 per day for animated titles, graphics and visual effects.
Production expenses: studios, venues, actors, catering and travel, when needed.
Travel: included within an hour of our Woking studio. Beyond that, 55p per mile.
Weekends and half days: weekends are charged at 1.2x and half days at two thirds of the day rate.
Freelancer, production company, agency or in-house: what do you get for the money?
Option | What you get | What to watch for | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
Freelancer | One skilled person, often at a lower day rate | One person can only do so much on the day, and you manage the project | Simple interviews and small edits |
Production company | A full crew, kit, planning and editing under one roof | Check they plan for where the video will be used, not just how it looks | Most corporate video and photography |
Marketing agency | Strategy and campaigns, with production often subcontracted | You may be paying for a middle layer between you and the crew | Large campaigns across many channels |
In-house | Speed and constant availability | Salaries, kit and training add up, and quality depends on one person | High volumes of simple social content |
Example project quotes
Project | Shoot days | Total |
|---|---|---|
Event coverage multimedia | 1 | £3,500 + VAT |
Customer case study multimedia | 1 | £4,320 + VAT |
Explainer video series | 1 | £4,900 + VAT |
Corporate multimedia content day | 1 | £6,890 + VAT |
Non-scripted brand film campaign | 2 | £11,480 + VAT |
Scripted TV commercial | 2 | £16,090 + VAT |
Check out our rate card calculator for more.
Crew size depends on your shoot schedule. If several things need filming at the same time, we'll add crew and show it in your quote.
Rates from Jan 2026. Guide only. Costs subject to change with brief. Quotes are valid for 30 days. Rates subject to change quarterly. Please speak to your contact for further clarification on any figures quoted. Final costs may be subject to change if work undertaken deviates from quoted services.
Production expenses to budget for
Production expenses are the costs outside crew, kit and editing. Most one day projects in London only need travel: in our example quotes, £80 per day for London vehicle expenses and £20 per person per day for TfL travel. Bigger productions add more. Our brand film example includes £1,000 for a day of film studio hire. Our TV commercial example adds four actors at Equity day rates, a hospitality venue and catering.
Can I do it cheaper?
Yes, without cutting significant quality. These are the ways we help clients get more from their budget:
Book a half day: charged at two thirds of the day rate, which suits single interviews and headshots. However only if your creative fits: It could be better ROI to book the full day, and get more deliverables from the same budget.
Reduce your deliverables: Sometimes those social cuts or photos aren’t needed. If budgets are tight, focus on what is most important, or the assets your team can’t create themselves.
Simplify your creative: budgets scale with the complexity of ideas. If the story can be told more efficiently, it will cut production and post-production time, which will significantly impact the total budget.
Plan social cut-downs from the same shoot: filming vertical versions on the day costs far less than a second shoot.
Capture several videos & photos in one day: one setup can produce a case study, a testimonial and a quarter of social content.
Run sets at the same time: on a content day, your team moves between interview, photo and B-roll sets, so each person only gives up about an hour. It saves two full days of lost opportunity cost, and your team’s time.
DIY it: Sometimes the best way to communicate your message isn’t with high-gloss media. Get your phone out, film some clips, but hire a producer & professional editor to make sure you’re still brand safe.
How do you choose a corporate video production company?
Choose a production company that asks about your goals before your budget, shows you work like yours, and gives you an itemised quote. The best partners plan where the video will be used, not just how it will look, and tell you plainly what's included. Some (like us!) can manage your social media and paid ads, buy your TV slots and billboards too, so you avoid paying extra on marketing agency commission. See our Agency services.
What should you ask before you sign?
These are the questions we'd ask if we were the ones buying. We've added our own answers, so you have something to compare against.
Who will actually be on the shoot? Our crew and kit are in-house, so the people on set are the team you've met during planning, not someone booked the week before.
How many rounds of revisions are included? Three rounds are included as standard. Further rounds are charged at our editing day rate, so you'll know the cost before you ask for them.
How quickly will we see a first draft? We guarantee a first draft within 10 working days of the shoot, and faster turnarounds are available if you need them.
How do you price extra versions, like vertical cuts for social? We price on editing time, not per deliverable. We fit as many deliverables into your campaign as the budgeted edit days allow.
Is the music licensed for how we want to use it? We use royalty paid music, licensed for websites, social media, advertising and broadcast, and the licence covers you as our client. If your video airs on TV, the broadcaster may need to pay performance royalties to the music collecting societies, which is standard for broadcast.
Who owns the footage, and where can we use it? The copyright in everything we deliver passes to you once the invoice is paid. We keep your rushes (raw footage) for 12 months after the project date of completion, free of charge. The handover of rushes or project edit files can be purchased separately if your project requires.
Will you visit the location before the shoot? Location scouts can be included in our project management time during pre-production, so we know the space, the light and the access before the day.
Who handles release forms? We can manage release forms for anyone who appears on camera, if you need us to.
What happens if we need to move or cancel the shoot? Rescheduling for bad weather up to a fortnight ahead costs nothing, as long as no costs have been incurred by then. Cancellations follow the events industry standard: 50% of the fee 14 or more days before production, 75% from 13 to 2 days before, and 100% on the day.
When do we pay? Payment follows the schedule agreed in your contract, and each invoice is due within 30 days. Typically, we ask for a deposit up front, and the balance on your approval of assets for delivery. If your shoot is sooner than 30 days, we require the deposit paid before the date of production.
Can we see a project like ours? We’ve been at this for a while and have a large back-catalogue of work additional to those showcased on our website. We’ve probably got something similar to your brief to show. Ask for work in your sector or format, not just a showreel.
What are the warning signs in a quote?
The cheapest quote is rarely the cheapest project. These are the warning signs we'd look for:
No pre-production. If there's no time set aside for planning, how is the plan made? Pre-production is where the brief, schedule, locations and shot list come together, and skipping it shows on the day.
A price that looks too good to be true. A very low quote means something has been left out, and it's usually the attention to detail.
Unrealistic deadlines. A supplier who promises the impossible to win the job is setting themselves up to over-promise and under-deliver.
Big markups on costs or freelance crew. Ask who will actually do the work, whether they're in-house, and how expenses are charged.
We're not in the business of comparing quotes. We don't try to be the cheapest, but we will always do the job right the first time, and give you the best return we can on your time and budget.
And if you're tempted to do it yourself: most clients who come to us after a false start tried that first, and found out how much goes into good video production.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a corporate video cost in the UK?
A corporate video and photo campaign typically costs £3,500 to £16,090 + VAT with a production company like Lamplight Media. A customer case study is around £4,320 + VAT, a brand film around £11,480 + VAT, and a scripted TV commercial around £16,090 + VAT. The final price depends on shoot days, crew and editing.
How long does a corporate video take to make?
Most corporate videos take about six weeks from the start of pre-production. That's about two weeks of planning, one or two shoot days, a first draft within 10 working days of the shoot and final delivery about two weeks after that. Faster turnarounds are available if you need them, and larger briefs with custom graphics or many deliverables can take longer.
How long should a corporate video be?
It depends on where it will be watched. Brand films usually run 30 seconds to 8 minutes, customer case studies 2 to 3 minutes, explainers 1 to 8 minutes and social clips under 30 seconds. Training videos can run longer because viewers need the detail. Shorter is almost always better for social, however, there is no right or wrong length of a video. If your story is good, people will keep watching. Pacing is the governing principle here.
Who owns the footage and copyright?
You do, once your invoice is paid in full: the copyright in everything we deliver passes to you. We keep your rushes, the raw footage, backed up for 12 months after the project at no charge. After that, we can send them to you on a hard drive at cost or keep storing them for you. Finished videos are kept indefinitely. The handover of rushes or project edit files are not included by default, but can be purchased separately if your project requires. Trust us, you don’t want those unless you’re set up for it!
Do we need a script?
Not always. Case studies, testimonials and event films work best unscripted, because real people sound more convincing than read lines. We plan interview questions instead. Commercials, explainers and training videos usually need a script so important details are not missed.
How many revisions are included?
Three rounds of revisions are included as standard with Lamplight Media, and any further rounds are charged at our editing day rate. Gathering feedback from everyone who needs to approve the video before you feed into each round keeps the project on time and within budget.
Can one shoot cover social media as well?
Yes. A well-planned shoot can produce your main film, vertical reels and photos on the same day. Our corporate multimedia content day produces 50+ photos and videos from one day, enough for a full quarter of website and social content.
Ready to talk about your video?
Every project starts with a free, no-obligation call. Tell us what you need the video and photo to do, and we'll show you the best way to get there for your budget. Email hello@lamplightmedia.uk or book a free call on our website.
