How Much Does a Brand Video Cost in Chicago?

It's the first question almost every client asks, and the honest answer is "it depends." That isn't a dodge. Two videos that are both 60 seconds long can be thousands of dollars apart, because the price is driven by what happens before and after the camera rolls. Here's how video pricing actually works, with real numbers, so you can walk into a discovery call with a range in mind.

The short answer

Industry pricing guides for 2026 put most corporate and brand video projects somewhere between $5,000 and $25,000. Simple internal pieces can start around $2,500, and multi-location campaigns with hired talent can go well past $100,000. Some typical ranges:

• Interview or talking-head video, one location: about $3,000 to $9,000
• Customer testimonial filmed on site: about $4,000 to $11,000
• Event recap, full day with one or two cameras: about $4,500 to $12,000
• Brand film with multiple locations, talent and graphics: $30,000 and up

Those are national numbers. Chicago crew rates tend to sit in the middle of the market: below New York and Los Angeles, above most smaller cities.

Where the money goes

A video budget splits into three phases. Pre-production (planning, scripting, scheduling, scouting) is usually 15 to 25 percent. Production, the shoot itself with crew, cameras, lighting and audio, is the biggest slice at 40 to 55 percent. Post-production (editing, color, sound mix, graphics and revisions) takes 25 to 35 percent.

That last number surprises people. The shoot day is the part everyone sees, but a polished two-minute video often takes a few days in the edit.

Six things that move the price

• Shoot days. A half day and two full days are very different budgets. More locations usually means more days.
• Crew size. A solo shooter is the most affordable option. A dedicated sound person, a second camera, a gaffer or a producer raises the quality, and the line item.
• People on camera. Every interview needs time to light, mic and coach. Hired actors add talent fees and usage rights.
• Deliverables. One finished video costs less than one video plus vertical cutdowns for Reels, TikTok and Shorts. (See our post on getting 20 pieces of content from one shoot.)
• Graphics and animation. Custom motion graphics are priced separately and add up quickly.
• Music, rush jobs and revisions. Licensed tracks, tight deadlines and extra rounds of changes all add cost.

How to stretch your budget

• Film several videos in one day. Crew and setup are a fixed cost. Three interviews in one location beats three separate shoot days.
• Lock the plan before the shoot. Changes on set are expensive. Changes on paper are free. Our pre-production post explains why.
• Ask for social cutdowns up front. Planning them is cheaper than requesting them after the edit is done.
• Agree on revision rounds. Two rounds of clear, combined feedback beats five rounds of scattered notes.

What we need to give you a real number

When you reach out, it helps to know what the video is for and where it'll live, a rough length, how many people will be on camera, where you want to film, your deadline, and a budget range. A range isn't a trap. It lets us tell you what's realistic and where we'd put the money to get the most out of it.

Every Golden Age Films project is quoted individually.

Book a discovery call and tell us what you have in mind. We'll come back with a plan that fits.

Ranges above are drawn from 2026 industry pricing guides published by Shootsta and Levitate Media. They're a starting point, not a quote.