In 2025, most people have a phone in their pocket that can shoot a video. That doesn’t mean everyone can shoot and edit high-quality, professional videos that will reflect positively on your company or brand, though.
When considering video production pricing, it’s not just about whether you can save money by shooting your own content. It’s whether the final product you shoot will meet the professional standards your company represents and wants to show the world.
Here, we’ll take a look at when you should feel comfortable shooting a video on your own and when it’s best to pay to work with professional videographers.
Key Takeaways
- The choice between DIY and professional video production impacts brand image and effectiveness.
- Simple social media content can often be created in-house, but higher-quality videos require professional input.
- Videos with significant goals, such as advertisements or recruitment, should utilize professional services for the best results.
- Post-production editing is crucial for achieving a polished and engaging final product, which often necessitates professional expertise.
- Investing in professional equipment and videography is typically more cost-effective than building a DIY setup.
Why the Choice of Hiring a Professional or Making a Video Yourself is Important
Not every video has the same goals or is meant to be consumed on the same platform. There are many situations where it may actually be beneficial to shoot your own videos and post them on social media, as they can showcase the human side of your company or brand.
For anything beyond standard social content, though, professionalism matters. The video content your company puts out into the world reflects the values and image it’s trying to uphold, and working with a professional videographer ensures your videos showcase the best version of yourself and align with your marketing goals.
Should You Hire a Professional or Make a Video Yourself?
1. Where Will the Video Be Seen?
If your company is looking to shoot videos that show off your corporate culture or give viewers a glimpse of what happens behind the scenes and post them to social media, there are many times when all you’ll need is a phone.
Simple, off-the-cuff social media posts should still align with your company’s marketing goals, but they don’t generally have high production values or require loads of creative planning.
Should You Hire a Professional?
Many companies want to post a consistent stream of social media content that shows off a more human side than traditional marketing materials. These can be shot by someone working for the company, and because they usually don’t require extensive editing, graphics, or sound mixing, they don’t normally require professional videographers.
2. What Are Your Video’s Goals?
While simple social media posts may be appropriate for non-professionals, many videos require careful creative planning, high-definition images, proper lighting, and precise editing.
If your video is going to be broadcast on television, in movie theatres, used to recruit new employees, or be a foundational piece of a social media campaign, shooting it on an iPhone simply won’t do.
Your video will be a reflection of your company’s values and professionalism, and hiring a professional is the best way to show off the best version of your brand if you are aiming for:
- Event promotion
- Testimonials
- Internal Communications
- Staff Recruitment
- Advertisements
- Brand Videos
- Educational Videos
Should You Hire a Professional?
If the goals of your video go beyond social media engagement, the cost of video production pricing is worth it. Professional videographers will guide you through the creative process and assemble a team to execute on production day and throughout post-production.
3. Does Your Video Require Editing?
It’s easy enough to shoot a bit of footage on your phone and post it online. Just about anyone can do it, and many can even manage the rudimentary editing tools that come with social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
But professional-grade editing is a different story and can elevate your videos in meaningful, noticeable ways. From seamlessly editing together clips and audio to providing colour correction and grading, the work that’s done in post-production can be what makes a video look clean, refined, and professional.
Should You Hire a Professional?
Post-production work is often where clients see the most value in video production pricing. Editing together intricately shot clips to create a fully formed story is a detailed process, but the results can be night-and-day compared to what an amateur shoots on a phone.
Working with a professional also allows you to include animations and graphics, which will increase engagement. If your video requires editing, hiring a professional is definitely worth it.
4.What Equipment Does Your Video Require?
A DIY video shot on an iPhone can only do so much, and choosing that approach limits what a final product can achieve. Professional videographers can offer 4K video quality while incorporating drone shots and aerial footage that makes your final product stand out from the crowd.
Should You Hire a Professional?
The cost of buying the equipment needed to film a professional-looking video will be way higher than the actual professional video pricing.
Videographers have the equipment and expertise to achieve the shots and quality they deliver, but that just isn’t possible without a major investment in your own gear, which would be way more expensive than the cost of a shoot.
5. How Much Time Do You Have to Work On Your Video?
Producing a high-quality video that represents your brand appropriately takes time and resources. Even if you have someone in-house who could learn how to produce a video and produce a decent final product, it’s going to take them a considerable amount of time.
Could those hours be better spent doing other things? What is the cost of the labour? That should be factored into any calculation when considering video production pricing.
Should You Hire a Professional?
Planning, shooting, and post-production for a high-quality video can be intensive work that takes up long hours. One of the big advantages of hiring professional videographers is that they will handle the work for you, taking the responsibility off your employees’ hands so they can focus on other work.
How Much Does a Videographer Cost?
Video production pricing will depend on the specifics of the video you’re looking to shoot. Generally speaking, at Studio Spero, videos cost between $3,000 and $15,000 and take between three and four weeks from start to finish.
You can also choose one of two corporate video packages.
The Foundations Package
The Foundations Package is specifically designed for clients who are looking for a cost-effective video production. It costs less than the Signature Package, and final products are delivered with a quicker turnaround.
With the Foundations Package, Studio Spero is generally less involved in pre-production, including script writing, and the junior crew takes the lead on production.
The Signature Package
For clients with a higher budget who want to present sophistication and professionalism in their video content, the Signature Package costs more but includes multiple creative pitches, collaboration with Studio Spero’s senior staff, and premium features, including:
- Senior staff with extensive production experience
- Multiple cameras
- Professional lighting equipment
- Custom music
- Hired talent, like actors
- Hair and makeup
- Multi-day shoots
Where Quality, Creativity & Convenience Meet
Video can be an incredibly powerful marketing tool for companies and brands, but putting out a video that doesn’t look professional can actually be harmful. Video production pricing may cost more than simply taking a few shots on your own camera, but it ensures a final product that aligns with your company’s marketing goals and looks as professional as the work you do.
Contact us today to ensure your next video makes a great impression.