Video production budgets and schedules

Start the budget with the finished assets you need and the work required to deliver them. Build the schedule backwards from the date those assets must be ready. Add a cut, a filming location or a reviewer, and update both plans.

Define the finish line

Write a brief that names the audience, the question the video answers and where it will appear. List every deliverable: the main video, shorter cuts, captions, transcript, graphics, thumbnails and required export formats. Specify what counts as an approved final file. “One video” is too vague to estimate consistently.

Separate essential assets from options. A short version for another placement may need its own edit and review, even when it uses the same footage. Estimate optional assets separately and give them decision dates so the core video can proceed.

Plan accessibility work early. Captions, a transcript and a description of essential visual information serve different needs. What the project requires depends on the finished video and where it will be published.

The W3C Web Accessibility Initiative advises planning accessibility from the start. If essential visual information must be described in the audio, write that description into the script before filming.

Match the accessibility assets to the audience and the video content. Captions convey speech and relevant non-speech audio, while a transcript provides text for both; a descriptive transcript also describes visual information. Consider sign language where the audience needs it, and choose a media player that supports accessibility.

Essential vs Optional Video Assets

Build a budget that shows the work

For an internal shoot, include the time employees spend preparing, filming, editing and reviewing. For an external quote, check its inclusions, exclusions, dates and GST treatment where applicable. Show cash costs and internal effort as separate figures.

Add a labelled allowance for uncertainties you cannot yet resolve, such as a weather-dependent exterior or an interview that may need rescheduling. Set the allowance for the project rather than applying a universal percentage. Record what it may cover and who can authorise its use.

Video Production Cost Considerations

Make quote terms actionable

For a supplier quote, business.gov.au recommends a written description of the work, itemised and total costs, and clear terms. Include the business name and ABN, contact details for both parties, any discussed variations or revisions, payment terms and method, work start and finish dates, a quote expiry date, and space for the customer’s acceptance.

A quote accepted by the customer becomes a legally binding contract, according to business.gov.au. Before accepting, check that its scope and terms match the project plan, particularly the agreed work, dates, revision arrangements and payment conditions.

Put decisions before bookings

A schedule should show dependencies, not just shoot and delivery dates. Work backwards from the date the approved video must be available:

This is a planning sequence, not a standard production duration. A staff interview and a multi-location video need different windows. Put an owner beside each decision. A feedback milestone also needs a due date and a plan for late responses.

Separate production time from waiting time. The editor needs time to make a change; reviewers need time to assess it. Record both and allow room for foreseeable delays.

Treat approval dates as dependencies for downstream work. If a decision is overdue, work out which next task or booking it affects, then revise the delivery forecast instead of assuming the original sequence still holds.

Control changes while work is underway

Keep one current list of deliverables and assumptions. For each new request, ask whether it changes the message, footage, format, deadline or review effort. A corrected name may be a small edit; a new product demonstration may need another shoot. Have the person doing the work assess the effect before agreeing to the change.

If a supplier is involved, make the quote and agreement clear about the work, costs, dates, revisions and what counts as completion. Agree how changed requests will be priced and scheduled. Internally, assign any extra time rather than leaving it out of the plan.

At each milestone, record the approved deliverables, current estimate, next decision, decision owner and deadline risk. That gives the team time to adjust scope, date or resources.

Close against the brief

Check delivered files against the agreed list and the original viewer question. Confirm that captions and other required text assets match the final edit. Record where the files are kept and who will review them if the underlying information changes.

Keep the accepted quote or agreement with the final approval record. That makes it easier to check that the delivered work and any authorised variations match the agreed scope and terms.