Commercial Video Production Austin: Costs, Process, and How to Hire the Right Team

# Commercial Video Production in Austin: Costs, Process, and How to Hire the Right Team

Quick Answer: Commercial video production in Austin typically costs $3,000 -- $8,000 for a short-form brand video and $10,000 -- $35,000+ for a full campaign film with multiple deliverables. Austin rates run 25 -- 40% below LA and NYC for equivalent production quality. 91% of businesses now use video as a marketing tool (Wyzowl, 2026), and the gap between brands that invest in real production and those still posting phone footage is widening fast. If you're an Austin brand searching for a commercial videographer, this guide covers what the work actually costs, how to evaluate a production company, and when video is worth the investment over photography alone.

There's a question we get asked more than any other: "Do we need video, or are photos enough?"

The honest answer is it depends. But in 2026, the answer is almost always both -- and if you can only pick one, the calculus has shifted toward video more than at any point in the last decade.

Austin has one of the fastest-growing commercial production scenes in the country, driven by the same DTC boom, tech startup energy, and creative migration reshaping everything else here. You have more options for video production than you did three years ago. You also have more ways to waste money on it.

This guide covers what we wish every client knew before their first call with a production company -- based on 100+ commercial video projects we've produced.

What Commercial Video Production Actually Costs in Austin

Let's start with numbers, because that's what you're actually searching for.

Video production pricing is notoriously opaque. Every project is different, every company quotes differently. But after years of operating in Austin's market, here are the tiers that actually exist:

Social-first content (short-form) $1,500 -- $4,000 per project. This covers Reels, TikToks, YouTube Shorts -- content designed for feeds, not billboards. Typically a half-day shoot, minimal crew (2 -- 3 people), quick turnaround. You get 3 -- 8 deliverables cut for different platforms. This is the entry point, and it's where most Austin brands start.

Brand video / company overview $5,000 -- $15,000. A single polished piece -- usually 60 to 90 seconds -- that tells your brand story, introduces a product, or serves as the centerpiece of a landing page or campaign. Includes pre-production planning, a full shoot day, professional audio, color grading, and editing. This is the workhorse of commercial video.

Campaign film / hero content $15,000 -- $35,000+. Multi-day shoots. Multiple locations. Potentially talent, wardrobe, set design, aerial footage, or specialized equipment. This is the level where you're building a visual anchor for an entire marketing push -- something like our DeLorean x Cambridge Audio shoot, where a single production generates the hero film, social cuts, behind-the-scenes content, and still photography all in one coordinated effort.

Corporate / internal video $3,000 -- $10,000. Training videos, investor updates, recruitment content, event recaps. The production value scales with the audience -- a Series B pitch deck video needs different treatment than an internal onboarding walkthrough, and pricing reflects that.

Ongoing content retainer $3,000 -- $8,000/month. Some Austin brands -- especially those running continuous paid media -- engage production companies on a monthly basis for a steady stream of content. This model works when you need 8 -- 15 pieces per month and value consistency over one-off projects.

For context: equivalent production in Los Angeles runs 30 -- 50% higher, and New York is typically 40 -- 60% above Austin rates (Wonderful Machine, 2025). You're getting the same cameras, the same post-production tools, and increasingly the same talent -- just without the coastal markup.

The Difference Between a "Social Video" and a Campaign Film

This distinction matters more than most brands realize, and getting it wrong is one of the most common budget mistakes.

A social video is designed to perform in a feed. Fast, vertical or square, hooks in the first second, lives for a few weeks before replacement. Production value needs to be good enough -- not flawless. Authenticity often outperforms polish here.

A campaign film is designed to define. It anchors your website, opens your pitch deck, runs as pre-roll, and represents your brand for 12 -- 24 months. Every frame is intentional. Audio mix, color grade, pacing -- all matter.

The problem we see constantly: brands hire a production company for a campaign film but brief them like it's social content. Or worse, invest campaign-film money on content destined for Instagram Stories for 48 hours.

Before you talk to any Austin video production company, know which category your project falls into. It changes everything.

When You Need Video vs. Photos

Photography and video aren't competing formats. They serve different functions in different contexts. Here's a practical framework:

Video wins when: - You're explaining something complex (a product mechanism, a process, a service) - You're building emotional connection (brand story, founder narrative, customer testimonials) - You're running paid social ads -- video ads generate 1200% more shares than text and image combined (SQ Magazine, 2025), and Meta's algorithm actively favors video content in feed placement - You're competing in a category where video is table stakes (SaaS, fitness, food and beverage)

Photography wins when: - You need e-commerce product images (Amazon, Shopify PDPs) - You're building a lookbook or catalog - You need assets for print, packaging, or retail displays - Speed and volume matter more than depth

Both, shot together, wins when: - You're launching a product or campaign and need a complete content system - You want maximum ROI from a single production day - You need social, web, email, and paid media assets that feel cohesive

At 51st & Eighth, most of our larger projects are hybrid -- we shoot video and photography simultaneously, which saves clients 30 -- 40% compared to booking them as separate productions. Same crew, same lighting setup, same location, two types of output.

How to Evaluate a Video Production Company in Austin

Austin has dozens of videographers and production companies. Some are brilliant. Some are one person with a gimbal and a subscription to Premiere Pro. Here's how to tell the difference:

Watch their work with the sound off

Seriously. A strong production company creates visuals that communicate even without audio. If their work only makes sense because of a voiceover explaining everything, their visual storytelling is weak. The best brand films work on two tracks -- visual narrative and audio narrative -- and either one should be able to stand on its own.

Ask about pre-production

The biggest differentiator between professional production companies and glorified camera operators. Pre-production -- concepting, shot listing, location scouting, scheduling, talent coordination -- is where 50% of the project's success is determined.

If a company's process starts with "show up and shoot," find a different one. If it starts with "let's talk about your goals, audience, and distribution strategy" -- that's someone who understands commercial video.

Look at range, not just highlights

A production company's reel shows their best 60 seconds. What matters is whether they can deliver consistently across different project types. Ask to see full deliverables from past projects -- the hero film and the social cuts and the behind-the-scenes content. Quality should hold across all of them.

Understand crew structure

A two-person crew and a twelve-person crew produce fundamentally different work. For most commercial brand videos in Austin, a crew of 4 -- 6 (director, DP, audio tech, gaffer, 1 -- 2 PAs) is the sweet spot. Smaller crews sacrifice quality; larger crews add cost without proportional improvement unless the project demands it.

Check post-production capabilities

Shooting is half the job. Editing, color grading, sound design, motion graphics, and format optimization -- that's the other half. Some Austin production companies outsource post entirely. Others handle it in-house. In-house post means faster turnaround, more creative control, and better consistency.

How Austin Brands Are Using Video in 2026

Three trends are shaping how local brands approach video production:

1. Hybrid production is the default

Smart brands aren't booking separate photo shoots and video shoots anymore. They're planning unified productions that generate both simultaneously. A single production day can yield a 60-second brand film, 6 -- 10 social cuts, 30+ still images, and behind-the-scenes content. That's an entire quarter's content from one shoot day.

Our Ledge Loungers project is a good example -- a production designed from the start to deliver both stunning product photography and dynamic video content from the same setups, maximizing every dollar spent on crew, locations, and talent.

2. Content volume has replaced content scarcity

In 2020, one hero video per year was enough. In 2026, the algorithm demands constant feeding. Brands running paid social need 10 -- 20 fresh creatives per month to avoid ad fatigue. 93% of marketers say video delivers strong ROI (Wyzowl, 2025), but only if you produce enough to sustain your channels.

3. Distribution drives production

The smartest brands aren't starting with "we need a video." They're starting with "we need content for these specific placements" and working backward. A TikTok ad, a LinkedIn piece, a website hero, and a YouTube pre-roll all have different requirements. This is where a production company -- which thinks in systems -- outperforms a freelance videographer who thinks in deliverables.

What Made the DeLorean x Cambridge Audio Shoot Work

We shot a campaign for Cambridge Audio featuring a DeLorean, and it's one of our most-referenced projects. Worth breaking down why it worked as an example of what commercial video production in Austin can look like when it's done right.

The concept was specific. Not "film a speaker" -- a fully realized creative concept pairing an iconic car with a premium audio brand, shot to evoke a particular mood and era. That specificity anchored every production decision.

Pre-production was extensive. Location, vehicle logistics, lighting plan, shot list, weather contingencies -- all mapped before anyone picked up a camera. When you're working with a vintage DeLorean and high-end audio equipment, you don't wing it.

The production generated a full content system. Hero film, social cuts, still photography, BTS content -- all from one coordinated shoot. Months of content from a single production investment.

The team had range. The same crew that lit a car beautifully also captured intimate product detail shots of the speakers. That ability to move between scales and styles within a single shoot separates experienced production teams from one-trick specialists.

The Real Cost of Cheap Video

You can find Austin videographers who'll shoot and edit a video for $500 -- $1,000. For a quick testimonial or event recap, that might work. For commercial brand video, cheap production is expensive in ways that don't show up on the invoice:

• Weak audio. Bad audio is the fastest way to look amateur. Viewers rate content with poor audio as less credible regardless of visual quality (USC, 2023).
• No strategy. A cheap video starts with a camera, not a brief. You get footage that looks fine but serves no marketing objective.
• No system. One deliverable, one format. No social cuts, no platform optimization, no stills.
• Reshoots. The most expensive video is the one you redo. We get calls regularly from brands who invested cheap, got unusable results, and need to start over.

87% of consumers say video content has convinced them to buy a product (SQ Magazine, 2025). That stat assumes the video is good. Bad video can actively hurt your brand more than no video at all.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does commercial video production cost in Austin? Commercial video production in Austin ranges from $1,500 for basic social content to $35,000+ for full campaign productions. A typical brand video (60 -- 90 seconds, one shoot day, full post-production) costs $5,000 -- $15,000. Austin rates run 25 -- 40% below equivalent work in LA or NYC.

What's the difference between a videographer and a video production company? A videographer is typically one person who shoots and edits. A video production company handles the full process -- creative strategy, pre-production planning, a multi-person crew on shoot day, and professional post-production. For social content and simple projects, a skilled videographer can be sufficient. For brand films, campaigns, and commercial work, a production company delivers significantly better results.

How long does a video production project take? Typical timeline: 1 -- 2 weeks pre-production, 1 -- 2 shoot days, 2 -- 3 weeks post-production. Total: 4 -- 6 weeks from kickoff to final delivery.

Should I hire a local Austin production company or a national one? For most projects, local. An Austin-based company knows the locations, permit requirements, local crew network, and logistics of shooting in Central Texas.

When should a brand invest in video vs. photography? Video wins for explaining, demonstrating, or building emotional connection. Photography wins for e-commerce images, catalogs, and print. The best approach for most brands is a hybrid production that captures both simultaneously -- saves 30 -- 40% compared to separate shoots.

How many video deliverables should I expect from one shoot day? From a well-planned single shoot day: a hero video (60 -- 90 seconds), 4 -- 8 social cuts, and potentially 20 -- 40 still images if running hybrid. Pre-production planning determines how much you get from each hour of production time.

Ready to produce? We're 51st & Eighth, a commercial photography and video production studio in Austin, TX. We produce brand films, product launches, social campaigns, and full content systems.

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