It's a bit like asking what a house costs
It's a fair question with an annoying answer: it depends what you're building. A one-bedroom bach and a family home are both houses. Both need foundations, a roof and someone who knows what they're doing. The difference is scale.
Video is the same, and the scale is yours to set.
What moves the number
Mostly it's time — how many days the job takes, from planning through the shoot to the edit.
Beyond that, plenty of things nudge it either way. How many locations, and how far apart they are. Whether we're filming your own people or casting actors. How much lighting the look needs. Original music or something from a library. How many versions you want at the end.
None of these are decisions you need to have made before you get in touch. Working them out is what the first conversation is for.
One interview, or a national campaign
At one end: one person talking in one room. Half a day, just me, out of your hair before lunch.
At the other: a commercial with a cast, a crew and several locations across a few days.
Most of what I make sits comfortably between the two. And because I direct, shoot, edit, grade and mix myself, the middle of that range stretches further than it otherwise would.
Getting more for your budget
A few things that genuinely help. Film several videos in one shoot rather than booking three separate days. Pick locations close together. Lock the script before the shoot rather than during it.
And agree up front who signs off the edit. Nothing eats a budget faster than a film being re-cut for a fourth opinion.
Questions
Can you work to a set budget?
Yes, and it's the easiest way to start. Tell me the number early and I'll design the approach around it rather than quoting you something you were never going to spend.
Why don't you list prices?
Because no two projects are the same, and a price list would only mislead you. A ten-minute chat gets you an accurate fixed quote.