At Lapse Productions we believe pricing should not be a secret. If you are researching video production for your business, you have probably hit the same frustrating roadblock everywhere: nobody wants to tell you the price until you fill out a form. We publish ours. This guide shows you real videos with their real costs, three sample builds from our rate card, line by line, and the five factors that move the number up or down, so you can plan your marketing budget before you ever talk to us. Every number comes from our own video production in Toronto.
The short answer
- Across Canada, professional agency video production typically runs from $5,000 to $50,000 and up depending on scope.
- Most Lapse Productions projects land between $3,410 and $8,000 before HST. There are no fixed packages: you choose the scope and we price it line by line from our rate card.
- Three real client videos with their actual costs are below: $3,025, $6,297.50, and $8,327.50.
- Five factors drive your price: planning depth, crew size, filming days, post-production complexity, and deliverable count.
- For a live number for your exact project, the estimate builder on our pricing page does the math in front of you.
What do real videos actually cost?
The fastest way to understand video pricing is to see what different budgets buy. Here are three real client videos and exactly what they cost.
Event video: $3,025
Produced for Eye Recommend. A single-day shoot with one videographer, a basic strategy session, and an efficient edit.
Tech promotional video: $6,297.50
Produced for DMZ. A four-person crew, a fuller strategy phase, and a more layered edit.
Real estate promotional video: $8,327.50
Produced for Blackdoor Development Co. A five-person crew, advanced equipment, and complex post-production.
What does a Lapse Productions video cost, line by line?
There are no fixed packages at Lapse Productions. Every project is priced line by line from the rate card in our estimate builder. To show how that adds up, here are three sample builds for one video of 60 seconds to 3 minutes, from a lean single-videographer day to a full crew. Each total includes the 10 percent project management fee. HST is extra.
| Line item | Lean build | Mid build | Full-crew build |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good for | Interviews, updates, single-location shoots | Brand and promotional videos | Campaign and brand films with complex post-production |
| Strategy and development | Basic, $250 | Standard, $500 | Advanced, $1,000 |
| Full-day filming (up to 10 hrs) | $1,500 | $3,225 | $4,125 |
| Crew | Videographer, 1 camera | Producer, cinematographer, production assistant | Producer, cinematographer, audio operator, production assistant |
| Equipment | Standard camera and lighting package | Standard camera and lighting package | Advanced equipment van |
| Editing | Basic, $1,000 | Standard, $2,000 | Complex, $2,500 |
| Included in every edit | Motion and text graphics, licensed music, 2 rounds of revisions | ||
| Project management (10%) | $275 | $572.50 | $762.50 |
| Sample total (before HST) | $3,025 | $6,297.50 | $8,387.50 |
Want the number for your exact project? The estimate builder on our pricing page lets you configure crew, days, and deliverables and watch the price update live. Once the scope is set, most projects land between $3,410 and $8,000. A lean build can come in lower, and multi-day or animation-heavy work goes higher. Planning an animated or hybrid explainer? Our explainer video production page covers what changes in scope and timeline.
What five factors drive the price up or down?
When a client asks what a video costs, the honest answer always depends on scope. Five levers set the final number:
1. Pre-production planning. A run-and-gun interview shoot needs minimal planning. Scriptwriting, storyboarding, casting, and location permits in Toronto all add time and budget before a camera ever rolls.
2. Crew size and equipment. A single videographer with a mirrorless camera is highly cost-effective. A cinema camera, complex lighting, a dedicated audio operator, and a producer keeping the day on schedule raise the day rate accordingly.
3. Filming days. Production is billed by the day or half-day. Interviews at your office take one day; a brand film across three GTA locations might take three. Our videographer day rates guide breaks down what a crew day costs in Toronto.
4. Post-production complexity. Editing is more than cutting clips: color grading, sound mixing, and pacing are standard, while 2D and 3D motion graphics, custom animation, and professional voiceover scale the budget up.
5. Deliverables and usage. One 2-minute video is one price. Add five 15-second vertical cutdowns for Instagram and TikTok and the editing time grows with them.
Where does the money go?
Every project breaks into three phases, and each one earns its share of the budget.
Pre-production, the blueprint. Purpose, messaging, scripts, locations, and a watertight schedule. Good pre-production is what makes the shoot day look easy.
Production, the shoot. The crew directs, lights, records audio, and captures every shot in the creative brief.
Post-production, the polish. Footage becomes a story: licensed music, color grading, motion graphics, and revision rounds with your team until it is right.
For the full walkthrough of how a project moves from idea to delivery, see our guide to the corporate video production process. And if you are still deciding what kind of video the budget should buy, start with the 9 types of corporate videos. Planning several videos this year? Our guide to planning an annual video marketing budget shows how to price and schedule them across the quarters.
Want an exact number for your project?
Tell us the goal, the locations, and the deadline, and we will scope it transparently: no hidden fees, no surprise line items.
Get a free quoteFrequently asked questions
How much does a corporate video cost in Toronto?
At Lapse Productions, most corporate video projects land between $3,410 and $8,000 CAD before HST. A lean one-day build with one videographer comes to about $3,025, and a full-crew build to about $8,400. There are no fixed packages, so every quote is itemized. Across Canada, agency video production typically runs from $5,000 to $50,000 and up.
Why do video production quotes vary so much?
Five factors drive the price: how much pre-production planning the concept needs, crew size and equipment, the number of filming days, post-production complexity such as motion graphics and animation, and how many deliverables you need. Two quotes for the same idea can differ simply because they assume different scopes.
Can I get a professional video for under $5,000?
Yes. A lean build at Lapse Productions comes to about $3,025 before HST: a basic strategy session, a full day of filming with a professional videographer, and an edit with licensed music and two rounds of revisions. It suits interviews, updates, and straightforward single-location shoots.
How can I get an exact price for my video?
Use the estimate builder on our pricing page to configure your project and see a live number, or request a free quote and we will scope it with you. Every project is priced to its actual scope, so an exact number always starts with a short conversation about goals, locations, and deliverables.
Dario Nouri is a Producer and Co-Founder at Lapse Productions, a Toronto video production company creating results-based content since 2014. He also hosts Creatives Grab Coffee, a podcast on the business of video production.