Video production pricing
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We keep it simple. Viva Media requires a 50% project retainer when you book and sign the statement of work. It secures your production dates and covers pre-production. The balance is invoiced when the project is complete.

For larger projects over $100,000, we break payments into milestones tied to deliverables: a portion at kickoff, another at production completion and the balance at final delivery.

Payment terms are net 60 days from the invoice date unless we've agreed otherwise. A 2% monthly fee applies to late payments unless alternate arrangements have been made. We accept direct deposit, email money transfer, certified or company cheques and cash.

We price the work required by the brief. Runtime matters, but it doesn't tell us how many locations, contributors, graphics or delivery versions a project needs.

An interview and a commercial can have the same runtime while requiring different preparation, crew and post-production. Supplied footage also needs review before the editing scope can be estimated.

Share the concept, script status, filming needs, intended use and final versions. We can then discuss the production approach and the decisions that affect the quote. The video pricing guide includes a worksheet you can send to each producer when comparing estimates for the same work.

Ask for an estimate that identifies included work, separate expenses and decisions still open. Talent, music licensing and location fees are quoted separately. GTA travel is included. Travel outside the GTA is quoted separately. Confirm these items alongside the production scope before approving the work.

Talent and music: Check the performers, voice-over and music required, including the intended channels and usage term.

Locations and travel: Identify locations, permissions, access and any travel outside the GTA so the producer can scope them.

Revisions and additional versions: Two revision rounds are included. Additional rounds are billed at $150/hour for post-production time. New concepts, extra edits or changes to approved work need a scope discussion.

Timing: A compressed schedule may change the production plan. Discuss availability, review windows and any cost implications before committing.

Ask how provisional items will be confirmed and who approves a change to cost or timing. Keep that written approval with the estimate so both teams work from the same scope.

Projects start from $10,000+, with a quote based on your brief. These starting prices help start a budget conversation; the proposal defines the work and final price.

Social ad campaigns: Targeted ads built for social platforms first start from $10,000+. The brief defines the concept, filming, cutdowns and platform versions.

Ongoing social content: Ongoing social content on a monthly retainer starts from $2,500+ per month, with the outputs and schedule agreed for the work.

Corporate video: Corporate video starts from $10,000+ for interviews, recruitment and training.

2D/3D animation and motion graphics: 2D/3D animation and motion graphics start from $10,000+ for explainers, animated graphics and 3D work.

Commercials and brand films: Commercials and brand films start from $10,000+, with concept, cast, locations and campaign versions shaping the quote.

Talent, music licensing and location fees are quoted separately. GTA travel is included. Travel outside the GTA is quoted separately. Media buying, account management and analytics setup need their own scope and owner. Bring your budget, intended use and deliverables. Talk with a producer.

The comparison depends on what the brief needs to show. Animation requires designed assets and movement; live-action requires people, locations and filming. A project may combine both, so compare the work before choosing an approach.

Animation and motion graphics: Viva Media's 2D/3D animation and motion graphics start from $10,000+. Confirm the script, visual style, existing assets, design work and delivery versions. A diagram and a detailed product animation can require different preparation and review.

Live-action: Corporate video starts from $10,000+; commercials and brand films start from $10,000+. Crew, contributors, locations and filming arrangements affect the scope.

These starting prices help start a budget conversation; the proposal defines the work and final price. Talent, music licensing and location fees are quoted separately. GTA travel is included. Travel outside the GTA is quoted separately.

For animation and motion graphics, identify which assets your team can supply and who approves design and movement. If the work includes filming, ask the producer to show how those tasks and approvals connect. Captions, translation and additional versions also need to be scoped.

Most projects take four to six weeks from kickoff to final delivery, depending on scope and scale.

Rush timelines (1 to 2 weeks): Possible for simpler projects or when deadlines are non-negotiable. Expect a premium for the compressed schedule and reduced flexibility for revisions.

Standard timelines (4 to 6 weeks): Where most projects land. Enough breathing room for proper pre-production, a well-paced shoot, and thoughtful editing with time for feedback rounds.

Extended timelines (6 to 8+ weeks): When you have flexibility, we can often find budget efficiencies. Spreading production across more calendar time lets us batch work, avoid rush fees on rentals and talent, and give your team more time for internal reviews.

How we make timelines work: We build a work-back schedule for every project. You'll know exactly what's happening when, how long you have for feedback at each stage, and what needs to happen to hit your deadline. Before we commit to any project, we make sure the scope and scale of what you're trying to accomplish is achievable within your timeline. If it's not, we'll tell you what needs to shift, whether that's the deadline, the deliverables, or the budget.

Before production: Review the script, shot list and storyboard where relevant. Supply brand assets and confirm factual claims, product details and any wording that needs approval. Tell the producer which decisions remain open and who can resolve them.

Before shoot day: Check the call sheet for locations, arrival times, contacts and access instructions. Confirm contributor availability, products, wardrobe or props your team is supplying, and any restrictions at the location. Flag a change as soon as you know about it.

On shoot day: Make sure the agreed client contact is available for decisions. If a requested change affects the approved script, schedule or deliverables, discuss the scope with the producer before proceeding.

The pricing guide's brief worksheet helps organise these inputs before the estimate conversation. Keep it with the approved production documents so your team and the crew can refer to the same plan.

Two rounds of revisions are included in every project.

How revision rounds work: You watch the edit, compile your team's feedback into one document and send it over. We make the changes and send back the next version. That's one round. One person consolidating feedback keeps each round clear and on schedule.

Why the edit rarely needs many rounds: By the time we reach the edit, you've already approved the script, storyboard and creative direction, so the first cut shouldn't hold any major surprises.

Additional revisions: Additional rounds are billed at $150/hour for post-production time. We'll let you know before we start the clock. New concepts, extra versions or changes to approved work are discussed and scoped before we proceed.

The proposal should identify the final videos and any additional files your team needs. If you want raw footage or working files, raise that before production so the producer can assess the request and include any agreed handoff work.

Raw footage: Explain who will receive it, what they plan to make and where the resulting work will run. Confirm which files are included, how they will be organised and transferred, and what permissions apply. Identify the receiving team and agree the transfer method and folder structure before files are prepared. A request for footage doesn't establish rights to every possible future use.

Working files: Identify the receiving editor's software and the assets they need. Timelines may depend on licensed plugins, fonts, music or stock material. Confirm what can be supplied and what the receiving team would need to obtain separately. Ask the receiving editor to check software versions and dependencies before relying on a working-file handoff.

After production: A later request needs a fresh assessment of available files, permissions and preparation work. Ask about any cost and timing implications before committing to another use.

Schedule and revisions: Standard production takes 4 to 6 weeks, with two revision rounds included and additional rounds at $150/hour. Discuss any source-file request alongside that schedule. Confirm its preparation and delivery separately so your receiving team can plan its work.

Record the agreed handoff in the proposal alongside the delivery versions. This gives your team a clear reference for what is being supplied and which dependencies still need attention.

Start by comparing the edit with the approved brief, script and visual direction. Identify what isn't working and explain the effect on the message or audience. That gives the producer and editor a concrete starting point for the review.

Make feedback specific: Point to the version and scene. A note such as 'the middle section feels slow' is more useful with the moment where attention drops and the information you need to keep. For tone, explain which part differs from the references or direction your team approved.

Gather the team's notes: Ask the relevant reviewers to check factual claims, brand details and language. Have the agreed feedback owner resolve conflicting comments before sending a consolidated response.

Separate revisions from a new direction: Two revision rounds are included. Additional rounds are billed at $150/hour for post-production time. If the requested change adds a new message, edit or creative approach, discuss its scope, cost and timing with the producer before work continues.

Raise concerns during planning as well as editing. Keep the brief, approvals and feedback together so everyone can trace a decision to the same agreed direction.

Life happens. We get it. Our cancellation policy is designed to be fair while protecting both sides from last-minute chaos.

More than 5 business days before production: No cancellation fee.

Less than 5 business days: 50% of crew costs are billed.

Less than 48 hours: 75% of crew costs are billed.

Less than 24 hours: 100% of crew costs are billed.

Rescheduling is usually easier than cancelling. If your dates need to move, let us know as early as possible and we'll work with you to find alternatives.

Within the GTA, travel is included. For shoots elsewhere in Ontario, across Canada, in the US, or internationally, we quote travel separately based on location, crew size, and equipment needs.

We've shot all over. Coast to coast in Canada, throughout the US, and internationally. We know how to navigate flights, customs, carnet paperwork for gear, and local crew coordination. If your project takes us somewhere, we'll handle the logistics and build travel costs transparently into your quote.

Choose the working arrangement around the brief and the support your team needs. A freelancer may suit a defined task that your team can direct and coordinate. A production company may suit work that needs a producer to bring creative development, crew, filming and post-production together.

Compare responsibilities: Identify who develops the concept, plans the shoot, manages contributors and locations, coordinates the edit and checks final files. Ask which of those tasks your team would own under each proposal.

Compare the review process: Name the feedback coordinator and final approver. Confirm how the provider handles schedule changes, additional versions and work outside the approved brief. The label on the business doesn't answer those questions.

Working with Viva Media: We work alongside in-house brand teams and agencies, with crew assembled around the brief. Discuss the creative and production support you need, including any work your existing team will supply.

Use the video pricing worksheet to send comparable briefs. Then evaluate the proposed production roles, responsibilities and deliverables alongside the fee, rather than assuming that either arrangement is always the better fit.

A production quote covers the work behind the finished files. Runtime is part of that scope, alongside the preparation, people, equipment, filming arrangements and post-production needed to make the video.

Preparation: The concept, script, storyboard and production plan establish what needs to be filmed or designed. Identify what your team has approved and what the producer needs to develop.

People and equipment: The brief determines the crew roles and equipment required. Locations, contributors and the filming approach affect how that work is organised.

Post-production: Footage review, editing, graphics, colour, sound, captions and exports need to be scoped. Additional edits or language versions create additional work, even when they share footage.

Reviews and usage: Two revision rounds are included. Additional rounds are billed at $150/hour for post-production time. Confirm the intended channels, territories and usage term, with talent, music licensing and location fees quoted separately. GTA travel is included. Travel outside the GTA is quoted separately.

If the estimate exceeds your budget, ask which choices can change. A more focused script, fewer locations or a revised deliverables list gives the producer specific options to assess. Compare those options by what changes in the work as well as the total.

The outcome depends on the objective, audience, placement and wider campaign. Agree what you want viewers to do and how your team will measure that action and report the findings before production begins. A production budget alone doesn't establish an expected return.

An existing result: The StretchLab testimonial reports a $0.84 cost per lead for a single campaign. That result belongs to that campaign and is not a forecast for another project.

Define the measurement: Name the person responsible for tracking enquiries, sales or the other agreed action. Confirm the reporting source, comparison period and how your team will distinguish the video's contribution from other campaign activity.

Separate the work: Production covers the agreed creative, filming and post-production. Media buying covers paid placements. Account management covers channel planning, posting and ongoing administration. Analytics setup covers tracking and reporting. Assign an owner and budget to each so the production quote isn't treated as the full campaign cost.

Bring the objective and distribution plan into the brief. They help the producer scope the message and delivery versions while your marketing team owns the measurement decisions.