What does a video cost
in San Antonio?
Then-Mayor Ron Nirenberg is interviewed at 300 Main for “Building Futures,” a City of San Antonio Workforce Development video.
The short answer
With pixelreflex MEDIA, a finished video starts at $6,000 for a Spotlight: one 1 to 2 minute video from a half-day shoot. Qualifying small nonprofits can start at $4,500.
- Impact Story, from $4,500. One 60 to 90 second video from a 2 to 3 hour shoot. For qualifying 501(c)(3) organizations with annual operating budgets under $500,000. Limited availability.
- Spotlight, from $6,000. One 1 to 2 minute video. A half-day shoot, delivered about a week later.
- Signature Story, from $15,000. A 3-minute video plus 1 to 2 shorter ones. A full day with a three-person crew, delivered in about two weeks.
- Story Campaign, from $30,000. A 3 to 5 minute video plus 3 to 4 shorter ones. Several days or locations with a crew of four or more, delivered in about three weeks.
These are starting prices for a standard scope. We price by the project, not the hour, and scope each one on the discovery call, so you know the full cost before we start. Prices are subject to change.
What moves the price
Two videos of the same length can cost very different amounts. The runtime matters less than what it takes to record and edit. These choices move the number.
- Shoot days. From a 2 to 3 hour shoot to several days. Additional shoot days are quoted separately.
- Interviews. Plan on about one minute of screen time per person, and no more than three people for a 2 to 3 minute video. Steffi Ockenfels, our executive producer, talks with each person before the shoot.
- Locations. Each move means packing up and lighting again, which uses shoot time. Travel outside the San Antonio area is quoted separately.
- Crew. From one director-cinematographer to a crew of four or more.
- Editing rounds. Each package includes one to three rounds of revisions. Extra rounds are quoted separately. Changes to the scope on shoot day are billed as overage at $350 per hour.
- Motion graphics. Motion graphics are part of our post-production. Longer animated sequences add design and editing time.
- Captions and Spanish. Captions are part of our post-production. A Spanish version adds editing time, and translation if you need it.
- Versions. Each extra cut adds editing time. Plan vertical versions before the shoot.
- Rush. Event coverage can turn around same day or in 24 hours. Same-day delivery carries a 20% rush fee, and next-day delivery 10%.
Four projects we have created
We don’t publish what a client paid. Each example ends with where a similar project starts today.
One person, one gala video
For SAMMinistries, which serves people experiencing homelessness in San Antonio, we filmed eight Journeys of Hope client stories for three galas in a row. Each follows one person, with no narrator. On our site they run from a minute and a half to about three minutes, and shorter cuts ran on social media.
What drives the cost: one person at the center, the footage around them and a gala date that cannot move. Where it starts: a Spotlight from $6,000, or an Impact Story from $4,500 for qualifying small nonprofits. A 3-minute version with social cuts is Signature Story scope.
One shoot, six videos
Students of Service, a San Antonio nonprofit, asked for one about-us video that could play at its gala, support fundraising, recruit students and engage donors. The same shoots gave it five shorter videos, from about 30 seconds to just under three minutes.
What drives the cost: a longer main video, several voices and the extra edits. The shorter videos came from the same shoots, so they added editing, not shoot days. Where it starts: Signature Story from $15,000 with 1 to 2 shorter videos, or Story Campaign from $30,000 with 3 to 4.
A series for a public program
Under the city’s Apprenticeship Building America grant, we produced a 10-video series for City of San Antonio Workforce Development, from two-minute apprenticeship videos to a seven-minute how-to for employers. We shot on a JCB warehouse floor, in a San Antonio ISD classroom and in the cab of a city solid waste truck.
What drives the cost: many locations, many people on camera and a multi-year schedule. Where it starts: our rate sheet points to this work as an example of both Signature Story and Story Campaign scope. Government and school clients may use a purchase order in place of a deposit.
Event coverage on a deadline
We delivered the City of San Antonio’s National Apprenticeship Day video the morning after the event. For San Antonio Parks and Recreation, we shot Día del Árbol on a Saturday and delivered it Monday morning.
What drives the cost: hours of coverage and how soon you need the video. Same-day delivery carries a 20% rush fee, and next-day delivery 10%. Where it starts: event video is quoted on the discovery call. Want photos too? Our event photography starts at $350 per hour, with a 2-hour minimum.
How to get more from one budget
- Plan photos with the video. We can create portraits and video in one production, with one crew and one schedule. Your people show up once, and one booking can save the cost of a separate photo shoot. See video and photography in one production.
- Get the short versions from the same shoot. Decide on social cuts and vertical versions before the shoot, so they come from the same footage.
- Keep the interview list short. The people chosen before the shoot already fill the screen time. An extra interview may not make the final edit.
- Tell us your date early. We aim to hold pre-interviews at least a week before the shoot, and package videos are delivered about one to three weeks after it.
- Send one set of notes per round. Collect everyone’s notes before you send them, so each included round covers them all.
Common questions
Do you charge by the hour?
No. We price by the project, so you know the full cost from the start. If the scope changes on shoot day, the change is billed as overage at $350 per hour.
What comes with every package?
The Story Strategy discovery process, narrative editing, color grading, sound mixing and licensed music.
How do we pay?
A 50% deposit begins the project. The balance is due at final delivery, and final files are released once it is paid. Government and school clients may use a purchase order in place of a deposit.
Can we get the raw footage?
Yes. Add color correction, grading and delivery of the raw footage to your budget. We archive every frame we capture for at least two years.
How many rounds of revisions are included?
One to three, depending on the package. An Impact Story or a Spotlight includes one round, a Signature Story two and a Story Campaign three. Extra rounds are quoted separately.
How do we review the edit?
In a private online portal. You watch the edit there, and your notes shape the final version.
Do you travel outside San Antonio?
Yes. When the story calls for it, we travel well beyond Texas. Travel outside the San Antonio area is quoted separately.
Can you film with a drone?
Yes. When a story needs a view from above, our team includes FAA Part 107 certified drone pilots.
pixelreflex MEDIA is a Latino-owned and woman-led video production company in San Antonio. Planning a gala? Read what a nonprofit gala video costs. See our nonprofit, government and bilingual video work.
Have a budget or a date in mind?
Tell us what you need, your budget range and any deadline. We’ll reach out within one business day.