Dream Image Club
Videographer
How long does a video take, from the first conversation to the final files?
Short answer
Not every video takes the same time, but each stage can be estimated. The brief and story outline can start within a few days; most shoots take one day, or 2–5 days with several interviews or locations; then come editing, grading, sound and the agreed 3–5 rounds of changes. What sets the pace is rarely the edit — it is the time spent waiting for comments and approval at each round. If you are in a hurry, rush jobs are possible; I have shot in the morning and delivered the same evening.
How long each stage takes
- The brief — a few minutes is enough to know the approach and price range; no detailed brief needed.
- Outline and script — I draft the main and sub-points, then turn them into a shooting script of what to film, where and when. Long scripts or many approvers make this the longest stage.
- Filming — usually one day; several interviews or locations take 2–5 days.
- Editing, grading and sound — depends on length, number of versions, vertical/horizontal and subtitles.
- Review and changes — via an unlisted YouTube link, 3–5 rounds of changes.
- Delivery — master files on Google Drive by the date agreed at the start.
What makes a job slower than expected
In my experience, what slows a job is almost never a technical step. It is waiting: for someone to approve the script, for an executive's free day, for comments from several departments that arrive at different times, or for contradictory comments that send the edit back and forth.
- No single decision-maker — comments from many people, not combined into one set per round.
- Changing the brief after the shoot — fixing a script is far quicker and cheaper than fixing an edit.
- On-screen information arriving late — logos, names, titles, figures.
- Locations or people not ready on the day — especially on jobs with long travel.
How to go faster without making it worse
- Agree from the start who gives final approval.
- Approve the outline and script before the shoot.
- Send logos, name spellings and on-screen text together before editing begins.
- Combine everyone's comments into one set per round.
- If you are in a hurry, choose a format that edits quickly — narration over real footage instead of interviews with many people.
Rush jobs — how fast is possible?
I take rush jobs, but I will tell you plainly what can and cannot be done in time, so neither of us wastes time. One company and factory film came in just two days before the shoot: I filmed for one day and finished the edit within three. Another was shot in the morning and delivered the same evening — not something I recommend for every job, but possible when it has to be.
If you are in a hurry, tell me three things: the date and time you actually need it, which days and where we can film, and the length and format. Narration over footage edits much faster than several people speaking to camera.
Several versions or languages — where the extra time goes
If you want a long cut, a short cut and verticals, the extra time is in the edit, not the shoot, since they are filmed together on one day. I usually get the main film approved first, then cut the other versions from the approved one, so the same change is never made across several files.
For subtitles or other language versions, subtitle after picture and sound are locked. Changing the picture after subtitling means correcting every language. Allowing for this from the start keeps delivery on schedule.
Agency jobs with contractual deadlines
Agency work usually has a delivery deadline counted from the contract signing date. Allow for field days that depend on real community activities, and for the time the committee needs to review the script and the work. Tell me the deadline at the start and I will plan backwards so you can see when each stage must be done.
