Have a concept for a new fitness video but are new to video production? Sparkworks Media has produced over 30 consumer yoga, aerobics, dance, and other fitness titles for Kari Anderson, Trish Murphy, Jay Blahnik, Ana Forrest, Linda Arkin, and others.
The most common question we get is, ‘what does it cost?’. After all, the cost of your video will directly determine how many units you need to sell to make a profit. And unless you or someone else participating in the video already has a national identity in the fitness industry, you need to pay close attention to this important factor. Name recognition and a track record of solid fitness video production are two of the most important factors in predicting future sales.
As a Seattle video production company with over 20 years of fitness video and consumer video production under our belts, we’ve found that most clients need to produce at least two or three videos before the industry begins to recognize them as experts, and sales tend to ramp up. In fact in some cases, your first title may actually sell more copies after you produce your second video, because the perception is that anyone can make one fitness video, but it takes someone talented with something unique to teach in order to produce two. This is not always the case, such as with very unique concepts, but we recommend not expecting riches on the first title.
So how do you get started creating a name in fitness video if you haven’t already produced a fitness video? Invest in your first video with an eye towards the second video. Or even better, shoot two right off the top.
Production costs are such that producing two videos (or more) in one day is more cost effective than producing just one. You pay your crew based on the day, not the hour, so the more you can fit into one day the better.
With this in mind, production costs can vary dramatically and are highly dependent on:
- The number of people in the video
- The number of cameras used
- The location and set costs
- Special features contained in DVDs (such as basic moves, demos and interviews)
Several items are often provided by the client when we produce fitness videos:
- The talent in the video
- The music (since you’ll likely be choreographing anyway)
- The wardrobe (although we often consult on this)
The number of people directly affects the size of the set and lighting requirements, all of which takes the majority of the time to set up. The number of cameras obviously affects equipment and labor costs. The location and set is a very creative element in the video and can be as simple as an existing room or studio, or an environment that is completely designed and built from scratch.
In the end, production costs range from a low of $7000 per title, to $20,000 or more – depending on the number of titles shot per day and the particular production items the client provides. Since there are so many variables, there is no easy way to quote a price without an exact plan.
And it does take a lot of planning. Fitness videos are a unique production animal. There are a lot of questions surrounding the best way to shoot – like how to handle music if you need to stop down choreography that is exactly timed, stay on beat and give direction to the audience…. Or in direction to make sure it is easy to follow and understand the choreography…. In recording to make sure the editing takes as little time as possible, but allows time for chaptering your DVD. And so on.
That’s why you want to hire someone who has produced a fitness video before – like us! Give us a call and we can help you stay on track.
