Field Notes
Entry by:
The Mirri Team

Interested in Video Production? Here's What to Expect.

In the Twin Cities, most professional video projects land between $5k-$12k and take 3 to 5 weeks from “let’s do this” to final delivery, because you’re paying for strategy, crew, lighting/audio, and edits designed for your desired placement.

Who this is for

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  • You’re a business in the Minneapolis / St. Paul area  and you want to use video to sell more stuff, book more jobs, hire better people, or stop looking like you filmed your brand story on a Flip camera (remember those?)

  • You’re deciding whether to hire a team like Mirri Creative or roll the dice with your nephew who got a camera last summer.

Who this is not for

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  • If you’re trying to spend $300 and make it look like a Super Bowl spot, unfortunately we can’t help you.

Quick reality check: what “video production” even means in 2026

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“Video production” is a giant bucket. It could mean:

  • Commercial / advertising projects
  • A clean talking-head testimonial + b-roll for your website
  • A library of ads (15s / 30s / vertical cutdowns) for your paid-social media advertising campaign
  • Ecommerce product video + lifestyle + UGC-style creative
  • Corporate recruiting, culture, brand film
  • Event coverage

Those are not the same budget, timeline, or crew. So here’s what you need to consider when trying to price out a video project in the Twin Cities.

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What does video production cost in Minneapolis–St. Paul?

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You’ll see everything from “free (my buddy)” to $100k+ projects. But for most applications, the honest range forvideo projects usually fall within $3,000 to $30,000, depending on the scope.

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What changes the price?

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Here’s what moves your budget up or down the fastest:

  • Number of deliverables
  • Production complexity & crew size 
  • Shoot days (1 day vs multi-day)
  • Travel (remote shoots require additional time + expenses)
  • Locations (one clean location = cheaper; bouncing around = extra time and location costs)
  • Talent (employees, actors, voiceover)
  • Motion graphics
  • Speed (rush edit fees are real)
  • Usage (broadcast vs organic vs paid ads, licensing matters)

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How long does it take?

If you want it done right, plan for:

  • Week 1: strategy + concept + logistics
  • Week 2: shoot
  • Weeks 3 + 4: edit + revisions + exports
  • Week 5: final delivery + ad-ready versions

Of course, this can go faster. But faster usually means more expensive or corners can get cut.

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The difference between “average” and “holy sh*t” comes down to these:

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1) A plan (“what do we want the viewer to do?”)

If the video doesn’t have a job (leads, sales, hires, adding credibility), then what’s the point? How well does your video fit in with your existing brand, and speak to the proper audience?

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2) Clean audio (make or break)

People will put up with lower quality footage. They will not watch bad audio. 

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3) Lighting (the thing that makes it look expensive)

Proper lighting is the holy grail. It’s what can make a $10k shoot look like a $50k shoot.

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4) Editing that respects 2026 attention spans

Modern edits aren’t just “cut the footage.” It’s:

  • hooks
  • pacing
  • pattern interrupts
  • edits for each channel

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Bottom line

Most businesses don’t need Hollywood. They need video that communicates their offer clearly, speaks to the right audiences, and helps them make a conversion decision

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Do you have questions about your project?

Get in touch and we can hop on a call to point you in the right direction, no strings!

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