A “commercial” can cost two thousand dollars or two hundred thousand. The word hides the real question: what does the video have to do, and where will it run? Here's the honest breakdown.
Solo videographer: commonly a few thousand dollars for a scripted, shot, and edited business commercial — the realistic tier for most small businesses.
Small production company: commonly five figures — adds crew, better gear, locations, casting. Justified when the spot runs in paid placements where polish earns its keep.
Full production: six figures — broadcast campaigns, name talent. Not what a local business needs, whatever an agency implies.
Shoot days, crew size, locations, talent, and revision rounds. The invisible driver is pre-production: a tight script and shot plan makes a one-day shoot deliver what a sloppy three-day one can't. If a quote is high, ask which of these it's paying for — a real producer can itemize instantly.
For spots that don't require your real premises or people on camera — concept ads, explainers, offer announcements — AI-assisted production now delivers broadcast-clean results at a fraction of shoot costs. It's the wrong tool where authenticity is the point, and the right one where the message is. An honest production partner prices both paths and tells you which fits, rather than defaulting to the expensive one.
From a solo shooter, commonly a few thousand dollars all-in; from a production company, commonly five figures. The runtime barely matters — pre-production, shoot days, and editing drive cost. A tight 30 seconds costs about the same as a loose 60.
Where its customers actually are: social placements and your own site and profile first — they're measurable and cheap to test. Streaming-TV placements have opened to small budgets too. Broadcast last, if ever; its costs suit reach a local business rarely needs.
For concept-driven spots — increasingly yes, and the cost difference is dramatic. For anything that must show your real business or build face-trust, no. Judge per project: what must be real, and what must merely be clear?
The one thing the video must accomplish, where it will run, and any hard constraints (budget range, deadline, must-show elements). With those three, an honest producer can quote realistically; without them, every quote is padding for the unknown.