How Much Does Video Production Cost for Queensland Government

This is the question communications teams ask most often and suppliers answer least helpfully. “It depends” is technically true and completely useless. Here's a better answer.

Why the range is so wide

Government video production covers an enormous amount of ground. A single-camera interview for internal comms, a multi-location behaviour change campaign for statewide broadcast, a five-minute documentary about a regional program, an animated explainer for a digital platform — all of these get called “government video production,” and none of them cost anything like each other.

What actually drives the price isn't the label on the project. It's the shooting days, the locations, the complexity of the post-production, the talent requirements, the accessibility obligations, and how many rounds of approvals and revisions are baked into the process.

Reference points by project type

These are realistic ranges based on the Queensland Government work we've done. They're not quotes. Think of them as a sense check.

Single-subject interview or talking-head video for internal or digital use. One day, small crew, straightforward edit. $2,500 to $6,000 depending on location, crew size, and post complexity.

Short-form explainer animation. Script, illustration or motion graphics, voiceover, sound design. 60 to 90 seconds. $8,000 to $20,000 depending on visual complexity and how many revision rounds you need.

Social campaign content package. Two to three short videos for digital, built from a single shoot day or brief. $10,000 to $25,000 depending on talent, locations, and post-production scope.

Hero awareness or behaviour change video for digital and social. Three to five minutes, one to two shoot days, professional talent or staff subjects, full post. $25,000 to $60,000 depending on complexity, locations, and accessibility requirements.

Television commercial for a government campaign. 30 to 60 seconds, broadcast quality, multiple shoot locations, professional cast, full post including captioning and broadcast delivery. $40,000 to $120,000 depending on scope.

Multi-format campaign package. TVC plus social cuts, digital display, and supporting assets from a single production. Usually 30 to 50 percent more than the TVC alone, depending on how many formats you need.

Large-scale documentary or multi-episode content program. Multiple shoot days, multiple locations, interview-led, extended post. $80,000 to $250,000 and up depending on scope and timeline.

What isn't included in these ranges

Travel and accommodation for remote or regional shoots is usually a direct cost on top of production fees. Talent fees for professional actors or presenters are typically itemised separately. Music licensing, stock footage, and platform delivery fees are usually additional too.

Accessibility work — captioning, audio description, Easy Read versions — should be budgeted as its own line item. It's not optional for government work, and it's not free.

What to do with this information

Put a budget range in your brief. A supplier who knows the number can tell you what's realistic within it and where the trade-offs sit. A supplier who doesn't know it will quote what they think you want to hear, not what the project actually needs.

If a quote comes back well under these ranges, ask what's been left out. If it comes back well over, ask what's been included. Either way, it's worth understanding before you sign anything.

Welcome to the Fold

We produce video content for Queensland Government agencies across the full range of formats and budgets, and we've quoted enough of these to know where the surprises usually hide. We're appointed to the Queensland All-of-Government Creative Services Panel (GGS0120-25) and six other government panels. If you want to talk through scope and budget before you write the brief, get in touch.