A video production company plans, films or animates, and edits video for clients. Typical commissions include advertisements, brand films, product explainers, testimonials, training and social-media content. The market ranges from crew networks that shoot thousands of live-action videos a year to small animation studios that make a few dozen explainers.
This list covers ten companies serving business clients, mainly in North America, that publish verifiable information about their scale, pricing or operating history. Published budgets range from US$1,000 for a one-minute animated explainer at Breadnbeyond to more than US$150,000 for complex projects at Epipheo.
Contents
- Live action, animation and hybrid production
- Typical timelines
- Methodology
- The list
- Comparison table
- Frequently asked questions
- See also
Live action, animation and hybrid production
Live-action production needs crews, locations, talent and equipment, so cost rises with shoot days and travel. Networks such as Lemonlight address this with local crews; it reports more than 2,000 crew members covering more than 80 cities. Animated video has no shoot, and its cost is driven by style (2D, 3D, motion graphics or whiteboard), length and the number of concepts and revisions. Several studios therefore publish package tiers or calculators for animation, as Breadnbeyond and Yum Yum Videos do, but rarely for live action. Hybrid and mixed-media work combines the two.
Typical timelines
Published timelines for a standard animated explainer run from about four to seven weeks. Kasra Design cites four to five weeks for a typical 2D project, Epipheo five to six weeks, and Breadnbeyond five or more weeks, rising to seven or more for its top tier. Most of that time goes into scripting, storyboarding and review rounds rather than animation itself.
Methodology
Companies were included if video production for business clients is their main service and their own website gives verifiable information on scale, pricing or operating history. Entries are ordered first by the production volume each company states. Companies stating a number of videos produced come first, in descending order: Lemonlight (50,000+), Epipheo (6,000+) and Kasra Design (2,000+). Next is Vidico, which states a number of brands served (920+). Companies that publish no volume figure follow, ordered by stated operating history (Demo Duck, since 2011; Explainify, 14+ years) and then alphabetically where no history is stated. Volume reflects capacity, not creative quality. No awards tables, user ratings or review-site scores were used.
The list
1
L
US video production network with 50,000+ videos and fixed-price packages
Best for: Brands producing many live-action videos across US locations
Lemonlight is a video production company based in Inglewood, California. It began in 2014 and is led by its CEO and co-founder Hope Horner. The company says it has produced more than 50,000 videos and draws on more than 2,000 crew members covering more than 80 cities, which lets it shoot across the United States without flying a crew from Los Angeles. Its client count is given variously on its home page as 4,500+, over 4,000 and 3,900+. Named clients include Disney, Amazon, Walmart, Google, Lego and Netflix. Lemonlight sells transparent, predetermined video packages and says pricing does not change with client size, although package prices are not shown on its public pages. The model suits brands needing many similar videos, such as product, testimonial or social clips, in several locations.
- Founded
- 2014
- Headquarters
- Inglewood, California, US
- Videos produced
- 50,000+ (company figure)
- Crew network
- 2,000+ in 80+ cities
Strengths
- Largest stated production volume in this list
- Nationwide crew network avoids travel costs
Limitations
- Package prices are not published despite the fixed-package model
- Client count is stated inconsistently on its own site
2
Cincinnati explainer-video studio publishing typical project budgets
Best for: Explaining complex products to non-specialist audiences
Epipheo is a Cincinnati, Ohio studio that has made videos since 2009. It reports more than 6,000 videos for more than 3,000 brands, naming clients such as Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Deloitte, Cisco and US Bank. It is one of the few studios to publish a budget range: most explainer projects cost about US$5,000 to more than US$150,000, depending on style, length and complexity, and a typical 2D explainer takes five to six weeks. Its services cover 2D and 3D explainers, educational, trade-show and testimonial videos, live action, social ads and video case studies, and it also offers video retainers. Epipheo's emphasis is on making complex products or ideas understandable, which is why software and financial-services companies use it frequently.
- Operating since
- 2009
- Location
- Cincinnati, Ohio, US
- Volume
- 6,000+ videos, 3,000+ brands (company figures)
- Typical budget
- US$5,000–150,000+
Strengths
- Publishes typical budget and timeline
- Long specialisation in explainers
Limitations
- Budget range is wide and not tied to specific packages
- Five to six weeks for a standard 2D explainer
3
Singapore-headquartered animation studio with offices in the US and Malaysia
Best for: Animated videos for Asia-Pacific and multilingual audiences
Kasra Design is an animated-video studio with offices in Singapore, Anaheim (California) and Petaling Jaya (Malaysia). It says it has worked since 2011 and made more than 2,000 videos. Logos on its site include Panasonic, Shell, HP, Intel, Visa, PepsiCo, Pfizer, Grab and Petronas, and its portfolio covers explainers, SaaS product videos, 2D and 3D animation, motion graphics, collage animation and corporate films. It also offers script translation, voice-over and subtitles in several languages. It publishes no price list, but its enquiry form offers budget bands from US$3,000–5,000 up to US$10,000–50,000. Payment is 50% upfront and 50% on completion, and a typical 2D project takes four to five weeks.
- Operating since
- 2011
- Offices
- Singapore; Anaheim, US; Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
- Videos produced
- 2,000+ (company figure)
- Budget bands
- US$3,000–50,000 (enquiry form)
Strengths
- Multilingual voice-over and subtitling
- Lower entry budget band than most studios listed
Limitations
- Animation-focused; little live-action work
- Rush requests carry an extra fee
4
Australian-founded studio selling video on a credit model, with a performance guarantee
Best for: Software companies needing a steady flow of ad and product videos
Vidico has studios in Melbourne and Sydney and an office on Broadway in New York, and says it is trusted by more than 920 brands worldwide. Logos include Spotify, Square, Zendesk and Klaviyo, and its case studies mention TikTok, Movember and DigitalOcean. It produces animated explainers and app and demo videos, live-action brand, product and recruitment films, short-form social content and ad creative. Clients buy credits, and unused credit rolls over. Vidico offers a guarantee to "beat your last ad by 10%, or get your investment back", and first-time clients are eligible for a free script. Prices are set by goals, styles and volume and are given as a range after a short online quiz.
- Studios
- Melbourne, Sydney, New York
- Brands served
- 920+ (company figure)
- Commercial model
- Credits with rollover; ad-performance guarantee
Strengths
- Performance guarantee on ad creative
- Credit model with rollover suits ongoing output
Limitations
- No fixed public price list
- Guarantee terms depend on a prior ad benchmark
5
Explainer specialist since 2011, working in animation, live action and puppets
Best for: Distinctive creative treatments for brand and explainer videos
Demo Duck started in 2011 with a focus on explainer videos and has since expanded into animation, live action, mixed media and even puppetry, as in its work for Rippling. Its site names clients including GEICO, Dropbox, Google, Netflix, Northwestern Mutual, GoFundMe, Canon, FEMA, UNHCR and Blue Cross Blue Shield. Prices are not published. The studio pitches concepts that vary in scope and budget and asks prospective clients to get in touch. Its range of formats suits organisations that want a distinctive creative treatment rather than a templated animated explainer.
- Operating since
- 2011
- Formats
- Animation, live action, mixed media, puppets
- Pricing
- Quote-based
Strengths
- Wide range of formats, including puppetry
- Well-known client list across corporate, non-profit and government
Limitations
- No published pricing
- Location not stated on its home page
6
B2B animated explainer studio with 14+ years in operation
Best for: B2B technology and life-sciences explainers
Explainify describes itself as a pioneer of animated explainer videos with more than 14 years in operation. Its client logos include Visa, ServiceNow, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Panasonic, Bosch, Autodesk, Costco and Hyundai Mobis, and case studies cover GE and Hotjar. Every project is custom-quoted. Its client list is weighted towards business-to-business technology, industrial and life-sciences companies.
- Years in operation
- 14+ (company statement)
- Pricing
- Custom quote
- Selected clients
- Visa, ServiceNow, Thermo Fisher, Bosch
Strengths
- B2B specialisation
- Enterprise client list
Limitations
- Location and founding year not stated on its home page
- No published price ranges on the home page
7
B
Animated explainer studio with published package tiers from US$1,000
Best for: Small and mid-size businesses needing an affordable animated explainer
Breadnbeyond produces animated explainer videos and publishes its package structure. Pricing starts from US$1,000 and comes with a best-price guarantee, and each package covers one minute of video, with extra charges per additional ten seconds. The three tiers are Advanced, Premium and Ultimate. They differ in the number of concepts (one or three), the creative-director involvement, animator team size, timeline (five or more weeks, or seven or more for Ultimate), resolution (1080p or 4K) and whether source files are included. All tiers include unlimited revisions, script writing, voice-over, graphics, animation, sound effects and music. Its structured data lists 0–50 employees, which makes it a small studio.
- Starting price
- From US$1,000
- Package length
- 1 minute
- Revisions
- Unlimited (all tiers)
- Size
- 0–50 employees
Strengths
- Lowest published starting price in this list
- Unlimited revisions and full audio included
Limitations
- Per-tier prices and the extra-seconds charge are not itemised
- Source files only on higher tiers
8
Los Angeles studio known for launch films for technology companies
Best for: Technology start-up launch films
Sandwich describes itself as a Los Angeles video production company that makes launch and explainer films for technology companies, and lists an address at 923 E 3rd Street. Its site names Slack, Airbnb and Square, and its showcase includes work for Perplexity, Descript, Brex, Autodesk, Instacart, Postman and Rothy's. Work categories are TV spots, explainers, testimonials, brand films and animation. Pricing is not published and enquiries go through a contact form. Its client list is concentrated among software and consumer-technology companies, which commission launch films timed to product releases.
- Location
- Los Angeles, US
- Formats
- TV spots, explainers, testimonials, brand films, animation
- Pricing
- Not published
Strengths
- Long roster of technology-company launch films
- Covers both live action and animation
Limitations
- No published pricing
- Narrow focus on technology companies
9
San Francisco and Montreal studio for SaaS product and launch videos
Best for: SaaS product launches and feature announcements
Thinkmojo has offices in San Francisco and Montreal and produces product explainers, launch videos, event content and campaigns for technology brands. Clients named on its site include Salesforce, Zendesk, Square, MuleSoft, Discord, Cloudera, FICO, Bill.com, DataCamp and Calendly. It also runs StartupVideos.com as a separate initiative. Pricing is not published and visitors are directed to a contact page. Thinkmojo's work centres on motion design for software interfaces, the format SaaS companies typically use for feature announcements and conference keynotes.
- Offices
- San Francisco, Montreal
- Selected clients
- Salesforce, Zendesk, Discord, Calendly
- Pricing
- Not published
Strengths
- Deep SaaS client roster
- Motion design suited to product interfaces
Limitations
- No published pricing
- Founding year not stated
10
Miami animation studio with an online price calculator
Best for: Animated explainers with an instant budget estimate
Yum Yum Videos is headquartered in Miami, Florida, with an office in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It produces 2D explainers, motion-graphics explainers, whiteboard and mixed-media videos for uses such as demos, onboarding, training and commercials. An online calculator returns starting ranges between US$6,000–15,000 and US$25,000–62,000, depending on the options chosen, including the number of videos and whether a script is supplied. Multi-video or long-term projects are quoted separately, and the studio offers a free one-to-one strategy session. The Buenos Aires production office is typical of studios that pair US account management with lower-cost animation teams.
- Headquarters
- Miami, Florida, US
- Production office
- Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Calculator ranges
- US$6,000–62,000
Strengths
- Instant online estimate
- Several animation styles
Limitations
- Calculator does not show which range applies to which style
- Animation only, no live action
Frequently asked questions
How much does a professional business video cost?
Published prices in this list start at US$1,000 for a one-minute animated explainer from Breadnbeyond. Yum Yum Videos' calculator returns ranges between US$6,000 and US$62,000, and Epipheo puts most explainer projects at US$5,000 to more than US$150,000. Live-action costs depend on shoot days, crew, locations and talent, and are usually quoted per project.
How long does it take to make an explainer video?
Studios that publish timelines quote roughly four to seven weeks for a standard animated explainer. Kasra Design gives four to five weeks for a 2D project, Epipheo five to six weeks, and Breadnbeyond five or more weeks, or seven or more for its top package. Scripting, storyboarding and feedback rounds take up most of the schedule.
Is animation or live action better for a business video?
Animation suits abstract or software products, avoids shoot logistics and is easy to update or translate. Live action suits testimonials, physical products, people-centred brand stories and recruitment. Many companies use mixed media, combining filmed footage with animated graphics. Budget, timeline and how often the content must be updated usually decide the choice.
What is included in a video production package?
Packages commonly include a creative concept, scriptwriting, a storyboard, voice-over, music and sound effects, animation or filming, editing and a set number of revisions. Breadnbeyond, for example, includes script, voice-over, graphics, animation, sound effects and music with unlimited revisions in all tiers, but supplies source files only on its higher tiers. Usage rights for talent and music should be confirmed separately.
Which video production company has produced the most videos?
Among the companies in this list, Lemonlight states the highest volume: more than 50,000 videos since it began in 2014, made with a network of more than 2,000 crew members across more than 80 cities. Epipheo reports more than 6,000 videos and Kasra Design more than 2,000. These are the companies' own figures.
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