Video production in North East Victoria

What it costs, who it suits and why hiring a Melbourne crew for a regional shoot usually costs more than it looks. A straight guide for businesses in Wangaratta, Wodonga, Bright, Beechworth and the Alpine Valleys.

We are based in Myrtleford and most of what we film happens within a couple of hours of it. This is a plain guide for businesses in the region who are thinking about video and are not sure where to start.

Who makes video in North East Victoria?

Not many people, and that is the honest state of it. The region has a handful of photographers, a smaller number of video producers, and most larger jobs still get handed to crews from Melbourne or Albury. That is not a criticism of those crews. It is just worth understanding what it costs you.

Why bringing a city crew in costs more than the quote says

Travel and accommodation for a crew of three or four adds up before a camera is switched on. But the bigger cost is time. A crew that does not know the area loses hours finding locations, discovers a track is closed, or plans a shoot around light that does not fall where they assumed.

In the alpine country the light window is short and it moves with the terrain. A valley that glows at 7am is flat by 8. Knowing which side holds the light, and for how long, is not a creative flourish, it is the difference between getting the shot and rescheduling the day.

What does video cost in the region?

Broadly the same as anywhere: roughly $650 for a set of social edits from existing footage, $2,500 to $4,000 for a single brand film, and $5,000 upward for multi day work. The saving with a local team is not usually the day rate, it is that there is no travel line and fewer wasted hours.

What kinds of businesses here actually need it?

Trades and manufacturers, because a capability film wins tenders that a PDF cannot. Tourism and hospitality, because people decide where to go based on what a place looks like. Outdoor and fishing brands, because the environment is the product. Wineries and food producers, because provenance is the whole sell and provenance has to be shown.

We have made work for all of those in this region, from a coded pressure welder in Myrtleford to a micro roastery, an enduro rally, a fence security manufacturer and national fishing brands.

Where we work

Myrtleford, Bright, Wangaratta, Beechworth, Milawa, Mansfield, Albury Wodonga, the King and Ovens Valleys and the Alpine Valleys. Further when the job warrants it, and we will say plainly when travel is worth paying for and when it is not.

If you are a business in the region wondering whether video is worth it, tell us what you are actually trying to fix. We will tell you honestly if a video is the wrong answer.