By David Matthews, VP of production
One constant spanning the entirety of my 15-year career is how to break production value into dollars and cents. An argument can be made that almost any concept could be filmed for almost any dollar figure. (Well, maybe not any dollar figure.) Unfortunately, there can be a massive disparity between what a project can be shot for and what it should be shot for.
Perception in Commercial Production Value
In our market, margins are typically tight. As a producer/cinematographer on the production side of Mad Genius, beyond ensuring that our execution remains true to the concept, I also want to do my best to put as much production value on screen as the budget allows. Most folks can’t tell you why one spot feels more professional than another—they can just “feel it.” Production value plays a big part in this.
To synchronize possibility with practicality, several questions need to be answered: How much money would it take to shoot something in the best possible way it can be shot? And how much do we actually have? How can we justify the difference between those two numbers?
Simple: It’s about going from good work to great work.
Perception Comes With Experience
When it comes to on-screen production value, every client starts at a different level of familiarity—and that’s perfectly fine. Our goal is to bridge any gaps by helping clients see how good production can become great with the right attention to detail. Think of it like this: a skilled mechanic used their expertise to transform an issue you might not fully understand into a smooth-running solution. It’s not just about the price tag, it’s about delivering quality that earns word-of-mouth referrals. 83 percent of people say they “sometimes or always consult someone they know to double-check mechanics recommendations.” That type of trust isn’t born from cheap fixes—it’s built on reliable, high-quality work.
Ripping off Google’s AI Overview response: “production value is the overall quality of a production, as determined by its technical elements, such as set design, lighting, wardrobe, etc. It’s a measure of how professional and high-quality a production is, and is often linked to the budget.” That investment in production value can make all the difference between good and great. It’s what elevates a project into something truly professional and memorable.
The Cost Variables in Commercial Production Value
To keep things simple, let’s just focus on the three aspects listed above. While there are many other important variables (camera dept, hair and makeup, stunts, special FX, etc.), these are just some of the easiest to discuss.
- Set design: whether a custom-built set or an existing location, the background, all physical elements, and props make up set design.
- Lighting: the way in which the set or talent is lit constitutes lighting.
- Wardrobe: the clothes and clothing-related props are all a part of wardrobe.
We can set some basic assumptions for our shooting. Now, let’s assume we’re looking to film a single thirty-second image spot that revolves around a hospital and the community it serves. Let’s also assume we’re just looking to see moving imagery of people and physicians inside and outside the hospital to be accompanied by a poignant voice-over and heartfelt music.
In theory, this could be done by a single person, with a single camera, within a single day. This would likely result in very little production value, but wouldn’t cost very much at all.
It could also be done with a massive crew, with custom-built sets over the course of a week or more. One would hope this approach would have large production value, but it would also come with a massive price tag. And yes, there certainly are clients out there with money to burn who wouldn’t balk at dropping considerable sums of cash on this approach. Most of Mad Genius’s clients are looking for something in the middle. Believe it or not, that still allows for a lot of cost fluctuation.
Set Design’s Impact on Commercial Production Value
We’ll assume that we’re going to have multiple locations. While some locations outside the hospital may be free of charge, it isn’t wise to assume that will be the case. We need to figure out which locations are needed and assign a dollar figure to them. That dollar figure will depend on several factors. If this is a business, will we have to shut them down for the day? If so, how much will that cost? Can this be done after hours? If so, will we need to pay someone at that business to stay on the clock? Is this a private residence? Do we have to pay the owners a fee? Will they require a hotel? How much dressing does the location require? Are we painting walls or just replacing a few decorations?
The answers to the above questions have a massive impact on the overall production value. What is going to look better on camera? What space is going to allow for better lighting? What space is going to allow for better composition? Better depth? Et cetera.
Our recent work with the Mississippi Lottery showcases how set design can impact production value. For the opening scene, we built a custom-set from scratch, giving us the freedom to get the right look and tone.
Lighting’s Impact on Commercial Production Value
Lighting is one of my favorite things to play with.
Occasionally, you only need a little light to accomplish a great deal. Other times, you require a lot to accomplish a lot. Either way, on any high production value spot, the lighting is carefully considered and crafted.
Lighting is seldom walking into a space and flipping the light switch. Nor is it simply accepting what is already there. Carefully crafted setups can often take time, talent, and resources—but you can feel it as the viewer. Larger lighting setups come at the cost of more units, the cost of more crew to run/rig those units, and the cost of time in which it takes to set those units. All of this is a sliding scale.
A good example of how lighting was used both for practical purposes and to enhance production value can be found in a recent tourism spot we filmed for Vicksburg.
At about eight seconds in, there is an angle of a performer on stage at a venue—the reverse angle shows our hero couple dancing (ahem… attempting to dance) among the crowd. The shot featuring the performer is 100 percent authentic and was taken from an actual performance on an evening about a month before filming this commercial. In the reverse angle, all subjects are paid talent or extras and everything is completely staged. We carefully crafted the lighting to closely mimic what was happening during the live performance, while also ensuring we captured our subjects and venue in a flattering manner. It would have been impractical to film our paid talent at an actual event. Likewise, it would have been cost prohibitive and time-consuming to cast a full band and stage a performance.
Wardrobe’s Impact on Commercial Production Value
Wardrobe is deceptive. It is one of the easiest things to overlook, and that can put a considerable dent in the production value. Everyone has clothes, but that doesn’t mean they’ll fit the style or color palette of the spot. To ensure that each person is wearing what they need to be wearing and that all the colors and styles fit with the overall aesthetic, someone needs to be responsible for managing all of this. That someone comes at a cost, as do all the clothes they will have to purchase or rent.
You could rely on talent to bring what they think the spot needs… Even then, check on what they have and keep your plan B close. It’s doubtful all talent will have everything the spot requires in their closet.
For Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance’s “So Much More” campaign, going to the closet wasn’t really an option. It was a spot where the concept spanned decades, which called for a very period-specific clothing. A Nike hoodie and Crocs with socks wouldn’t work for a wedding scene taking place in the 1960s. This project is a prime example of how getting the right look elevates a project.
We work with our clients to uncover opportunities they might not initially see, guiding projects from good to truly exceptional. That process relies on a partnership built on transparency and responsibility—balancing costs thoughtfully while maintaining a high standard of quality in every deliverable. Great production value, like trust, takes time to build but can be easily compromised without care. That’s why every decision we make is grounded in ensuring the final result exceeds expectations and reflects the best of what we can achieve together.