Quick overview
How much does a Kickstarter video cost in 2025
Most campaigns we see fall into three bands. Simple but solid product videos with founder on camera and minimal staging often land between 2,000 and 5,000 dollars. More involved shoots with multiple scenes, locations, or actors usually sit between 5,000 and 12,000 dollars. Complex productions with heavy 3D, travel, and set design can go higher, but those are the exception, not the rule. The right number for you depends on your goal, margins, product complexity, and how much existing media you already have.
How much should you spend on video compared to your full Kickstarter marketing budget
As a rough rule, most product creators are safe if video and photography together stay in the 15 to 30 percent range of the total marketing budget. If you have 20,000 dollars to spend on marketing and traffic, it makes little sense to put 15,000 into video alone. On the other hand, trying to launch a six figure goal with a 300 dollar home made clip is usually a false economy. The video should support the funnel, not consume it.
What drives the cost of a Kickstarter video
The cost of a Kickstarter video is rarely about one single line item. It is a set of decisions that add up: where you shoot, who is on set, how much needs to be scripted and storyboarded, what gear is used, and how many revision cycles are required before launch.
Key cost drivers you need to understand
- Concept and script complexity – A clear founder led script that explains the problem, product, and proof is faster to produce than a story with actors, multiple locations, and elaborate transitions.
- Length and format – A tight 60 to 120 second main video with short cut downs for ads is usually more efficient than a five minute film that tries to do everything.
- Number of locations – Each extra location means more time for travel, setup, permits, and coordination.
- Cast and presenters – Using the founder and a small group of real users is usually cheaper than hiring professional actors, voice talent, and extras.
- Type of visuals – Simple product b roll and lifestyle shots are cheaper than heavy CGI or complex motion graphics.
- Revision cycles – Endless script and edit changes can double the real cost of a "cheap" video.
When we plan a shoot at BoostYourCampaign, we start by stripping the idea down to the minimum set of shots needed to sell the offer. Everything that does not help a backer understand, trust, or feel the value of the product goes into the "nice to have" column, not the first draft budget.
Typical Kickstarter video budget levels in 2025
Starter tier – 2,000 to 5,000 dollars
This tier works for simple physical products, compact stories, and founders who are comfortable on camera. You already have a clear prototype and can film in one or two locations without heavy logistics.
What is usually included:
- Pre production planning call and simple script outline
- Half day to one full day shoot in a single city
- Basic lighting and audio setup
- Product close ups and simple lifestyle scenes
- Core edit with basic graphics and captions
- One short cut down for ads
This level is common for lower to mid five figure goals, or for relaunches that already have some existing footage and proof.
Growth tier – 5,000 to 12,000 dollars
This range fits campaigns that need more scenes, more angles, and more polish. Many serious hardware, design, and board game projects sit in this band.
What is usually included:
- Pre production workshop with script, storyboard, and shot list
- One to two full shooting days, sometimes with two small crews
- Multiple locations or sets
- On screen graphics to explain features, specs, or game flow
- Voice over recording or guided founder script coaching
- Several cut downs for ads and social media
- Space in the budget for a few rounds of edits and refinements
If you are aiming for six figures or more in funding and your margins are healthy, this level often makes sense. You get flexibility to tell the story properly while still keeping costs under control.
High complexity tier – 12,000 dollars and beyond
At this level, the project usually requires one or more of the following: 3D animation, complex motion graphics, extensive travel, larger cast, or heavy set design. This is sometimes necessary for technical products where internal workings must be visualised, or for campaigns that need a very strong visual identity for later brand use.
Most creators do not need this tier for a first campaign. If your margins are tight or your team has never launched before, it is often better to keep the video scope lean and reserve budget for traffic and testing.
How to decide your Kickstarter video budget
Match video spend to your funding goal and margins
Before locking any quote, work backwards from your goal and your product margins. A product with a strong margin and a realistic goal can support a higher creative budget than a product with thin margins or a goal that already stretches reality.
Simple way to think about it:
- If your funding goal is under 50,000 dollars, think hard before going past 7,000 dollars on video and photography combined.
- Between 50,000 and 150,000 dollars, video budgets between 5,000 and 12,000 dollars can make sense if the rest of the funnel is planned.
- Above 150,000 dollars, treat video as part of a full creative system that also feeds ads, email, and post campaign marketing.
Balance video against ads and other marketing costs
A good launch plan needs both strong creative and traffic. If all the money goes into the shoot and nothing is left for ad testing, even the best video will sit in the dark.
As a rough rule of thumb that we use internally, we like to see at least twice as much budget for traffic and pre launch validation as for video. So if a creator wants to spend 8,000 dollars on the main video and photography, we want to see at least 16,000 dollars reserved for pre launch ads, list building, and live campaign scaling.
Use your video beyond Kickstarter to increase ROI
The more places you can use the footage, the more reasonable a higher budget becomes. A well planned shoot should give you:
- The main Kickstarter video
- Several short cut downs for Meta, TikTok, and YouTube ads
- Clips for your website and post campaign ecommerce store
- Assets for email, social posts, and retailer pitches
When we plan shoots at BoostYourCampaign, we explicitly list the deliverables for launch and for the next twelve months, so that every shot earns its place in the schedule.
How BoostYourCampaign thinks about Kickstarter video budgeting
Our principle: validate the offer, then scale the story
We rarely begin with a giant video budget on day one. Instead, we first validate that people actually want the product through pre-launch ads, landing pages, and email signups. Once we see cost per lead and reservation data that makes sense, we lock in the final video concept and spend.
This lets us:
- Avoid over investing in products that are not ready
- Shape the script around what the data says people care about
- Produce cut downs that match proven hooks from the ad testing phase
In house video studios in the US and Europe
Because BoostYourCampaign runs its own video studios in the US and Europe, we are able to keep production and marketing aligned. The same team that later runs your ads is involved in scripting and planning the shoot. This reduces waste, shortens feedback loops, and keeps the creative grounded in real performance data.
Depending on your location and category, we will suggest either our European studio, our US studio, or a hybrid plan that reuses existing assets and tops them up with targeted shooting days.
Skin in the game where it makes sense
For some projects, we are willing to put our own money into ads in return for a performance based kickback on sales at the end of the campaign. In those cases, we are even more strict about how video budgets are set, because we are sharing risk on the traffic side. This usually means a lean, conversion focused concept rather than an expensive "brand film" that does not help with backer acquisition.
Checklist before you sign a Kickstarter video quote
Questions to ask yourself
- Does this budget still leave enough room for pre-launch ads, list building, and live campaign scaling
- Have we already tested our main hooks and angles with basic creative
- Do we have a clear script outline that matches what is actually converting in tests
- Are we paying for scenes or effects that look nice but do not help conversion
- Do we know exactly what deliverables we will receive from this shoot
Questions to ask any video provider
- What is included and what is not included in this quote
- How many shooting days and locations are planned
- How many rounds of edits are included
- Which formats and aspect ratios will we receive for ads and social media
- Who owns the raw footage and final files
If a provider cannot answer these questions clearly, pause before you sign. For serious campaigns, it is often better to work with a team that understands both video and Kickstarter marketing, so the creative and performance sides stay in sync.