The 10 Best Video Production Companies in the U.S. in 2024

Nearly 90% of marketers in a Wyzowl survey said that video is an important part of their marketing strategy. If you plan to scale your investment in video, it might be worth partnering with a video production business. 

A video production service can provide the right team of experts and the technical know-how for high-quality film production — allowing you to execute your film marketing strategy effectively. To help you decide quickly, we’ve compiled a list of top video companies in the U.S., including their specialization and rates. 

Not interested in hiring a video agency? That’s fine, too. We’ll also show you how to scale video production in-house using PlayPlay. 

What does a video production company do? 

Video production companies offer a wide range of services, including: 

1. Concept development 

A video production service can help your team develop ideas into full-fledged concepts for your video marketing campaigns. 

First, it will validate your team’s ideas to make sure they align with your goals and objectives and set the overall creative direction — from the colors and moods to the style and aesthetics. 

When these are done, the video production company will create storyboards to clearly visualize how the video will unfold, scene by scene. These storyboards will also show the angles, camera movements, and key moments, giving you a clear idea of how the video will turn out so nothing goes out of scope. 

2. Video shoots  

A video production business ensures everything is in place to capture high-quality footage while maintaining the creative vision, coordinating with talent and crew, and solving any challenges that arise during the film shoot.

It handles all of the logistical requirements for your team’s film shoot, including location scouting, providing equipment like cameras and microphones, and hiring cast and crew. It also directs, films, and reviews film scenes to ensure the best performance and output. 

Say you’re producing an animation or motion graphics video that doesn’t require live filming. In that case, the video production company might hire animators and voice-over artists for the production or use video AI software to create and edit it. 

3. Post-production and editing 

Capturing live footage is only one piece of the puzzle. To produce high-quality video campaigns, the agency must review and polish what has been filmed to ensure it tells the right story and aligns with your goals. That's what editing and post-production entail. 

First, the agency will review all the takes and scenes and assemble the best ones into a rough cut, which is the first version of the film. Then, it will proceed with technical adjustments, including audio editing, special effects and transitions, color grading, and adding subtitles and closed captions to improve the overall video quality and viewer experience. 

The Top 10 U.S Video Production Companies You Should Know

Looking to hire a video production service to produce high-quality videos for your branding and marketing efforts? Here are ten U.S. video companies worth checking out. 

1. 5:00 Films and Media 

Specialization: Video production for mission-driven brands

Rate: $100-$149 per hour

Founded in 2004, 5:00 Films and Media is an award-winning full-service creative agency specializing in video production services. It primarily works with mission-driven brands like nonprofits and associations that drive positive change. 

5:00 Films and Media offers a wide range of services, including virtual and remote videos, film strategy, and webcasts. It has an impressive client list filled with big names like the MacArthur Foundation, IBM, and the World Bank Group. 

2. Slow Clap Productions 

Specialization: Authentic brand storytelling 

Rate: $50-$99 per hour 

Slow Clap Productions is a brand storytelling video production company based in the San Francisco Bay Area. It prides itself on its ability to tell genuine stories that connect with the audience and help its clients’ values to shine. 

Slow Clap Productions primarily works with big tech companies like Adobe, GitHub, and Slack. Its services range from branded content and commercials to social media videos and documentaries. 

3. Zero One Digital Media 

Specialization: Quick and cost-effective video production

Rates: $150-$199 per hour

Founded in 2012, Zero One Digital Media is a San Francisco-based video production agency. It specializes in all video services, including corporate event videos, customer stories, and aerial drone cinematography. 

Zero One Digital Media stands out from other film production company services due to its nimble and cost-effective approach. It's a top choice for businesses looking to launch campaigns quickly without getting held back by cumbersome processes or workflows. 

Client-wise, the agency has partnered with top tech companies like Upwork, Google, and Coinbase. 

4. High Arc Media 

Specialization: Corporate and commercial videos

Rates: From $150 per hour 

High Arc Media provides video production and social media marketing services for businesses. This makes it a decent option for companies looking to launch video campaigns on social media to drive brand awareness, lead generation, and conversions. 

It offers numerous film marketing services, including commercials, training videos, documentaries, and corporate event videos. High Arc Media has worked with several businesses, including Burger King and Sony, for large-scale video campaigns.

5. Colormatics 

Specialization: Video commercials 

Rates: $150-$199 per hour 

Colormatics is a full-service visual agency that provides visual marketing services, such as creative ideation and end-to-end video production, for businesses. It has helped companies like Fiverr and Macallan produce engaging and high-converting video campaigns. 

Its expertise extends to other film types, such as ads and TV commercials, testimonials, and live-action videos. What customers love the most about Colormatics is its proactive communication and ability to meet tight deadlines without sacrificing work quality. 

6. Brandefy 

Specialization: TV and web video campaigns 

Rates: $100-$149 per hour 

Since 2011, Brandefy has helped businesses of all sizes tell their stories with video. The Los Angeles-based video production and marketing agency has earned a reputation for its high-quality delivery, quick turnaround time, and responsiveness. 

Brandefy specializes in promos, commercials, social media videos, and branded content. The agency has an impressive client list that includes companies like Health.com, Wearality, and Colton Club.

7. Kyro

Specialization: Creative marketing videos for SaaS and digital product businesses

Rates: $50-$99 per hour

Kyro is an award-winning video marketing business for SaaS and digital product businesses. Based in California, it offers numerous video services to drive lead generation, engagement, and conversions across the marketing funnel. 

Kyro has collaborated with big names like Amazon, Pelican, and Nike to produce high-quality video campaigns. Kyro’s ability to push creative boundaries while maintaining brand consistency stands out the most for its clients. 

8. Grand Union Creative

Specialization: Brand storytelling

Rates: $150-$199 per hour

Grand Union Creative is a Chicago-based agency offering end-to-end video production services. It handles video strategy, concept development, and actual production, freeing up time while guaranteeing quality for its clients. 

Grand Union Creative primarily works with agencies, small businesses, and in-house creative teams looking for an external video partner to add value. It has partnered with brands like Amazon Fresh and Chicago Public Library. 

9. Think Branded Media 

Specialization: Branded video content

Rates: $100-$149 per hour 

Think Branded Media is a visual storytelling agency based in Dallas. It specializes in event coverage, social media video production, corporate videos, and branded content. The agency has worked with top brands like Hennessy, U-Pack, and Patagonia. 

What clients love the most about Think Branded Media is its high-quality content delivery and professionalism. 

10. Drop Media 

Specialization: Commercial videos 

Rates: From $1,000 per project

Based in Denver, Colorado, Drop Media is a branded video production agency for small businesses and corporate enterprises. It offers end-to-end video production services, including drone videography, video editing, and cinematography. 

The agency has worked with big names like Toyota, All Points North, and SRAM. It has earned a positive reputation for being easy to work with and delivering high-quality videos on time. 

How much does a video production company cost? 

As you can see from the prices highlighted in the previous section, video production costs vary widely. Data from Clutch shows that most video production agencies in the U.S. charge between $100 and $149 per hour, with larger agencies charging $200,000 or more per project.

The exact pricing depends on several factors like: 

• The type of video: The more complex the video is, the higher you’re likely to pay for it. For example, simple social media videos shot with a single camera will typically cost less than a full production for a TV commercial. 
• Turnaround time: Video agencies will charge more for rush jobs that need to be completed in a shorter timeline. 
• Agency setup and structure: Agencies with more significant overhead costs, like employees and in-house video equipment, will charge more than freelance video producers working solo.  

Hiring a video agency might be a good choice for one-off, specialized video production. However, the costs quickly rack up when you need to produce multiple videos consistently. 

Beyond the costs, you'll also spend a lot of time coordinating communication, reviewing video outputs from the agency, and providing feedback — which is hard to keep up with on top of your other tasks. You can spend weeks on a single video. 

That's why many organizations prefer to take video production in-house. 

How to take video production in-house

There are three major ways to facilitate in-house video production: 

1. Hire a video producer 

You can hire a team to handle all your video production needs — from scripting to the actual filming and post-production. 

However, this adds to your overhead costs as you’ll need to pay this person(s) as employee(s) and provide the required benefits, including health insurance.

That’s why you should only go this route if you have a high demand for high-quality videos that justify the added costs. 

2. DIY video production

Do-it-yourself (DIY) video production means using available equipment and software to produce your branded and social videos yourself instead of outsourcing them to a professional. 

You don’t need super fancy equipment. A decent smartphone, microphone, and basic lighting can get you far. Even a tripod or a selfie stick can help stabilize your shots. You can edit your videos using software like Lightroom and iMovie, add transitions and visual effects, and publish them. 

3. Use professional video software 

Professional video software like PlayPlay can help you create high-quality videos in minutes. 

Playplay provides video templates, branding customization options, and quick editing tools for creating highly engaging videos quickly and easily. It also has a generative AI tool that produces videos from prompts, speeding up your creative process. 

In the next section, we’ll walk you through the step-by-step process for creating videos with PlayPlay. 

How to create professional videos with PlayPlay

As a PlayPlay user, you can create videos from scratch, speed things up using templates, or skip the scrappy process altogether with AI-generated videos. 

Here, we’ll show you how to create a professional video from scratch using PlayPlay’s video software. 

Step 1: Sign up for a PlayPlay account. Our software is free for seven days. 

Step 3: Add a screen to start creating your video. You can choose any of the pre-made screens to get started. 

Step 5: Check your video screens to make sure everything is correctly in place. 

Step 7: Once the HD generation is done, you can download your video and share it with colleagues or upload it to your communication channels. 

Create professional videos with PlayPlay.

PlayPlay is the easiest way to scale professional video production without investing too much cost or time. It’s perfect for teams that produce a high volume of branded videos and do not want to outsource to agencies due to the cost and admin overhead.  

Our AI-powered video editor is easy to use and requires no technical editing skills or knowledge. We also provide customizable templates to help you get started quickly, plus an AI video generator that lets you create video drafts from text-based prompts. 

Want to see how our professional video editor works for yourself? Try PlayPlay for free for seven days. 

Step 6: Click on the Generate HD video button to get a high-definition version of your video.

Step 7: Once the HD generation is done, you can download your video and share it with colleagues or upload it to your communication channels. 

Examples of videos created with PlayPlay

Here are some examples of professional brand videos created using PlayPlay. 

1. TotalEnergies 

TotalEnergies used PlayPlay to create an employer branding video promoting its startup accelerator program. The video is simple but effective, explaining the program's benefits and how to participate. By using images and footage related to the company's industry, it stays on point with its brand. 

2. ClearWater Analytics 

This is an event promotion video announcing the dates and location for the ClearWater Connect conference. It’s short and straight to the point, sharing vital details to inform the audience while sparking their interest. It also includes subtitles to improve accessibility. 

This video stands out because it uses visual aesthetics and sound to drum up excitement and drive the audience to register for the event. 

3. CarStar

CarStar created a simple video to announce the start of a new football season. The video shows highlights from the past season as well as fan footage to create an air of familiarity and excitement. It also uses brand colors and logos to align with CarStar’s visual identity. 

Create professional videos with PlayPlay.

PlayPlay is the easiest way to scale professional video production without investing too much cost or time. It’s perfect for teams that produce a high volume of branded videos and do not want to outsource to agencies due to the cost and admin overhead.  

Our AI-powered video editor is easy to use and requires no technical editing skills or knowledge. We also provide customizable templates to help you get started quickly, plus an AI video generator that lets you create video drafts from text-based prompts. 

Want to see how our professional video editor works for yourself? Try PlayPlay for free for seven days.