22 Video Production Company Success Stories
A video production company (VPC) also known as a video production agency or film production company, creates videos for clients to use in their marketing strategies. These videos can be commercials, online ads, product showcases, corporate videos, and employee training videos.
If you are looking to start a video production firm, or looking for ways to grow, these success stories can provide you with inspiration and knowledge to take that next step.
Here are some real life case studies of starting a video production company:
1. Lemonlight ($18M/year)
Hope Horner came up with the idea for Lemonlight when he saw an opportunity to bring transparency to the video production industry. With the average cost for a 30-second commercial at $342,000, Lemonlight offered small and medium-sized businesses access to high-quality, affordable video content through pre-built pricing menus and transparent pricing. Since its launch in 2014, Lemonlight has grown to generate $6M in sales per year, with over 7000 videos produced for more than 3000 brands and notable clients including Amazon and TripAdvisor.
How much they make: $18M/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
Current team size: 75
Lemonlight CEO, Hope Horner, co-founded an on-demand video production company that has produced over 7,000 videos for more than 3,000 brands, generating over $6 million in sales and growing to a 45-person team, all without taking any outside capital and being recognized in Inc 5000 and Entrepreneur 360 for three years in a row.
So... can you actually make money with a video production company?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
2. Arizona Filmworks ($144K/year)
Ken Brantingham came up with the idea for Arizona Filmworks while working on video projects for Sprint PCS. He saw a need for high-quality video production and digital marketing services, and decided to start his own company. By offering a range of marketing services and implementing a subscription model, Brantingham was able to generate revenues of over $12,000 per month.
How much they make: $144K/year
Current team size: 1
Ken Brantingham, founder of Arizona Filmworks, shares how he evolved his video production company into a full-service digital marketing company with a subscription service generating over $12,000 in monthly revenue by targeting small businesses, understanding their needs, and creating tailored marketing plans.
3. Snackable Studios ($480K/year)
Kiran, one of the founders of Snackable, came up with the idea for the business while working on her food blog. She realized that there was a demand for an overhead tripod rig for filming recipe videos and decided to sell it to other food bloggers. With positive validation and pre-sales, Kiran launched an online store and grew it to earn $15K CAD/month within two years.
How much they make: $480K/year
Current team size: 1
How Kiran validated her idea and turned a personal side project into a successful business that offers video creation tools and services, earning $15K CAD/month from the e-commerce store alone, with a future goal of becoming a blogger platform and marketplace.
So... can you actually make money with a video production company?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
4. CFF Media ($120K/year)
CFF Media was founded by a group of friends who had experience in different areas of media. After college, they decided to come together and create a video production company. They started with part-time jobs and worked on building their portfolio by making videos for free. Eventually, they rebranded themselves as CFF Media and focused their efforts on attracting corporate and small business clients. Their dedication and passion for their craft, along with seeking professional help when needed, has contributed to their success in the industry.
How much they make: $120K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1.5K
Current team size: 1
A group of friends started a video production company called CFF Media that now generates $10k per month in revenue, where they primarily make promotional and testimonial videos for other companies in Atlanta.
5. ProductionCrate, LLC ($600K/year)
Chris Kelly, the founder of ProductionCrate, came up with the idea when he started making videos with his roommates in college and realized there was a demand for special effects. He created a website where he could store and share his assets, and it quickly gained traction. After a few weeks, he added sidebar ads and realized that he could turn his passion into a business.
How much they make: $600K/year
How much did it cost to start: $15
Current team size: 4
ProductionCrate, a virtual studio offering royalty-free music, video effects, graphics and sound assets, bootstrapped to $600k/year with over 10 million downloads, and one million users, thanks to loyal customer retention rates of around 80% YoY growth at 120%.
So... can you actually make money with a video production company?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
6. Explainer Videoly Pte. Ltd. ($1.2M/year)
Kasra Design, also known as Explainer Videoly, was founded by Alex Safavinia. With a background in Creative Multimedia, Alex saw the potential in offering animation services to businesses. Starting with email marketing and showcasing their work on social media, the company attracted clients and grew steadily. Today, Kasra Design has completed over 700 projects, generated over half a million dollars in revenue annually, and plans to expand further in the future.
How much they make: $1.2M/year
How much did it cost to start: $7K
Current team size: 15
Kasra Design produces customized animated and live-action explainer videos for corporate clients, enterprises, startups, and nonprofits; it generated around USD70k in the first year and currently generates over half a million dollars with over 700 projects completed and over 400 clients from around the world.
7. D-MAK Productions ($360K/year)
Joe Forte, one of the owners of D-MAK Productions, came up with the idea for their video production company in 2011. He joined forces with his best friend Danny McManus, who had a passion for video creation, and together they reached out to large video production companies in their area. Recognizing the opportunity to offer high-quality production services to corporate clients, they focused on exceptional customer service, built a professional website, and utilized their network to provide mentorship and guidance as they grew their business.
How much they make: $360K/year
How much did it cost to start: $10K
Current team size: 2
A co-owner of D-MAK Productions shares how they generated $350k a year in sales, with clients such as Intel, Amazon, and Apple, while focusing on exceptional customer service, strategic purchases, and building a network of potential mentors and clients in the Phoenix video production area.
11. VJUS ($360K/year)
- VJUS is a film and video production company put together by a number of filmmakers with different backgrounds. This is how we create effective, innovative, and solid videos for the web.
- My name is Morten Rustad, one of the world's leading timelapse photographers, and has several times made films with great success at home and abroad. I have worked with everything from National Geographic to Samsung, Panasonic, Intel, and many more.
- VJUS has two YouTube channels with over 400,000 followers. Here we publish videos and content where we inspire others to make films. VJUS has also published behind-the-scenes films for its customers. In this way, your company has the opportunity to reach thousands of new potential customers.
Morten Rustad is the founder and CEO of VJUS, a film production company that was created when a group of passionate filmmakers from various backgrounds came together. The company produces compelling, original, and reliable web videos.
This film company from Oslo, Norway, provides photo and video production services and studio and equipment rentals.
They help small and large businesses produce films for various projects, primarily for the web.
The VJUS team has earned several film awards for their talent in directing, cinematography, editing, and creative teamwork.
Watch the full video on youtube.com ➜
9. Filmbaker ($600K/year)
Tarun Lachhwani, along with his co-founders Rakesh R, Gaurav Singh, and Soman Surya Yadav, developed their passion for storytelling while making short films in college. Inspired by their success and their desire to help brands tell their stories, they launched Filmbaker in 2017 with just 4-5 lakhs (INR) in initial funding. Since then, they have grown to serve over 250 clients, including Google and Kingfisher, and are projected to reach 5Cr in revenue this year.
How much they make: $600K/year
Current team size: 35
Indian video production company Filmbaker has a clientele of over 250 brands and has grown from an initial funding of 4-5 lakhs INR to clock over 3Cr in FY 20-21, en route to cross 5Cr this year, by providing storytelling services and delivering consistent, high-quality work.
10. Goodo Studios ($300K/year)
Matthew Gattozzi, founder of Goodo Studios, came up with the idea for his content creation studio after his dance career was cut short by a back injury. With just a cheap camera and a laptop, he started emailing businesses in Austin and eventually landed his first client. Now, he focuses on providing exceptional service to clients and has built a strong reputation through referrals, networking on Twitter, and writing a weekly newsletter. Goodo Studios is now expanding its team and aims to tighten its systems to offer even better service in the future.
How much they make: $300K/year
How much did it cost to start: $4K
Current team size: 2
Goodo Studios, a content creation studio that creates photos and videos for direct-to-consumer brands, started small with a cheap camera, a laptop, and Adobe Creative Cloud, sending hundreds of emails to businesses before landing their first client, Briggo, and is now doing approximately $25k per month and is scaling up by building a team and tightening their systems.
11. Wyzowl ($2.5M/year)
How much they make: $2.5M/year
Current team size: 19
Explore how Wyzowl's animated explainer videos with fixed costs, fixed turn-around times, and unlimited revisions have taken the company to new heights, collaborating with large organizations like Deloitte, LG, and Standard Chartered.
12. Altered State Productions ($960K/year)
As a passionate media enthusiast, Eddie Castillo came up with the idea for Altered State Productions based on his childhood fascination with commercials and trailers. After recognizing the time and resource-consuming process of finding marketing service providers, Eddie and his business partner developed a Service-as-a-Product model that offers transparent pricing and a user-friendly experience. Their dedication to providing high-quality video production services has led to collaborations with prominent clients and the success of their agency.
How much they make: $960K/year
How much did it cost to start: $25K
Current team size: 13
Altered State Productions offers a one-stop-shop for digital marketing and video production services, servicing B2B and B2C clients nationwide with a 100% retention rate and 80% of business from returning customers.
13. FranchiseFilming ($1.2M/year)
Trevor Rappleye started his video production company, Franchise Filming, after attending the International Franchise Association's Annual Convention and noticing the lack of quality video content in the franchising industry. He created a VIP Subscription Service that offers franchisors a hassle-free way of getting professional videos, resulting in a remarkable 3,200% growth rate for his business.
How much they make: $1.2M/year
How much did it cost to start: $300
Current team size: 5
Franchise Filming founder, Trevor Rappleye, shares how he scaled his full-service video production company to 3,200% growth in the franchising industry by offering a VIP Subscription Service with no travel fees, no scripts, and videos edited and delivered in 10 days or less without hidden costs.
14. NOVA A.I. Limited ($240K/year)
Michael Moss, co-founder of NOVA A.I, had a passion for creating and building solutions from a young age. After conducting countless interviews and realizing the pain points in video editing, Moss and his team pivoted their initial idea to create an online video editing platform that offers both basic and advanced tools accessible to everyone. With a user base of over 100,000 and an impressive growth rate of 50% per month, NOVA A.I is revolutionizing the video editing industry.
How much they make: $240K/year
How much did it cost to start: $100K
Current team size: 15
NOVA A.I. co-founder Michael Moss shares how the video editing platform has achieved a user base of over 100K and grown on average by about 50% every month on their main metrics, all while keeping customer communication key and focusing on SEO.
15. Mbrella Films ($3M/year)
Joshua Dixon, the founder of Mbrella Films, got his start in the film industry after shooting a music video for his rock band. His lightbulb moment came when he noticed the abundance of digital ads in Bangkok and realized there was a need for a production house in the area. Since then, Mbrella Films has grown from a team of 5-6 people to over 40 employees and has been doubling its revenue every year.
How much they make: $3M/year
How much did it cost to start: $100K
Current team size: 47
Mbrella Films founder, Joshua Dixon, shares how he started and scaled his international production house, which has doubled its revenue annually since its inception and now employs over 40 people, while also expanding into a post-production house and adding a remote production service during the pandemic.
16. WongFu Productions ($922K/year)
How much they make: $922K/year
Current team size: 8
Wong Fu Productions gained almost 3 million subscribers on YouTube and over 450 million views, becoming an Asian-American representation leader by building a loyal following, having a consistent brand, leveraging social media, collaborating with other creators, diversifying content offerings, and building a community.
17. Iconic Productions ($600K/year)
How much they make: $600K/year
Current team size: 3
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- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
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- 8,628 business ideas
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- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
