Three tiers in 2026. Editor-cut from existing footage: $2K–$10K. Shot-from-scratch: $15K–$75K+ — the camera days are the multiplier. AI concept reels: a fraction of shot-footage prices, delivered in days, because the footage is generated from approved materials instead of produced. The right tier depends on what the reel must prove and to whom.
Pricing conversations about sizzle reels go sideways because "sizzle reel" describes three different products that happen to share a runtime. The two-minute reel cut from your existing dailies and the two-minute reel that required a three-day shoot are different purchases by an order of magnitude. Here's the honest breakdown.
Tier 1: The editor's cut — $2,000–$10,000
Footage exists: a shot pilot, dailies, past work, licensed material. You're paying for editorial craft — story sense, pace, music supervision, finishing. A strong freelance editor runs $500–$1,200/day; a polished sizzle takes four to ten days including revisions. Add music licensing ($100–$2,000 depending on the track and the rooms it will play) and light graphics. What moves the number: footage volume to be screened, revision rounds, and rush timelines.
Tier 2: The shot sizzle — $15,000–$75,000+
No usable footage, so a mini-production happens: a day or three of crew, cast, locations, gear, then the same editorial stack on top. Crew days are the multiplier — even a lean union-adjacent day lands $8K–$20K with equipment and insurance. This tier makes sense when the project's appeal is a specific real person or place — a host-driven format, a documentary subject — and nothing else can substitute for them on camera.
Tier 3: The AI concept reel — days, not shoots
The new tier, and for fiction development it's eating the middle of the market. The footage is generated from your approved materials — script, look-book, character and location references — then cut, scored, and graded like any reel. No crew days, no travel, no stock compromise; pricing scales with scope (runtime, number of worlds and characters, revision depth) rather than with logistics, which is why it undercuts shot footage by multiples while looking like a production. Scope-dependent quotes are the honest answer here — fixed scope, fast turnaround, you own the files is the model we run.
Where the money actually goes (any tier)
| Line | What it buys | Skimp risk |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial | Story shape, pace, the cut that sells | The reel rambles — fatal |
| Footage | Shot, generated, or licensed imagery | Tone mismatch, stock déjà vu |
| Music | The emotional engine | Temp-love you can't license |
| Finish | Grade, mix, titles | Reads as rough, not raw |
| Rights | Clearances on everything above | The question that kills deals |
Picking your tier
Footage exists and is good? Tier 1. The pitch depends on real people on camera? Tier 2. Fiction in development, world and tone are the sell, and the meeting is soon? Tier 3 — it exists precisely for the moment when belief is needed before budget. Pair the reel with the rest of the stack from our series pitch playbook, and compare against trailer pricing if your piece faces audiences instead of rooms.
Scope it in one email.
Tell us the project and the deadline — we'll quote the smallest engagement that proves it, fixed scope, no shoot required.
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