Guide · Cost
How much does an AI commercial cost? An honest look.
My AI commercials start at €5,000 net and technical and explainer films for B2B at €7,000 net, both plus VAT and for businesses only.
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What you pay for: Compared with a live-action shoot, set, cast, location, gear and travel disappear. It is still not free: the price is driven by the working hours of people who know what they are doing, not tool subscriptions.
Prices and packages
| Package | Length | Formats | Included | Price (net) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI commercial | 20–30 seconds | 16:9 plus vertical 9:16 | Concept and script, style frames for your approval, AI production, edit, sound and music | from€5,000 |
| Technical and explainer film (B2B) | 60–120 seconds | 16:9, more formats on request | Script, style frames for your approval, AI production, voice-over in German or English, edit, sound and music; logos from your original files, product views from CAD data or photos on request | from€7,000 |
| Short clip / bumper | up to 15 seconds | per channel, e.g. 9:16 or 1:1 | only as an add-on to a spot or film | from€2,500 |
| Agencies / white label | per project | per project | Pitch films, animatics and AI shots for agencies and production companies | Terms on request |
Spot-length technical teasers like the ones for ACS Motion Control are priced like a technical and explainer film, from €7,000 net.
How a client project runs
Most of the time goes into coordination and approvals, not into generating.
Briefing and concept
We clarify goal, audience and channel, then concept and script go to you for approval.
Style frames
The look as a series of stills. You approve them before production starts.
AI production
Animation based on the approved style frames.
Edit, sound and delivery
Edit, sound, music, grade and formats, then delivery once you sign off.
Your approval
A fixed price, not an estimate: After a short call you get a written quote with scope, schedule and a fixed price.
Why “AI is basically free” is a myth
Generation costs really are small: for Kalshi’s viral NBA Finals spot made with Google Veo 3 (2025), pure prompting costs stayed under $2,000.
But it took roughly 300 to 400 generations to get 15 usable clips. A rejection rate above 95 percent is the norm. Source: NPR
My Manner spec spot was made without a client, coordination or brand guidelines, so it is not a benchmark for pricing.
A client project adds coordination, brand guidelines and your approvals, see the process above.
AI commercial vs. live-action shoot compared
Is an AI commercial worth it compared with a classic live-action shoot? The cost items side by side:
| Cost factor | AI commercial | Live-action shoot |
|---|---|---|
| Set, location, construction | not needed, it is generated | rent, build, permits |
| Cast and crew | largely not needed | fees, team, catering |
| Gear and travel | not needed | camera, lighting, travel, accommodation |
| Impossible scenes (space, time travel, stunts) | affordable | very expensive to impossible |
| Late changes | regenerate instead of reshoot, but every change means new generations (factor 06) | a reshoot means new shooting costs |
| Real people and emotion | consistency is still the bottleneck | clearly ahead |
The verdict: For many companies the strongest approach is hybrid: a real shoot for the human moments, AI for everything that would be impossible or unaffordable in reality.
When a project needs a live-action shoot, my team at Filmspektakel takes it on.
The seven cost factors
Factor 01 · Concept and script
A spot with a real story needs a script, storyboard and references before the first frame is generated. This is where it is decided whether you get advertising or random AI imagery.
Factor 02 · Length and number of scenes
Scenes cost money, not seconds. Ten scenes in 20 seconds are more work than one continuous shot over 60 seconds, because every scene means its own generations and its own rejects.
Factor 03 · Consistency requirements
The biggest price driver. Whether a recurring character, a product exactly as on the shelf or fixed brand colours: consistency comes from reference images, start and end frames and many iterations, not from a prompt.
Factor 04 · Formats and versions
16:9 for YouTube, 9:16 for Reels, 6-second cutdowns for ads: every version is editing and often generation work. Defining formats early avoids paying twice.
Factor 05 · Sound
Voice-over, music, sound design and the mix turn images into a commercial. Good sound is chronically underestimated and is a cost item of its own.
Factor 06 · Late changes
Every change to a finished shot means new generations, rejects included. Locking the look early at the style-frame stage avoids expensive re-generation.
Factor 07 · Usage and distribution
Where the film will run, whether on a website, social media, at a trade show, on TV or in cinemas, determines formats, versions and the sound mix, and with them the effort. We clarify the planned distribution in the briefing.
Special case: what does an AI product video cost?
My AI product videos are priced like my AI commercials: from €5,000 net, or from €7,000 net with product views built from your CAD data or photos.
In a commercial a character may be interpreted, a product may not: logo, proportions and label have to match the shelf. That puts the price almost entirely on factor 03, the consistency requirements.
The most sensible route is therefore usually hybrid: one real packshot of your product as the anchor, the world around it generated. For variants this is the cheapest setup, because the product only has to be right once.
What this means for your budget
The prices above are starting prices. Where your project lands depends on the seven factors.
Name the goal and a budget range in your inquiry, and I’ll tell you what is achievable and where AI saves the most.
In detail
What does an AI commercial cost on the market?
Published prices from providers in Austria and Germany, by type of provider (as of 14 October 2026):
- AI video tools you use yourself: entry-level subscriptions for about $10 to $30 a month, plus your own working time.
- Software and web agency in Vienna: an AI video at a flat rate of €150 net.
- AI studio in Vienna: 15-second reels from €950 net, campaigns with several visuals from €2,400 net.
- AI video and AI film agencies in Germany: simple single videos from €1,200, €1,500 or €1,800 depending on the agency, complete spots mostly €3,000 to €8,000, complete films with a concept from €7,500 or €8,000, elaborate productions €12,000 and more.
Depending on scope, an AI commercial from a specialist provider in Austria and Germany therefore starts at roughly €1,000, a complete spot mostly costs €3,000 to €8,000 and an elaborate production €12,000 or more.
My AI commercials start at €5,000 net, including concept, style frames, edit, sound and music.
Source: prices published on the providers’ websites, checked on 14 October 2026. Providers in Austria quote net prices; in Germany some do not say whether prices are net or gross. Scope and length vary; some agencies appear more than once.
More on the service:
Get an AI commercial made Explainer films for technology & industry
Not sure whether to outsource at all? Read AI video: DIY or hire a pro? first.
FAQ
How much do you charge for an AI commercial?
An AI commercial from Peter Jablonowski starts at €5,000 net for 20 to 30 seconds plus a vertical version, including concept, style frames, AI production, edit, sound and music.
Short clips are available as an add-on from €2,500, and agencies get terms on request. After a short briefing you get a fixed-price quote.
What does an AI explainer film cost?
An AI explainer film for technology and industry from Peter Jablonowski starts at €7,000 net for 60 to 120 seconds, with script, style frames, AI production, a synthetic voice-over, edit, sound and music.
One language version (German or English) is included; the main cost drivers are additional language versions, greater length and product details that have to be exactly right.
Is an AI commercial cheaper than a live-action shoot?
An AI commercial from Peter Jablonowski is often cheaper than a live-action shoot, because set, cast, location, gear and travel disappear. AI saves the most on scenes that would be expensive or impossible in reality.
Where real faces and emotion matter, a live shoot is often still the better choice. What decides it is how much consistency and how many real people the film needs.
What makes an AI video more expensive?
In Peter Jablonowski’s productions, consistency is the main driver of what an AI video costs: characters or products that have to look exactly the same across many shots need reference images and many iterations.
It gets cheaper through clear concepts, a few strong scenes and formats defined early.
How fast do I get a cost assessment?
Peter Jablonowski usually sends a first cost assessment for your AI video within 24 hours if your inquiry names a goal, a rough budget range and a timeline.
Alternatively, there is the free concept check: a 20-minute call with an assessment. The written fixed-price quote follows a short call. If a project doesn’t fit the range, I’ll say so openly.
Google review (excerpt)★★★★★
“[…] What impressed us most was his incredible pace, his pragmatic approach and his ability to turn ideas into high-quality results in the shortest possible time. […]”
Request a fixed-price quote
Your next film starts here.
Project inquiries for businesses and agencies. I make films on commission, not a DIY AI tool. Projects typically start at €5,000 net; short clips as an add-on from €2,500.
net plus VAT · businesses only · USD quotes on request · Trying it yourself? Guide
Reply from Peter personally, usually within 24 hours · Contract and invoicing via Filmspektakel GmbH, Vienna