How Long Does Video Production Take? A Liverpool Production Timeline Guide

The honest answer: 2 to 6 weeks

A typical Liverpool corporate video project takes 2 to 6 weeks from signed brief to final delivery. Most of our work lands at the 3-week mark. Here's where that time goes:

•Week 1: Pre-production (briefing, scripting, scheduling, location recces)
•Week 2: Filming day(s) and rough cut
•Week 3: Editing, motion graphics, music, revisions and delivery

Longer projects (multi-day shoots, animation, multi-location campaigns) stretch into weeks 4, 5 and 6.

Week 1: Pre-production (5 to 7 days)

This is where most of the value is created. Skip it and you'll spend it in re-edits later.

•Days 1, 2: Kick-off call to confirm goals, audience, deliverables, deadlines.
•Days 3, 4: Script or shot list, depending on whether it's interview-led or scripted.
•Days 4, 5: Schedule with your team, recce the location, confirm crew, brief any interviewees.
•Days 6, 7: Final sign-off on script, shot list and call sheet. You see exactly what's going to be filmed before we turn up.

Week 2: Filming (1 to 3 days)

For a single-location corporate piece, one filming day is usually enough. Two days if there are multiple locations, lots of interviewees, or drone footage as well.

On the day: crew arrive 60-90 minutes before the first shot to set up lighting and sound. Filming runs 7-9 hours. We back up the footage to two drives before anyone goes home.

Week 3: Edit, revisions, delivery (5 to 10 days)

•Days 1-3: First cut. Music, graphics, colour grade, captions.
•Day 4: You watch the first cut and send feedback.
•Days 5-7: Revisions round 1.
•Day 8: You watch round 2 and send any final notes.
•Days 9-10: Final revisions. Files exported in every format you need (16:9, 9:16, 1:1 for social, broadcast spec for TV if needed).

Delivery is usually a clean Dropbox folder with the master film, all cut-downs, raw footage and the stills photography we shot at the same time.

What pushes the timeline beyond 3 weeks

•Animation or motion graphics-heavy projects: add 1-2 weeks. Animation simply takes longer.
•Multiple deliverables: five edits take longer than one. Plan a week per major edit.
•Multi-day shoots in different locations: logistics + travel time adds days.
•Slow feedback loops: if your CEO is away for a week, the timeline pauses for a week. We can't control that, but we'll flag it on day one.

The fastest we've turned a video around

Our record is 48 hours, brief Monday morning, final delivery Wednesday morning. It was a 60-second highlight reel for an event that finished Sunday night. Two camera operators, one editor working overnight, and a client who was decisive on revisions.

We don't recommend that pace. But it shows what's possible when the brief is tight, the crew is local, and everyone says yes quickly.

How to keep your project on schedule

•Nominate one decision-maker for sign-off (not a 5-person committee).
•Confirm everyone you want on camera at briefing stage, not the day before.
•Reply to first-cut feedback within 24 hours.
•Don't add new requirements mid-project (a one-week extension on day 14 is much cheaper than rebuilding on day 21).