P90X® and beyond $ 250,000 – 600,000 +

This range is where big players invest hundreds of thousands, and even millions in some cases. Some companies work with bankable names and brands like Jane Fonda or The Biggest Loser trainers, where they are pretty sure they will make a good return on their investment. But that company also has to lay out a substantial amount of capital since brands like this are already established. Other companies will also make large investments, but they will work with virtual unknowns who have a product (workout), which the company is looking to develop and market. In this case a trainer will sign a contract giving a company exclusive rights to develop workouts with the trainer for a set amount of time. These companies will invest more than just money to get the kind of quality videos you see selling on infomercials or on the racks in leading retail stores. Companies like Gaiam, Beachbody, LionsGate, Anchor Bay, and Acorn Media employ hundreds of people in all sorts of departments. They will fly to exotic locations like Hawaii or build large original sets like we did for P90X®.

Professional Tip: There was nearly a year of development time that went into P90X® before I ever got to call “action”. When we were ready to shoot, I planned a two-week production schedule with time built in for Tony Horton to recuperate and give each workout the focus it demanded. We shot thirteen workouts with a cast and crew of nearly 100 – there’s a lot of great creative energy when working on a project this large and complex, but it can also get bogged down in red tape quickly if you’re not careful.

The point is: the client and I did not rush. We could have shot faster, but when you’re spending this much money it makes sense to spend more time to insure a smooth ride. Recently, I worked with a new company that had deep pockets looking to break into the market. They nickel and dimed their way through the entire process. I argued with the client about spending money on the star’s wardrobe. It made no sense to save $300 when they were spending hundreds of thousands to get the product to market. Trust your director; if he or she says you need it, you do. I felt strongly enough that I used a favor with Lulu Lemon to dress my star because I knew it was worth it and I didn’t want my star suffering because of the clients short-sightedness. At this level of production you don’t try to save money – you spend whatever it takes to make the best product possible, which includes making sure your star looks his or her best. The packaging choices made later by the client was also second-rate. You wouldn’t pick up the product if it were in a 1/2 price bin – which is where it ended up. The cost-savings strategy of the client added up to a big flop. They took great talents and supported them with the minimum investment possible – a bad business decision.

Planning: This is obviously the big time and most people reading this will not have a large company with a P90X® budget behind them to start. That doesn’t mean you can’t make a great workout video and get it out there. Read on in the Four Stages of Production and think about the new channels of distribution, then look back at the smaller budget section and I think you’ll discover a recipe ripe for emerging talent and businesses.