At Sawa Films, a fixed-price AI video ad starts at $299, while a bespoke AI commercial or brand film starts at $1,499. The final bespoke quote depends on length and complexity. These are Sawa Films prices, not an industry average: a short presenter-led social ad and a directed brand film are different production briefs.
The useful budgeting question is what your finished campaign needs. A price means little until you know the story, shots, languages, versions and approvals it covers.
Two ways to buy an AI commercial
Our AI commercial production page lists two routes, checked on September 17, 2026.
Fixed-price video ads: $299 for one ad, $740 for three, or $1,199 for ten. These are short vertical ads with an AI presenter speaking Arabic or English, designed for social feeds. See the video ads service for the current offer.
Bespoke commercials and brand films: from $1,499, with a proposal prepared after a brief. This route suits a developed story, a specific visual style or a commercial intended for formats such as TV and YouTube as well as social.
The starting price is not a promise that every concept, duration or version fits the same budget. Confirm the scope in your proposal before comparing it with another studio's quote.
What actually changes the scope
The following is a planning framework drawn from our published production process. It explains questions to settle in a brief; it is not a schedule of extra fees.
The number and difficulty of shots. Runtime alone is a poor specification. As a hypothetical example, a 30-second spot with a few carefully composed product shots and a 30-second story with several characters and locations ask for different work. List the important scenes, transitions and product details rather than supplying only a duration.
How precisely the product must appear. Packaging, color, shape and label detail need clear references. Our process approves product and styling in still frames before motion. Small label text may need to be added in the edit. Tell the studio which details must remain exact so that the quote reflects that work.
When creative decisions become final. Concept, script and storyboard approval establish what is being made. Changing the central idea after motion has been produced can affect several later stages. Ask how many review rounds the proposal covers, what counts as a new direction and how additional work is agreed.
The campaign's versions. A vertical social ad, a widescreen master, a shorter cut and a second-language version are separate delivery requirements. Decide which ones you need before pricing the job. Our bespoke service describes 16:9, 9:16 and 1:1 formats, but the proposal should still spell out your actual deliverables.
Language and sound. Arabic and English may share a visual production while requiring different scripts, voice-over, on-screen copy and end cards. Sawa's Arabic scripts are written for Arabic-speaking audiences. Include both languages in the brief rather than assuming localization means changing a subtitle file.
Frostah: why the work goes beyond generation
The Frostah case study describes a real client commercial for freeze-dried fruit snacks. Its production involved repeated generations of product hero shots and compositing brand elements where generation was not reliable enough.
That is a useful way to understand a production quote. It pays for the decisions and finishing needed to turn generated material into a consistent commercial. A visually attractive frame is not automatically an accurate product shot, and an accurate shot still needs to fit the edit.
The published case study does not disclose the client's budget. It should not be used to claim that the Frostah film cost $1,499, or that another film will cost the same. The advertised starting price and a particular project's final budget are different facts.
How to compare AI and live-action quotes fairly
AI can change which parts of a production require a physical shoot. It does not remove the need for a concept, direction, editorial judgment, sound or finishing. Our article on AI versus traditional production explores that distinction.
For a useful comparison, send both studios the same requirements. Ask each proposal to identify:
— The creative concept, script and storyboard work included.
— The intended runtime, key scenes and product accuracy requirements.
— The number of finished cuts, aspect ratios and language versions.
— The review stages, included revisions and treatment of scope changes.
— Music and voice-over arrangements, intended usage and delivery specifications.
— The delivery date, approval deadlines and any separately priced items.
Compare the complete deliverable, not a generation subscription with a finished production service. Also avoid assuming a universal percentage saving: this guide has no matched project budgets that would support one.
When a live shoot is the better investment
If the ad depends on a real founder, a customer's testimony or a recognizable presenter, filming that person may serve the brief better. Our generated characters are invented people, not substitutes for authentic customer evidence.
The same distinction matters for a product test or before-and-after demonstration. Generated imagery cannot prove that a product performed a particular way. Film the evidence for real.
A script built around extended dialogue or subtle acting may also benefit from human performance. Choosing the production method around the message can be more useful than choosing it around an advertised starting price.
How much time should you allow?
Sawa Films currently gives a typical timeline of two to three weeks from brief to delivery for a 30-second bespoke commercial, and four to eight weeks for longer brand films. These are planning estimates from the service page, not a guarantee for every brief.
Supply the launch date early and agree when feedback is due. Product photography, packaging artwork and brand guidelines help the team understand the scope before production starts.
Questions to settle before requesting a quote
Is a $299 ad the same product as a bespoke commercial? No. The fixed-price offer is for short vertical presenter-led social ads. Bespoke production is scoped around a specific story, look and delivery brief.
Will a longer commercial always cost proportionally more? Do not assume a fixed price per second. Sawa prices bespoke work by length and complexity; the number of scenes and the required deliverables also need to be understood in the brief.
Can one production support Arabic and English? Yes. Our service supports both languages from one production. Specify the scripts, voice-over, on-screen text and final versions you need so the proposal covers them explicitly.
What should I send first? Describe the product, audience, main message, runtime, placements, languages and launch date. Add brand guidelines and product references. A finished script is not required to start the conversation.
Send Sawa Films your brief for a recommendation between fixed-price ads and a bespoke commercial, with a scope that makes the price understandable. Prices and availability can change; confirm the current proposal before commissioning production.
