Choosing the best videographers in Nelson comes down to who can take an idea from the first brief through to a finished cut. These videographers in Nelson and Tasman shoot brand films, television commercials, documentary, health and safety and training video, drone footage and event coverage for local businesses, creative agencies and visiting productions. Innit Creative Films works from a studio on Bridge Street in the central city, while Vision Co fields crews across the top of the South Island.
1Innit Creative Films
Innit Creative Films is a Nelson film production company run by Jonny Eagle and Liss Spratt, working from a studio at 123a Bridge Street in the central city. The team makes music videos, television commercials, brand films, documentary and social content, and also handles costume, styling and stills photography on set. Past work includes a festival film for the Nelson Arts Festival and a bespoke content series for the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.
Services
- Music videos and television commercials
- Brand films and documentary
- Social media content and Instagram reels
- Pre-production: location scouting, casting, scheduling and crew hire
- Editing, VFX supervision and colour grade facilitation
Highlights
- Studio on Bridge Street in central Nelson
- Crew booked from a database of professional film crew at Screen Industry Guild rates
- Camera, lighting and audio gear hire, including a Sony A7SIII kit and Godox lighting
- Costume and styling offered alongside film and photography
Location & Contact
Name: Innit Creative Films
Address: 123a Bridge Street, Nelson
Phone: 021 268 9214
Website: innitcreative.nz
2Lumiere
Lumiere is a Nelson film and photography studio led by directors Joshua Kirk and Tim Williams, working by appointment from Sanctuary Drive in Stoke. It produces brand films, product campaigns, video testimonials, case studies and internal communications content, with strategic direction handled alongside the production itself. The studio also rents its gear to other crews.
Services
- Brand films
- Product campaigns
- Video testimonials and case studies
- Internal communications and website video assets
- Corporate headshots and photography libraries
Highlights
- Studio at Sanctuary Drive in Stoke, open by appointment
- Two directors, Joshua Kirk and Tim Williams, working with a local crew
- In-house gear, with rentals available to other productions
- Office hours Monday to Friday for briefing and planning
Location & Contact
Name: Lumiere
Address: 14 Sanctuary Drive, Stoke, Nelson
Phone: 027 344 1561
Website: lumiere.nz
3Vision Co
Vision Co is a commercial video production company set up by Dave Kwant in 2010, with crews working from Nelson, Christchurch and the West Coast. It produces brand films, advertising campaigns and storytelling content for businesses and creative agencies, and acts as a South Island production partner for visiting crews. Location access is a large part of what it offers, backed by filming permits and drone certification.
Services
- Brand films
- Advertising campaigns
- Storytelling content
- Commercial drone filming
- Crew hire, kit rental and production support for visiting productions
Highlights
- CAA Part 102 certification for commercial drone operations
- Blanket Department of Conservation filming permit covering Nelson, Tasman, Marlborough, Selwyn and the West Coast, including five national parks
- Studio with a five by five metre cyclorama, 25 minutes from Nelson Airport
- Founder Dave Kwant is a member of the New Zealand Cinematographers Society
- Established in 2010
Location & Contact
Name: Vision Co
Address: Nelson
Phone: 021 224 7755
Website: visionco.nz
4Choice Studios
Choice Studios is a video and photography production studio run by Josh Hutchinson, based at Mapua in Tasman rather than in Nelson city. It works with businesses on brand story films, video testimonials, event coverage and commercial photography, and keeps a full cinema kit in house. Wedding films are handled through a separate weddings site under the same name.
Services
- Brand story films
- Video testimonials
- Event coverage
- Product and e-commerce photography
- Professional headshots
Highlights
- Studio at Mapua in Tasman, a short drive from Nelson
- Sony FX6 cinema camera and a DJI Mavic 4 Pro for aerial work
- Teleprompter setup for scripted shoots and interviews
- All listed equipment available for hire
Location & Contact
Name: Choice Studios
Address: Mapua, Tasman
Phone: 021 040 4824
Website: choicestudios.nz
5Tasman Bay Media
Tasman Bay Media is a video production company based at Upper Moutere in Tasman, run by producer Simon Lea and production manager Kate Eggers. It concentrates on health and safety and staff training video alongside marketing and explainer content for businesses across the region. Clients shown on its own site include Cawthron Institute, Nelson Vets and Golden Bay Fruit.
Services
- Health and safety videos
- Staff training and explainer videos
- Internal communications video
- Marketing and social media video
Highlights
- Producer Simon Lea has worked with the BBC, filmed documentaries in Alaska, Central America and the South Pacific, and edited for TVNZ
- Seven years directing and editing corporate video in Auckland before moving to the region
- Producing video from Nelson since 2019
- Based at Upper Moutere in Tasman, outside Nelson city
Location & Contact
Name: Tasman Bay Media
Address: Upper Moutere, Tasman
Phone: 03 543 2806
Website: tasmanbaymedia.co.nz
Videographers in Nelson at a Glance
| Business | Highlight |
|---|---|
| Innit Creative Films | Studio on Bridge Street in central Nelson |
| Lumiere | Studio at Sanctuary Drive in Stoke, open by appointment |
| Vision Co | CAA Part 102 certification for commercial drone operations |
| Choice Studios | Studio at Mapua in Tasman, a short drive from Nelson |
| Tasman Bay Media | Producer Simon Lea has worked with the BBC |
How to Choose the Right Videographer in Nelson
- Match the studio to the job: a brand film, a health and safety induction video and a music video call on different skills, so look for that exact work in the portfolio rather than a general showreel.
- Ask who actually holds the camera. Some studios run a fixed two-person team, others build a crew per project from a wider pool, and the two suit different budgets.
- Check the drone situation. Paid aerial work needs a certified operator, so confirm the certification before you build drone shots into a brief.
- Find out whether the quote covers scripting, storyboarding and colour grading or only the shoot day, because post-production is where most of the time goes.
- Confirm access to the locations you want. Filming in a national park or reserve needs a permit, and a studio that already holds one saves weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions About Nelson Videography
What does a videographer in Nelson charge?
Rate cards are rarely published in this trade, so pricing is quoted per project. Cost is usually driven by shoot days, crew size, whether a drone or a second camera is needed, and how much scripting, editing and colour grading sits behind the final cut. Crew rates published by the Screen Industry Guild scale with the size and type of production and give a reasonable benchmark for what professional crew costs in New Zealand.
What is the difference between a videographer and a video production company?
In practice the labels overlap. A solo videographer typically shoots and edits the work themselves, which suits a single interview, a short social clip or an event. A production company brings a producer, a director, a camera operator, sound and a colourist, which is what a television commercial or a multi-location brand film needs. Several of the studios above do both, scaling the crew to the job.
Do Nelson videographers cover Richmond, Motueka and the wider Tasman district?
Yes. The businesses on this page are spread across the region rather than clustered in one suburb, with studios in central Nelson on Bridge Street, in Stoke, at Mapua and at Upper Moutere, and all of them travel for shoots. If you are looking for someone near a particular part of the region, start with the studio closest to you and ask about travel, since a nearby crew usually means a shorter minimum booking and a lower call-out cost.
Do I need a permit to film in a national park near Nelson?
Yes. Commercial filming on public conservation land, which includes Abel Tasman, Kahurangi and Nelson Lakes national parks, needs a concession from the Department of Conservation. Applications take time, so it is worth asking your videographer whether they already hold a filming permit for the area you have in mind.
Who can legally fly a drone for a paid shoot?
Drone operations in New Zealand sit under the Civil Aviation Rules, and commercial operators working beyond the standard rules hold a Part 102 certificate issued by the Civil Aviation Authority. That certification is what allows flights in controlled airspace or over property and people under an approved set of procedures, which matters near Nelson Airport in particular. Ask to see it before booking aerial work.
How long does a corporate video take from brief to delivery?
A short testimonial or a single interview piece can be shot in a morning and delivered inside a fortnight. A scripted brand film with multiple locations, talent and a storyboard usually runs several weeks, because scripting, scheduling, the shoot itself, the edit, revisions and the colour grade each take their own time. Agree the delivery date and the number of revision rounds in writing at the quoting stage.
What should I send a videographer before asking for a quote?
The more concrete the brief, the more accurate the price. Useful details are what the video is for, where it will be published, roughly how long it needs to be, how many locations are involved, whether staff or actors appear on camera, whether you need drone footage, and your deadline. A reference video you like is worth more than a page of description.
Can the same studio handle photography as well?
Usually yes, and it is often cheaper to combine them. Most of the studios on this page shoot stills alongside video, so headshots, product shots or a photography library can be captured on the same shoot day rather than booked as a separate job.
How We Chose the Best Videographers in Nelson
Every business in this guide was found by searching for videographers in Nelson, then checked against what the business publishes itself: its own website, or where it has none, its official social or booking page. Names, addresses and phone numbers come from those pages rather than a directory feed, so what you see here is what the business says about itself. We also check that each one is still trading and is actually based in or genuinely serving Nelson, rather than a national operator running a local landing page. A business we can’t confirm from its own pages is not listed.