THE HIDDEN COST OF FLYING IN A CREW VS. HIRING A LOCAL NYC VIDEO TEAM

Flying in your favorite production crew might seem like the safest choice. They know your brand. They know your style. But when the shoot is happening in New York City, the reality is this: out-of-town crews almost always cost more in both time and money.

If you’re working on a project in the city, hiring a trusted NYC video production company isn’t just easier logistically, it’s often the smarter budget decision.

Let’s break down why.

TRAVEL COSTS STACK UP FAST

Flights. Hotels. Per diems. Ground transport. Gear shipping. Even if you’ve negotiated solid day rates with your go-to crew, once you add travel, your budget can balloon by thousands.

With a local NYC video team, you avoid all of it. We show up ready to go. No flights to track. No lost luggage full of batteries. No 4 a.m. gear runs after something gets flagged by TSA.

In this case study on working with Wondery, we didn’t just film the event, we lit and staged the whole production. That kind of support is hard to replicate without boots on the ground.

YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO LOSE TIME IN NYC

New York shoots move fast. You’ve got tight schedules, strict venues, union crews, limited load-in windows, and heavy client oversight. If your team’s not local, they’ll spend precious hours figuring out subway routes, loading dock access, and where to grab a backup C-stand when one goes missing.

A local NYC crew already knows:

• Which garages actually fit a Sprinter van

• Where to get same-day lens rentals

• How to handle permitting and COIs

• What to do when the service elevator suddenly shuts down

We’ve worked with major brands like Disney+, Google, and BMW, and many of them trusted us as their on-the-ground NYC video production partner while their creative leads stayed remote.

YOU STILL GET HIGH PRODUCTION VALUE

Choosing local doesn’t mean sacrificing quality. We work with international agencies and production companies all the time to execute their creative vision in NYC. Your team can stay remote or fly in lean while we handle the rest.

If you want to see what that collaboration looks like, check out how we worked with SAP and Formula 1 to capture A Day in the Life of Lewis Hamilton. Tight timelines, high stakes, zero room for error... All handled locally with pro-level execution.

LOCAL CREWS KNOW THE TERRAIN

There’s a reason so many agencies trust us to be their NYC partner. We know the streets, the rules, the union crew calls, the quirks of each venue, and the production pitfalls that come with shooting in this city.

We’ve filmed everything from live podcast tapings with Wondery to Olympic athlete campaigns for Samsung, all without the client ever needing to micromanage logistics. That’s the benefit of going local.

YOUR BUDGET STRETCHES FURTHER

When you eliminate travel costs, avoid expensive delays, and get more done in less time, your budget stops burning on overhead and starts going into the content itself. Better lighting. More coverage. Same-day social cuts. Multiple edit versions.

More deliverables. Less drama.

NEED A LOCAL NYC VIDEO TEAM YOU CAN ACTUALLY RELY ON?

At johnnypuetz Productions, we’re built for fast-paced, high-expectation shoots in the city. We work as an extension of your team. Whether you’re an out-of-town producer, a creative agency, or a brand looking for trusted NYC video support, we're a local NYC video team you can trust, and we’ve always got your back.

Let’s talk. We’ll help you skip the flight costs and still get the A-team.