San Francisco video production company for tech and life sciences
7 Hills Productions makes video for software, AI, fintech and financial services companies across San Francisco and the Bay Area. Brand films, corporate videos, customer stories, product launches and conference coverage, produced by one team that travels up from Irvine rather than a list of local freelancers.
Most San Francisco projects run $6,000 to $15,000 for a corporate or brand video filmed on one day, with Bay Area travel and accommodation itemised at approximately $1,000 to $2,000. Larger brand films and multi day campaigns run $9,000 to $35,000. We are not headquartered in San Francisco and we say so plainly: our studio is in Irvine, California, and the crew who scopes your project is the crew that arrives.
Tell us the product, the audience and the launch date. A producer comes back within one business day with a format, a shoot plan and a price.
Trusted by technology, data and enterprise teams








Technology video production, recent work
Data and AI platforms, SaaS customer stories, advanced hardware, conference coverage, education technology, fintech training and executive podcasts. Press play on any of them.
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Databricks event highlight at Moscone Center
Event highlight, filmed at Moscone Center
Anchor software explainer
Software explainer, filmed in the Bay Area
Moonfare video podcast with David Rubenstein
Fintech and private markets
Unlock finance education series
Fintech training
Fintech training and education video
Financial services
UTrakk software customer testimonial
SaaS customer story
Overair CEO interview
Deep tech and aviationWhy the Bay Area teams hire an outside production company
Technology video is harder than it looks. The product is often abstract, the people who understand it are engineers rather than presenters, the launch date does not move, and half of what a camera might see is confidential. A crew that has only shot lifestyle work will struggle with all four.
7 Hills Productions is a California video production company that works with technology teams: data and AI platforms, SaaS, fintech and financial services, medical technology and education. We plan around your security review, sign the NDA before pre-production starts, keep a small footprint on campus, and deliver a master plus the cutdowns your launch actually needs. We travel to San Francisco and the wider Bay Area as one team rather than assembling local freelancers, so the film you approve is the film you get.
- NDA signed before pre-production begins
- One team from the first call to final delivery
- Our own cinema camera, lighting and sound package
- Small crew footprint for campuses, labs and secure floors
- Built around engineering and executive calendars
- Raw footage delivered graded, at no extra cost
Most technology clients start with a brand video or a customer testimonial, then add explainers and product videos as the roadmap ships. See the sector page for technology and software, or read how we work.
- Company
- 7 Hills Productions, a video production company founded in 2018
- Headquarters
- Irvine, California, with home bases in Los Angeles and San Diego
- San Francisco coverage
- Travel-based production across San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, Palo Alto, Palo Alto, Menlo Park and the Peninsula, Fremont and the East Bay
- Sectors
- Software and SaaS, data and AI, fintech and financial services, medical technology, fintech, higher education
- Confidentiality
- NDA as standard; unreleased product handling agreed in pre-production
- Typical project
- $3,500 to $50,000, most technology work between $6,000 and $15,000
- Bay Area travel
- $1,000 to $2,000 for travel and expenses, itemised in every estimate
- Typical turnaround
- 3 to 4 weeks, 28 days on average, with expedited launch timelines available
- Founder
- Merve Tekin, Founder and Executive Producer
End-to-end production capabilities
One partner for every business video, planned, produced and delivered in house. Each format has its own page with process, examples and pricing.
Brand videos
Say what the company stands for, for homepages, sales decks and investors.
Brand video productionProduct videos
Launch films, demos and feature highlights built to convert on a product page.
Product video production
Explainer videos
Make a complex platform, protocol or architecture simple enough to decide on.
Explainer video production
Testimonial videos
Turn customer results into proof your sales team and paid campaigns can use.
Testimonial video production
Animated videos
Motion graphics and 2D or 3D animation for data, software and abstract ideas.
Animated video production
Event videos
Developer conferences, keynotes, summits and same-week recap edits.
Event video production
Video podcasts
A recurring executive show for LinkedIn, YouTube and your newsletter.
Video podcast productionRecruitment videos
Show the engineering culture so the right candidates self-select before applying.
Recruitment video production
Training and education
Onboarding, enablement and customer education that scales past one workshop.
Training video production
Video ads
High-impact advertising for connected TV, YouTube and paid social.
Commercial video production
YouTube production
Build a search-driven developer and buyer audience with a consistent channel.
YouTube video production
Corporate videos
Company updates, internal communications, leadership messages and all-hands films.
Corporate video productionSectors we work in
A therapeutics lab in South San Francisco, an AI product launch in SoMa and a hardware floor in Fremont are not the same job. Each has its own access rules, safety requirements and approval chain, and we scope them separately.
Technology and software
SaaS explainers, platform launches and customer proof for a product nobody can point a camera at.
Technology video production
Healthcare and biotech
South San Francisco is the densest biotech cluster in the world. Clinical-stage therapeutics, diagnostics and medical device work, filmed to your lab safety rules and your consent process.
Healthcare video production
Finance and fintech
Executive thought leadership and customer proof that still clears compliance.
Finance video production
Hardware and manufacturing
Fabs, labs and assembly floors, shot to site safety rules without stopping the line.
Manufacturing video production
Higher education and schools
Admissions campaigns, research stories and department films across a campus.
Education video production
Professional services
Law firms, consultancies and agencies, where the expertise of named people is the product.
Professional services video
Beauty and fashion
Campaign films, product launches and social-first content for consumer brands.
Beauty and fashion video
Restaurants and hospitality
Venue tours, menu films and vertical social content for consumer venues.
Hospitality video productionWhere we film across San Francisco and the Bay Area
South San Francisco calls itself the birthplace of biotechnology, and it is the reason most of our Bay Area work is life sciences rather than general corporate. We bring a full production package to labs, research campuses, hospital buildings, software offices and manufacturing floors from Oyster Point to Fremont.
- Life sciences
South San Francisco and Oyster Point
The densest biotech cluster in the world, and the reason most of our Bay Area work is life sciences. Clinical-stage biotech, therapeutics and diagnostics companies, filmed to your own lab safety and gowning rules.
- Research and care
Mission Bay
Research campuses, hospital buildings and the startups around them. We sign your Business Associate Agreement where one is required and film under your own consent process.
- Software
SoMa and the Financial District
Enterprise software, AI and fintech offices. Customer stories, product explainers and company films, filmed around a working floor rather than through it.
- Venture and enterprise
Palo Alto, Menlo Park and the Peninsula
Venture firms, enterprise technology and the portfolio companies between them, usually founder interviews and launch films.
- Research and manufacturing
Oakland, Emeryville and Berkeley
Research institutes, biotech manufacturing and industrial floors across the East Bay.
- Hardware
Fremont and the East Bay
Hardware, robotics and advanced manufacturing, filmed to your own safety and access rules.
Conference and event venues in the East Bay
Large venues come with load-in windows, house power, in-house AV and union rules. Tell us the venue and the run of show and we handle the logistics, the multi-camera coverage and the recap edit.
- Moscone CenterKeynotes, trade show floors, booth interviews and same-week highlight reels.
- Chase CenterDeveloper conferences, partner summits and breakout session capture.
- Fort Mason CenterLarge-format corporate events, sponsor activations and hospitality coverage.
- Palace of Fine Arts and downtown venuesAll-hands meetings, award nights and company celebrations.
Filming elsewhere in California? We also work in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego, and travel nationwide. For a controlled shoot, see our studios and locations.
How we handle production in the Bay Area
Filming here usually means a security review, an NDA, unreleased product in the frame and a launch date that will not move. We plan for all four before the shoot day rather than discovering them on it.
- Confidentiality as standardThe whole production team works under NDA, from scripting through edit and archive. Unreleased hardware, pre-GA software and internal messaging are handled to whatever your legal team specifies.
- Campus and lab accessMost the Bay Area shoots need advance coordination with facilities and security. We supply crew names, equipment lists, certificates of insurance and a load-in plan early enough to clear review.
- Launch-date schedulingWe plan backwards from the announcement, not forwards from the shoot, and build the review rounds into the schedule. Expedited edits are available when a date moves up.
- Travel handled as one teamOur crew and kit travel to the Bay Area together rather than being assembled from local freelancers, so the people who scoped the film are the people who shoot it. Travel and expenses typically add $1,000 to $2,000, quoted up front in the estimate and never added afterwards.
How much does video production cost in San Francisco?
Most 7 Hills projects run between $3,500 and $50,000. A single customer testimonial in the Bay Area starts at $5,000, a corporate or interview video starts around $6,000, and brand films, product launches and commercials start around $9,000 and scale with crew size, locations and deliverables. Most quotes include captions, colour grading, licensed music and social cutdowns. Travel and expenses for a Bay Area shoot typically add $1,000 to $2,000 on top, itemised in the estimate up front rather than added afterwards.
| Video type | Typical starting price | What it usually covers |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate or interview video | From $6,000 | One location, one filming day, one main edit |
| Customer testimonial | $5,000 to $15,000 | Interview, B-roll, case study edit and cutdowns |
| Product or launch video | From $6,000 | Studio or on location, demo edit, feature cutdowns |
| Explainer or animation | From $6,000 | Script, storyboard, motion graphics or 3D, voiceover |
| Brand story film | From $9,000 | One to two interviews, cinematic B-roll, one main video |
| Event or conference | From $9,000 | Multi-camera coverage, keynote capture, recap film |
| Video podcast series | From $9,000 | Multi-camera set, recurring episodes, clip packages |
| Recruitment video | From $9,000 | Employee stories, leadership interviews, workplace B-roll |
| Travel and expenses, Bay Area | $1,000 to $2,000 | Crew travel, accommodation, ground transport and per diems |
- DaysHow many filming days the schedule really needs, and how far the crew travels to them.
- Crew and kitA two-person interview team or a full unit with a director, second camera and grip package.
- FinishCustom graphics, 3D animation, licensed music, subtitles and colour all sit in the edit.
- DeliverablesEach finished video is priced on its own, so four edits cost more than one, and far less than four shoots.
See the full video production rate card, or read the detail in the corporate video cost guide, product video cost, testimonial video cost and event video cost guides.
What the process looks like
Three stages, one team, and a schedule built backwards from your launch date. Most projects run three to four weeks from kickoff to delivery; brand films and multi-location campaigns run six to eight.
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PlanNDA signed, then we agree the goal, the audience and the list of finished videos. We write the interview questions, build the shot list, clear campus access and lock a schedule around engineering and executive calendars. -
FilmOur own cinema cameras, lighting and sound travel with the crew. A single well-planned day captures the interviews, the product, the B-roll and the vertical framing for social, so one shoot feeds several videos. -
Edit and deliverStory edit, colour, motion graphics, music and mix, with revision rounds built in. You get the master, the cutdowns, the vertical versions and the raw footage, already graded, at no extra cost.
What clients say about working with us
Technical work is judged on more than the final cut. It is judged on whether the crew handled a busy executive, a live floor or a locked-down site without creating a problem.
They impressed us with prompt responses, ensuring we met all filming objectives without missing a beat. The quality fully met my expectations.
7 Hills Productions went above and beyond in terms of quality, professionalism, responsiveness, and timeliness. They captured our vision perfectly.
They did an amazing job providing a great product. Very easy to work with, we decided to keep working with them for a year-long campaign.
More about the team, the equipment and how the company is run is on the about page.
Questions about filming in San Francisco and the Bay Area
Clear answers for the product marketers, communications leads and founders who usually run this decision.
How much does video production cost in San Francisco?
Most San Francisco projects run $6,000 to $15,000 for a corporate or brand video filmed on a single day, including script, crew, equipment, edit, colour, sound and captions. Larger brand films and multi day campaigns run $9,000 to $35,000, and concepted commercials for paid media or broadcast run $9,000 to $50,000. Bay Area travel and accommodation is itemised separately at approximately $1,000 to $2,000, and it is shown as its own line on every estimate rather than hidden in the rate.
Do you have an office in San Francisco?
No, and we would rather say that than imply otherwise. 7 Hills Productions is headquartered in Irvine, California, with our own studio and equipment. We travel to San Francisco and the wider Bay Area as one team, which is the important difference: the producer who scopes your project is on set on the day, rather than a local crew assembled from freelancers who have never worked together.
Do you charge extra for travel to the Bay Area?
Travel and accommodation for a Bay Area shoot adds approximately $1,000 to $2,000 depending on crew size and whether the schedule runs more than one day. It appears as its own line in the estimate before you approve anything. If we are filming several locations on the same trip, that cost is shared across them rather than charged per location.
Do you need a permit to film in San Francisco?
For filming on public property in San Francisco, including streets, sidewalks and city parks, a permit from the San Francisco Film Commission is required, and we handle the application. You do not need a city permit to film inside your own office, a private studio, or a venue whose management has approved the shoot. National park land around the bay, including the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, is administered separately and needs its own permit, which takes longer to obtain.
Can you film at Moscone Center or at a conference in San Francisco?
Yes. Conference and summit coverage is a large part of what we do in the Bay Area: keynote capture, booth and demo interviews, attendee reaction and a same week highlight cut. Venue rules vary, so we confirm load in times, badge requirements and any in house labour requirements with the venue before quoting. Where a venue requires its own crew or rigging, that cost is billed at cost and quoted separately once the venue confirms it.
Do you sign NDAs before filming unreleased products?
Yes, as standard. Most of our technology and fintech work happens before launch, so NDAs, controlled footage handling and restricted access to rushes are normal parts of the engagement rather than exceptions. We can also work to your security requirements on site, including device restrictions and escorted access.
What kinds of companies do you film for in the Bay Area?
Mostly life sciences and technology. Clinical-stage biotech, therapeutics, diagnostics and medical device companies in South San Francisco, Oyster Point and Mission Bay, and enterprise software, AI and fintech teams in SoMa and on the Peninsula. We have made films for Abbott, Fisher and Paykel Healthcare, Carevature, Surgtime, Kaiser Permanente, Databricks and Google.
How quickly can you get a crew to San Francisco?
Most Bay Area shoots are booked about a week out, which gives us time to script, scout and schedule properly. When a launch date or an executive calendar forces it, we have turned a shoot around in a few days. The whole project, from first call to final delivery, averages twenty eight days.
Can you film several Bay Area locations on one trip?
Yes, and it is usually the cheapest way to work. A single trip can cover a San Francisco office, a Peninsula campus and an Oakland or Berkeley site, with the travel cost shared across all of them instead of charged three times. Tell us everything you want filmed this quarter and we will schedule it into as few trips as possible.
Can you film inside biotech labs and cleanrooms?
Yes. South San Francisco and Oyster Point are most of what we do in the Bay Area. We follow your gowning, safety and no-go rules, walk the space with your team before the shoot day, and sign your NDA before we see anything unreleased. For clinical-stage work we agree the claim set with your regulatory team before scripting, and where a Business Associate Agreement is required we sign yours.
What does a Bay Area shoot day actually include?
Two or more crew depending on the setup, a cinema camera package, lighting and professional audio, a producer running the day, and a director when the piece needs one. We bring our own equipment rather than renting locally, which is part of why the travel line stays small. A typical day covers an executive interview, b roll of the workspace or product, and any customer or team interviews scheduled around it.
Who owns the finished video?
You do, with full commercial usage rights to the finished films. Raw footage can be handed over as an add on, and we archive project files so recuts, new lengths or translated versions are possible later without filming again.
Ready to film in the Bay Area?
Tell us the product, the audience and the launch date. A producer comes back within one business day with a recommended format, a shoot plan and a price, with travel and expenses itemised in the estimate.
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