A video encoding control method which encodes an input video signal by controlling a generated bit rate so that a hypothetical buffer in a hypothetical decoder obtained by modeling a decoder does not fail, the method comprising: a step of setting an encoding target picture as the first picture in a group of pictures and setting an encoding parameter to a predetermined encoding parameter, the encoding parameter being either a quantization parameter or a filter strength of a pre-filter for the input video signal, or both of the quantization parameter and the filter strength; an encoding step of encoding the encoding target picture in the group of pictures in accordance with the encoding parameter, the group of pictures including a predetermined number of pictures and being a collection of successive pictures in the order of encoding; a step of calculating a quantization statistic of the encoding target picture which is a statistic obtained from quantization parameter information used to encode the encoding target picture, and checking whether or not the quantization statistic exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the quantization statistic being the average or the median of the quantization parameters of blocks in the encoding target picture; and a step of, if the quantization statistic exceeds the predetermined threshold value, determining whether or not a retry count indicating the number of times of re-encoding in the group of pictures reaches a predetermined maximum value; a step (S105, S101) of, if the retry count reaches the maximum value, setting the next picture as the encoding target picture and returning the processing to the encoding step; a step (S109-S111) of, if the retry count does not reach the maximum value, incrementing the retry count, changing the encoding parameter in accordance with the retry count so that the generated bit rate resulting from encoding is reduced and a residual bit rate of the hypothetical buffer is increased as the retry count is increased, setting a first picture of a group of pictures that is being encoded as the encoding target picture, and returning the processing to the encoding step for re-encoding the group of pictures that is being encoded using the changed encoding parameter; and a step (S105, S101) of, if the quantization statistic does not exceed the predetermined threshold value, setting the next picture as the encoding target picture and returning the processing to the encoding step without performing the re-encoding. a step of setting an encoding target picture as the first picture in a group of pictures and setting an encoding parameter to a predetermined encoding parameter, the encoding parameter being either a quantization parameter or a filter strength of a pre-filter for the input video signal, or both of the quantization parameter and the filter strength; an encoding step of encoding the encoding target picture in the group of pictures in accordance with the encoding parameter, the group of pictures including a predetermined number of pictures and being a collection of successive pictures in the order of encoding; a step of calculating a quantization statistic of the encoding target picture which is a statistic obtained from quantization parameter information used to encode the encoding target picture, and checking whether or not the quantization statistic exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the quantization statistic being the average or the median of the quantization parameters of blocks in the encoding target picture; and a step of, if the quantization statistic exceeds the predetermined threshold value, determining whether or not a retry count indicating the number of times of re-encoding in the group of pictures reaches a predetermined maximum value; a step (S105, S101) of, if the retry count reaches the maximum value, setting the next picture as the encoding target picture and returning the processing to the encoding step; a step (S109-S111) of, if the retry count does not reach the maximum value, incrementing the retry count, changing the encoding parameter in accordance with the retry count so that the generated bit rate resulting from encoding is reduced and a residual bit rate of the hypothetical buffer is increased as the retry count is increased, setting a first picture of a group of pictures that is being encoded as the encoding target picture, and returning the processing to the encoding step for re-encoding the group of pictures that is being encoded using the changed encoding parameter; and a step (S105, S101) of, if the quantization statistic does not exceed the predetermined threshold value, setting the next picture as the encoding target picture and returning the processing to the encoding step without performing the re-encoding.