Corporate Pricing / Pricing Questions

[Silas Barker]

Hello all,
I am a little newer to Corporate Projects and have some questions.

When doing a Exercise Training video (about 1 hour long) that will take about 5 hours to shoot and maybe 5 hours to edit, 1 Sony HDV Camera, SD, 1 final DVD. What would you charge? About $1000? (ends up around $200 per hour of filming roughly). Also will be using a Jib, tripod, and possibly a 2nd camera for a few 2nd angle clips (maybe, and very little if any).

If you are making a 30 second TV Spot for a Diner and it takes you 2-3 hours to shoot, your using a jib, glidecam, 1 HDV Camera, editing, voiceover, music track. Is about $750 the right price?

How about a 2 camera 30 minute interview shoot? With editing switching between cameras.

I am just curious what other charge and what the rates should be for wireless audio, 1 HDV camera, 8' jib, editing. Charge extra if lighting is needed?

Thanks in advance!

[Chris Davis]

One school of thought is to price the rental on that equipment and add on that much. While I charge per hour for editing, I charge by day/half day for shooting. A five hour shoot would get my full day rate of $750, plus $375 for 5 hours of editing. I do not charge extra for equipment I own because that is factored into my rates. If I have to bring in more personnel, travel, or rent equipment, I add those charges as appropriate.

Although I think five hours of editing is overly optimistic for a one hour program. I'd quote at least 10-15.

[Garrett Low]

Hi Silas,

I do break out my rates for equipment rental separate from shooting and editing. My basic 1 day rate for camera, supports, lights and audio is roughly 75% of the normal cost that rental houses would charge. I'm in the SF Bay Area so a full shooting package with sound I rent out at $375 for the day. If it is a short shoot I have a half day rate which is slightly higher than half the charge for full day. Then I have a rate for my time shooting. Minimum 4 hours which also includes travel time and of course setup. That way it's easy for me to also give a quote if someone has their own equipment and just needs a shooter or DP.

Then I have another rate for editing. I use these as a base for developing a bid for a project and then tweak it if I think I need to be more competitive to win it.

I agree with Chris that 5 hours of editing for a 1 hour video is way over optimistic. I do corporate edits where they provide the footage and I edit the video. They generally give me a script and the videos are very straight forward training or product info videos so there really is not a lot of time required for me to put one together. For those types of videos with all the back and forth I tend to spend a bout 8 hours total to get a 5 to 10 minute video out. I allow for 3 revisions after the first rough cut. Then I'll charge a small fee per disc if they need me to run DVD copies for them.

Two cam edits usually take me about 20% to 30% more time than 1 cam edits. For the second shooter I usually use a freelance who has their own equipment and just roll in whatever I would need to pay them into my quote.

My advice would be to not look at it as a "per hour filming" rate since shooting it maybe much easier than the edit if there will need to be a lot of graphics and FX's added in post. It could also work out the other way too. I've been on some very difficult shoots that had simple edits.

Hope that help,
Garrett

[Craig Seeman]

Good advice here although we all might do it slightly different.

I have half and full day shoot rates (4 and 8 hours). The rate includes a base amount of equipment I own. I do charge for extra gear that I also own. Base rate is camera, tripod, shotgun and wireless mic. Rate goes up for jib or lights (yes I get shoots without lights). For me the reason is transportation. For the base gear I can use subway(train). Extra gear requires car.

Living in a big city with good public transportation impacts how I handle travel. It impacts my rate but I don't break it out. If I did then I'd simply lose work to people who live in the center of the city. So it's buried as part of my half/full day rate.

Editing can be hourly or by 8 hour day. When I do an estimate the total edit time includes revisions and the client is informed of that. Revisions can be a real money loser otherwise. If they want to buy more time they certainly can.

I do not recommend enumerating a number of revisions. They can be as simple as a title change or as complex as a complete motion graphics redo. A client books one week (40 hours) of editing including revisions. It gives them constraints they are informed of.

[Garrett Low]

Hey Craig,

I contemplated doing combined rates for shooting and providing base equipment and it seems that out here it's split about 50/50 for doing that and having separate equipment and shooting charges.

I should have been a little clearer for my comment about revisions. I don't actually tell the clients a set number of revisions. I alot 3 revisions just for estimating purposes when presenting an estimate to clients. Generally most of the edits I've done average 3 rounds of revisions. Of course they start out being more significant but by the 2nd or 3rd edit it's usually just tweaking things.

Garrett

[Paul Hudson]

Approach it like this: Find out what local rental companies are charging for this gear. Then charge this with a discount for hiring you as a package.

Remember they hired you for your ability not your gear. They would have to pay for all the things you have if they didn't get you as a package.

Paul Hudson
Lizarlandvideo.com
Phoenix Video Production

[TJ Robertson]

There are no rates that will fit all video businesses. You've got to decide what you're worth, and what your clients are going to be willing to pay, but generally, starting videographers under-value themselves, and I don't think you're an exception.

Assuming your videos are good (professional quality), bring up those prices a little bit... and also, you probably are being a little optimistic with your editing time estimation.

Hope this helps

[Silas Barker]

5 Years Experience
HDV Sony Z5 and Z1 / Professional Tripods/heads/fisheye lens
Glidecam, Jib, Wireless Audio Lapel Mic, Basic lighting,
Fast Editor (about 1.5x faster then anyone else I ve met)
Lots of good reviews.

My rates are about $350-$1000 per day (8 hours of work filming or editing/rendering or transcoding). I think that that is very reasonable for the quality or work I am doing and you can see it online at Wedding Event & Corporate Video, Sacramento Roseville Folsom Tahoe

What say yeeee?

[TJ Robertson]

I say yeeeee should raise your prices =P

Your work looks really good. You say you charge $350 - $1000... I would at least bring up the $350.

There's no reason you should get paid less than $500 a day based on your work (IMO)