How much would you charge for this video?

[Giuseppe Palumbo]

Well, im 18. just started with this new company...AV Works in Ohio and were doing local music videos and commercials. I shot this with a GL-2.

1 in house Studio location shot (1 hour)
3 Different camera set-up's at one location (3 hours)
1 Concert Venue location (3 hours)
Editing (Appx 10-15 Hours)

Me being 18 still thinking that im getting a little underpaid because of that.

Right now were charging 500 Flat rate for a 4 minute max music video. comes with :

Studio location and 1 additional location for 500.
Each additional location is 100.

http://csxinfo.net/palumbo/TUN%20-%20Cleveland.mov

[Nick Hiltgen]

I think you may find yourself in a sticky situation. While I agree that you could easily charge 4x your rate you have to also consider what the market will support. IF you've got a lot of potential business, then by all means charge 2000 but if you don't maybe start at 1000 and work your way down if people sqwak and if they don't that's a pretty decent rate.

[Giuseppe Palumbo]

Cause it came to around 6 or 7 hundred. But i guess i also have to take into consideration that this is our first full length music video we've done for this company.

[Don Donatello]

"how much would YOU charge "

well i'm not 18 .. i live in california - SF area ... after viewing the video ..
i might be able to do it for 25-30K ...

i liked the video and i liked the editing !!! your team has a future AND you should be charging MORE $$

[Giuseppe Palumbo]

2500 to 3000 or 25000 to 30000

[Matt Brabender]

hey, great job
they should be very thankful they paid only $500

I agree, that you can and should charge more

[Craig Seeman]

Prices vary by region and you don't mention anything about assistants and other gear (they were lip syncing to . . .? Did you use a car to drive to the locations)

Here's a formula:
Cost of living (housing, food, utilities, car for business)
Cost of paying off the gear and replacing every two years, maintenance, insurance, software upgrades, cost of consumables tapes, DVDs.
Cost of marketing, web page, etc.
Figure out what you need to make each month to pay for all of the above.
Assume you'll target 25 or so billable hours a week and the rest of the time is marketing, calling clients, doing paper work. Now you know what you need to break even every week. Mark up from that to actually have Profit. The Mark up depends on your skills (which are good).

I would also bill a daily minimum on a job. For example, all shoots should be a 4 hour minimum. Those one hour shoots can really mess with your schedule otherwise since you still have to go to/from location, set up gear, break down. Doesn't leave much time for another shoot that day.

[Don Donatello]

"2500 to 3000 or 25000 to 30000"

K = 1000 ..so thats $25,000- 30,000 and in the LA music video world that is low budget ... that is paying ( as in payroll) everybody in front and behind camera , permits , all types of insurance, editing , equipment rentals etc = no freebees ...

[Giuseppe Palumbo]

Ill def. have to talk to my boss guy, haha. cause we def. need to raise the prices im thinking. instead of like, starting low and adding more, we should start high and work our way down is what your saying. The price of that video could of been that price as well since im only 18, i look extremely young, were just starting out and making a name for the company so it all just adds up to...can i really trust this kid on making me a music video i'll like... Even though im getting a DVX id really like to get a xl2 just for the big production looks which would make people think twice.

[Dave Perry]

Giuseppe,

A ball park figure to start with would be $1,000/finished minute with a crew of 3. Your video was about 2.5 min long so that would be $2,500.

[Giuseppe Palumbo]

I sorta feel as if im being underpaid cause its basically me. there is no crew. the boss guy(we'll call him eddie from now on) doesnt do much. he kinda just puts his foot at the end of the dolly track so it doesnt run off haha. and he drove the Van so the car could follow behind us. You think we could really charge that much and get work still considering i live in cleveland?

[Dave Perry]

If you are good, yes. I looked at your video and thought it was decent. The color looked a little washed out and it looked too much like video.

I should probably qualify my quote in the previous post. We shoot Beta SP and it's broadcast quality. Looks much nicer than most DV footage and can be tweaked to have a very nice film like quality. The $1,000/finished minute quote also includes proper lighting. The crew consists of a camera operator, a grip (me) and a production assistant (who takes care of the client and does make up as well).

Nobody on the set should be just standing around and when the camera operator asks for something you should already have it in hand. If not, run, don't walk to get it.

[Ash Greyson]

The X factor is overhead, insurance, etc. etc. etc. I have worked on videos with budgets from ZERO to budgets of a $900K. I dont do as much any more but most of them fall in the $5k range for indie bands, that is me and my gear and assistant, light guy and editor. Even on videos with just one set up I wont even think about it for under $1500 and they get ONE edit for that price....





ash =o)

[Giuseppe Palumbo]

what do you mean by one edit?

[Bob Costa]

Bottom line on what "you can get" is "what you can get" Its not about age, its not about right/wrong, its not about underpaid. Think of it like buying a watch from a guy on the street. You make offers back and forth until you either have a deal or someone walks away. Same in the corporate world. WHen you are new, worry more about getting work. Onc eyou have enough work, start rasing your prices until enough works goes away so that you are not working 100 hours a week anymore.

No science, no right/wrong answers. Just what you can do and how good you are at selling and negotiating. See: Supply and Demand economics.