What rates do you charge? at DVinfo.net

Dylan Couper · January 8th, 2003, 01:17 AM

I'm curious to see what most people charge on an hourly/daily basis. So far I've charged by the job based on what they can pay, not based on an hourly rate. I'd like to set a rate for myself, so I'd like to get an idea of what I can reasonably charge. I don't want to set it too high and not get work, and I certainly don't want to undercharge.

I know some of the more experienced people here charge considerably more.

Josh Bass · January 8th, 2003, 01:22 AM

I'm a novice in the biz. . .but on the rare occasion that people ask my rates (most my gigs have been pro bono), I tell them 20 an hour if my camera is used, 15 if not. Remember, I'm a newbie. If you're a pro, don't scoff.

Dylan Couper · January 8th, 2003, 05:47 PM

I was thinking of charging $350us as a day rate, including use of both XL1's.
$200us for a 1/2 day, 4 hours.
$55us per hour.

I've checked some rates localy, and many videographers (using XL1s) charge double that. Rental for a bare bones XL1 runs $100us on it's own in Vancouver.

Jeff Donald · January 8th, 2003, 10:01 PM

That seems fair for starting out. I would bump my hourly to $70 or $75 because of travel etc. Then they start to see where the day rate and 1/2 day rate are a good deal. Remember, it is very hard to raise rates. You will loose some of your old clients when you do. Just expect it. But you'll gain new clients because of your increased experience and better reel.

jeff

Dan Holly · January 12th, 2003, 12:23 AM

Dylan,
I charge by the job ~99% of the time......
If the clients needs are difficult or unrealistic, we charge more to accommodate.

I use an excel spread sheet to show all my cost, then mark them up by a rate that my partner and I can agree on.

At this point we don't do weddings or events like that...so factor that in......

I've only had 2 clients that wanted to edit/produce the footage the we shot for them.

When clients want us to come to a remote location, I have them pay for the transportation (float plane/boat/etc.) directly in advance. This way we don't have to worry about it, and they pay "their rates" for transportation. Most of the time they can get a better rate than I can, and we sell that as a cost savings to the client, and there is never a question of us marking it up.

We used to use our boats to go to some remote client locations, but if something happens or you break down, you could potentially miss the customers window for the shoot etc.
We only use our boats now, on our own films.

K. Forman · January 12th, 2003, 08:59 AM

I had a rate system that I used when I still had both my XL1s and GL1, and was activly working.

I charged $50 an hour, per camera. That way I could pay the person on the other camera a decent rate, and most folks would only want to pay for what they needed. That meant, I wasn't standing around for two hours, and paying my camera operator to twiddle their thumbs. Set up and tear down were included in that time schedule.

I also charged $15 an hour for editing. This rate was low, because most folks only wanted simple titles, cuts, etc. There was nobody to cause me grief in the edit room, and very little unexpected crap. ( Just between us, I love to edit, and would almost do it for nothing! But don't tell anyone! Shhh! :)

Of course, once the video was finished, and the client decided what they wanted to do with it, there were expenses and time involved in transferring to the final media and duplicates.

As your experience and equipment grow, so do your rates. Don't charge the same as a 10 year veteran if you are just starting. Be honest, but enthusiastic and confident, and you can do well if you are willing to work hard.
Keith

I never had much travel involved, so it was never an issue

Jeff Donald · January 12th, 2003, 09:02 AM

Keith,

It's good to see you back and posting again.

Jeff

Mark Argerake · January 12th, 2003, 06:49 PM

A half day shotting rate ~
A full day shooting rate ~
A hourly editing rate ~

But what about flat fee packages for sporting events, concerts, weddings and stuff like that?

K. Forman · January 12th, 2003, 08:32 PM

I think it would be foolish to offer a flat fee, mostly because you can't forsee everything. Plus, there are always those clients that will "could you just...", into a straight jacket or the poorhouse.

At the very least, have an extra's rate to cover your butt.
Keith

P.S. Jeff- It's great to be back! I missed this place!
Keith

Neil Fisher · January 15th, 2003, 11:44 PM

<<<--I was thinking of charging $350us as a day rate, including use of both XL1's.
$200us for a 1/2 day, 4 hours.
$55us per hour.

I've checked some rates localy, and many videographers (using XL1s) charge double that. Rental for a bare bones XL1 runs $100us on it's own in Vancouver.-->>>

I'll agree with you completely on that, the cost of renting a camera or hiring someone for the day in Vancouver is really high, I know of people who charge $600 CND just for filming a wedding, add another 700 for editing and post production (DVD & VHS stuff)

your rates sound very resonable. If you know who your going to be working for can afford more don't be afraid to ask for more, people here ( and i'm sure you know ) have this problem of paying people to much.

the vancouver consumers don't ever do any research.

David Calvin · July 14th, 2006, 03:07 PM

We charge 200 per hour per camera. That includes Camera, operator, and all other gear that we bring (stabilizers, cranes, audio gear, whatever). And then $30 per hour for editing.

We are in California. And we do a lot of specialty projects.

Does this seem high?

Lorinda Norton · July 14th, 2006, 09:29 PM

Dylan Couper asking about rates? Josh Bass a newbie? Jeff Donald posting???

David, you resurrected a three year-old thread! LOL!

I think what you'd find in newer posts (hah!) is pretty much the same: Charge according to your ability/experience and what the market will bear. If you're getting those rates, you're happy, and the clients are happy, then you've got a good thing going. :)

K. Forman · July 14th, 2006, 09:45 PM

And Lorinda finally chimes in... I guess this thread is old ;)

Owen Dawe · July 14th, 2006, 09:52 PM

15 bucks an hour. 200 bucks a day, even half day. Heck!! :)

I'm totally disillusioned. This sounds like Kiwi down under rates.... and we thought you guys in Yankie land were making mega bucks. I must admit you've got it made though. A half day here is 5 hours and a full day ten hours. :)

Philip Gioja · July 14th, 2006, 10:17 PM

Right now I work for $30/hour as a blanket rate -- editing, shooting, basic website work, photography... it keeps my math simple. I do work for my church and a couple friends for a little less. Right now I still shoot with my trusty GL2.

Weddings I usually do as subcontracts with other videographers, and usually they run $300/day flat rate no matter how long the drive or the event. If it's unreasonable I'll bring that up, but it usually evens itself out. Even that settles out to be close to $30/hour.

I read somewhere once that when you're working for yourself you should charge twice what you want to make as an hourly rate, so I guess that means I make about $15/hour actual rate.

I want to work up to $50/hour at some future point, but right now I think it's a little unrealistic. I will probably raise it to $35 next year though.

January 8th, 2003, 01:17 AM	#1
Dylan Couper Wrangler Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Posts: 8,314	What rates do you charge? I'm curious to see what most people charge on an hourly/daily basis. So far I've charged by the job based on what they can pay, not based on an hourly rate. I'd like to set a rate for myself, so I'd like to get an idea of what I can reasonably charge. I don't want to set it too high and not get work, and I certainly don't want to undercharge. I know some of the more experienced people here charge considerably more.

January 8th, 2003, 01:22 AM	#2
Josh Bass Slash Rules! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 5,472	I'm a novice in the biz. . .but on the rare occasion that people ask my rates (most my gigs have been pro bono), I tell them 20 an hour if my camera is used, 15 if not. Remember, I'm a newbie. If you're a pro, don't scoff. __________________ The Bass' camerawork The Bass on IMDB

January 12th, 2003, 12:23 AM	#5
Dan Holly Major Player Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Anchorage, Alaska Posts: 336	Rates Dylan, I charge by the job ~99% of the time...... If the clients needs are difficult or unrealistic, we charge more to accommodate. I use an excel spread sheet to show all my cost, then mark them up by a rate that my partner and I can agree on. At this point we don't do weddings or events like that...so factor that in...... I've only had 2 clients that wanted to edit/produce the footage the we shot for them. When clients want us to come to a remote location, I have them pay for the transportation (float plane/boat/etc.) directly in advance. This way we don't have to worry about it, and they pay "their rates" for transportation. Most of the time they can get a better rate than I can, and we sell that as a cost savings to the client, and there is never a question of us marking it up. We used to use our boats to go to some remote client locations, but if something happens or you break down, you could potentially miss the customers window for the shoot etc. We only use our boats now, on our own films. __________________ Dan Holly Anchorage, Alaska

July 14th, 2006, 03:07 PM	#11
David Calvin Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Cupertino, Ca Posts: 63	Do you factor camera usage in with rates? We charge 200 per hour per camera. That includes Camera, operator, and all other gear that we bring (stabilizers, cranes, audio gear, whatever). And then $30 per hour for editing. We are in California. And we do a lot of specialty projects. Does this seem high?

July 14th, 2006, 09:29 PM	#12
Lorinda Norton Wrangler Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Southwest Idaho, USA Posts: 3,066	what the....? Dylan Couper asking about rates? Josh Bass a newbie? Jeff Donald posting??? David, you resurrected a three year-old thread! LOL! I think what you'd find in newer posts (hah!) is pretty much the same: Charge according to your ability/experience and what the market will bear. If you're getting those rates, you're happy, and the clients are happy, then you've got a good thing going. :) __________________ Lorinda

January 8th, 2003, 05:47 PM	#3
Dylan Couper Wrangler Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Posts: 8,314	I was thinking of charging $350us as a day rate, including use of both XL1's. $200us for a 1/2 day, 4 hours. $55us per hour. I've checked some rates localy, and many videographers (using XL1s) charge double that. Rental for a bare bones XL1 runs $100us on it's own in Vancouver.

January 8th, 2003, 10:01 PM	#4
Jeff Donald Warden Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 8,287	That seems fair for starting out. I would bump my hourly to $70 or $75 because of travel etc. Then they start to see where the day rate and 1/2 day rate are a good deal. Remember, it is very hard to raise rates. You will loose some of your old clients when you do. Just expect it. But you'll gain new clients because of your increased experience and better reel. jeff

January 12th, 2003, 08:59 AM	#6
K. Forman Capt. Quirk Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Middle of the woods in Georgia Posts: 3,596	I had a rate system that I used when I still had both my XL1s and GL1, and was activly working. I charged $50 an hour, per camera. That way I could pay the person on the other camera a decent rate, and most folks would only want to pay for what they needed. That meant, I wasn't standing around for two hours, and paying my camera operator to twiddle their thumbs. Set up and tear down were included in that time schedule. I also charged $15 an hour for editing. This rate was low, because most folks only wanted simple titles, cuts, etc. There was nobody to cause me grief in the edit room, and very little unexpected crap. ( Just between us, I love to edit, and would almost do it for nothing! But don't tell anyone! Shhh! :) Of course, once the video was finished, and the client decided what they wanted to do with it, there were expenses and time involved in transferring to the final media and duplicates. As your experience and equipment grow, so do your rates. Don't charge the same as a 10 year veteran if you are just starting. Be honest, but enthusiastic and confident, and you can do well if you are willing to work hard. Keith I never had much travel involved, so it was never an issue

January 12th, 2003, 09:02 AM	#7
Jeff Donald Warden Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 8,287	Keith, It's good to see you back and posting again. Jeff

January 12th, 2003, 06:49 PM	#8
Mark Argerake Major Player Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Murrieta, CA Posts: 227	A half day shotting rate ~ A full day shooting rate ~ A hourly editing rate ~ But what about flat fee packages for sporting events, concerts, weddings and stuff like that?

January 12th, 2003, 08:32 PM	#9
K. Forman Capt. Quirk Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Middle of the woods in Georgia Posts: 3,596	I think it would be foolish to offer a flat fee, mostly because you can't forsee everything. Plus, there are always those clients that will "could you just...", into a straight jacket or the poorhouse. At the very least, have an extra's rate to cover your butt. Keith P.S. Jeff- It's great to be back! I missed this place! Keith

January 15th, 2003, 11:44 PM	#10
Neil Fisher Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Saskatoon SK Canada Posts: 136	<<<--I was thinking of charging $350us as a day rate, including use of both XL1's. $200us for a 1/2 day, 4 hours. $55us per hour. I've checked some rates localy, and many videographers (using XL1s) charge double that. Rental for a bare bones XL1 runs $100us on it's own in Vancouver.-->>> I'll agree with you completely on that, the cost of renting a camera or hiring someone for the day in Vancouver is really high, I know of people who charge $600 CND just for filming a wedding, add another 700 for editing and post production (DVD & VHS stuff) your rates sound very resonable. If you know who your going to be working for can afford more don't be afraid to ask for more, people here ( and i'm sure you know ) have this problem of paying people to much. the vancouver consumers don't ever do any research.

July 14th, 2006, 09:45 PM	#13
K. Forman Capt. Quirk Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Middle of the woods in Georgia Posts: 3,596	And Lorinda finally chimes in... I guess this thread is old ;) __________________ www.SmokeWagonLeather.us

July 14th, 2006, 09:52 PM	#14
Owen Dawe Major Player Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Lake Tarawera, Rotorua, New Zealand Posts: 244	What's up you Yanks? 15 bucks an hour. 200 bucks a day, even half day. Heck!! :) I'm totally disillusioned. This sounds like Kiwi down under rates.... and we thought you guys in Yankie land were making mega bucks. I must admit you've got it made though. A half day here is 5 hours and a full day ten hours. :) __________________ Owen

July 14th, 2006, 10:17 PM	#15
Philip Gioja Major Player Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Piper City, IL Posts: 350	Right now I work for $30/hour as a blanket rate -- editing, shooting, basic website work, photography... it keeps my math simple. I do work for my church and a couple friends for a little less. Right now I still shoot with my trusty GL2. Weddings I usually do as subcontracts with other videographers, and usually they run $300/day flat rate no matter how long the drive or the event. If it's unreasonable I'll bring that up, but it usually evens itself out. Even that settles out to be close to $30/hour. I read somewhere once that when you're working for yourself you should charge twice what you want to make as an hourly rate, so I guess that means I make about $15/hour actual rate. I want to work up to $50/hour at some future point, but right now I think it's a little unrealistic. I will probably raise it to $35 next year though.