Need help with coming up with a quote!! at DVinfo.net

Shawn Legg · February 19th, 2010, 03:56 PM

Hi Guys I just got this email from a new client, I am still new to this and usually only do weddings, what type of rate would you charge for this type of project.

_
Thanks
______________________________________________________________________

Hello,

I need to get some information form you:

I need a quote for the following:

· Taping the press conference on March 4th from noon-1pm and having a live-feed to a monitor on-stage

· Taping all the seminars in the show Friday 1-8, Saturday 11-8, and Sunday 11-5:00 and have a live-feed to a monitor on stage

· Creating 200 4 minute promo DVDs for the Show

· Giving us all the raw footage from the show

James Miller · February 19th, 2010, 04:12 PM

· Taping the press conference on March 4th from noon-1pm and having a live-feed to a monitor on-stage
*£180

· Taping all the seminars in the show Friday 1-8, Saturday 11-8, and Sunday 11-5:00 and have a live-feed to a monitor on stage

£420 / £540 / £360

· Creating 200 4 minute promo DVDs for the Show

£600

· Giving us all the raw footage from the show

£160

(UK Sterling)

Total £2260
*Dependent on getting the other jobs.

Ethan Cooper · February 19th, 2010, 04:19 PM

You might want to figure out what they mean by "create 4 minute promo dvd of the show" If they are expecting heavy editing and graphics in this promo then that changes things significantly over just burning out 200 DVD's. Who is providing the design work for the discs/cases? Lots of little details that can bite you in the backside if you gloss over them and slap an arbitrary price on it.

Get all the details you can, put it in detailed writing in the contract and be sure to add in a line about "additional services requested that are not included in this contract to be billed out at x/hr". Always, always, always cover your butt.

Philip Howells · February 19th, 2010, 10:20 PM

This spec is nonsense. There's simply too much missing to give any sensible quote.

Press Conference - how many speakers, who's micing them? Are you getting a split feed from the mixing desk? Who's recording the questioners? How are you intending to video/sound record the questioners? Who chooses content for the DVD? who's doing the live video mix?

Seminars
Are the seminars concurrent or sequential? How many speakers are there in the seminars? Are they mic'd up or will you have to mic them up for the recording? Don't rely on the PA - I attended a couple of seminars at the "Broadcast" exhibition in London a couple of days ago and the PA mixer was so bad we lost the first two sentences of every speakers' presentation/reply. How many cameras are you using for each seminar, bearing in mind even the News has at least three these days? Who's doing the live vision mix?

DVDs
As Ethan wrote there's no spec for the DVD's, their structure, style, editing, presentation etc. To quote without knowing this is simply blowing in the wind.

Any quote for any job should consist of (and this isn't exhaustive):

Cost of staff time including yours - daily rate - unless you can get half a day's paid work.

Cost of gear - easiest to base this on rental - allow for delivery and return to owners

Cost of consumables

Cost of getting to and from venue, food, drink, tips to people who help and facilitate things, licences and all ancillaries, as necessary.

Cost of editing

Cost of publication, delivery

Cost of creative input - this is your skill and brilliance as a programme maker - if you don't include this then you're simply a cameraman/sound man/editor taking instructions

Cost of credit if you have to give them 30/60/90 days to pay

Sub-total

Profit (a percentage of the subtotal, typically 50% minimum - remember this has to cover not just your businesses' profit - the sole reason you have a business - but the job's share of the costs of running your business, rent, taxes, fees, car, bank charges, advertising, promotion etc).

If they applied this sort of professional criteria to a typical bottom end wedding quote, people considering coming into the business would worry less about which mic or tripod to choose.

Sorry if you were hoping for a simple bottom line Shawn, but it is the real world, honestly.

Tim Polster · February 19th, 2010, 11:00 PM

I see the need for a middle ground.

This is a "normal" list from a client. It is challenging, but you really need to find ways to give hard numbers on this type of information.

I think the best way is to give an overall number with itemization in the different parts to break it down.

I find most entities have a number for everything they do. If you pricing is above that, then they usually shave off the services to get your number down to their number.

It is a polite game of seeing what one can get for as little as possible.

Often, honest ignorance plays into the plans for your tasks not know how much really goes into what we do. So always protect yourself from a bottom line point of view. It is the business world and everybody expects to pay for good stuff.

That is quite a list and if they want multi-cam it really goes up. It will be a nice job if you can price it correctly.

But this might be an exporatory quote as well...

Shawn Legg · February 20th, 2010, 03:01 AM

Thanks a lot for the replies. I am meeting with them on Monday morning to find out more. I guess I just wanted a ball park, I don't have to have the quote when I see them Monday, so at least I have some good questions to ask before I come up with a number.

This is the part of the business I really hate, I just want to shoot and edit, and let someone else deal with the client, but still get all the money :)

February 19th, 2010, 03:56 PM	#1
Shawn Legg Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Hamilton, ONTARIO Posts: 29	Need help with coming up with a quote!! Hi Guys I just got this email from a new client, I am still new to this and usually only do weddings, what type of rate would you charge for this type of project. _ Thanks ______________________________________________________________________ Hello, I need to get some information form you: I need a quote for the following: · Taping the press conference on March 4th from noon-1pm and having a live-feed to a monitor on-stage · Taping all the seminars in the show Friday 1-8, Saturday 11-8, and Sunday 11-5:00 and have a live-feed to a monitor on stage · Creating 200 4 minute promo DVDs for the Show · Giving us all the raw footage from the show

February 19th, 2010, 04:19 PM	#3
Ethan Cooper Trustee Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Houma, La. Posts: 1,400 Images: 5	You might want to figure out what they mean by "create 4 minute promo dvd of the show" If they are expecting heavy editing and graphics in this promo then that changes things significantly over just burning out 200 DVD's. Who is providing the design work for the discs/cases? Lots of little details that can bite you in the backside if you gloss over them and slap an arbitrary price on it. Get all the details you can, put it in detailed writing in the contract and be sure to add in a line about "additional services requested that are not included in this contract to be billed out at x/hr". Always, always, always cover your butt. __________________ ∅ -Ethan Cooper

February 19th, 2010, 04:12 PM	#2
James Miller Major Player Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Sussex, UK Posts: 317	· Taping the press conference on March 4th from noon-1pm and having a live-feed to a monitor on-stage £180 · Taping all the seminars in the show Friday 1-8, Saturday 11-8, and Sunday 11-5:00 and have a live-feed to a monitor on stage £420 / £540 / £360 · Creating 200 4 minute promo DVDs for the Show £600 · Giving us all the raw footage from the show £160 (UK Sterling) Total £2260 Dependent on getting the other jobs.

February 19th, 2010, 10:20 PM	#4
Philip Howells Trustee Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Manchester UK Posts: 1,212	This spec is nonsense. There's simply too much missing to give any sensible quote. Press Conference - how many speakers, who's micing them? Are you getting a split feed from the mixing desk? Who's recording the questioners? How are you intending to video/sound record the questioners? Who chooses content for the DVD? who's doing the live video mix? Seminars Are the seminars concurrent or sequential? How many speakers are there in the seminars? Are they mic'd up or will you have to mic them up for the recording? Don't rely on the PA - I attended a couple of seminars at the "Broadcast" exhibition in London a couple of days ago and the PA mixer was so bad we lost the first two sentences of every speakers' presentation/reply. How many cameras are you using for each seminar, bearing in mind even the News has at least three these days? Who's doing the live vision mix? DVDs As Ethan wrote there's no spec for the DVD's, their structure, style, editing, presentation etc. To quote without knowing this is simply blowing in the wind. Any quote for any job should consist of (and this isn't exhaustive): Cost of staff time including yours - daily rate - unless you can get half a day's paid work. Cost of gear - easiest to base this on rental - allow for delivery and return to owners Cost of consumables Cost of getting to and from venue, food, drink, tips to people who help and facilitate things, licences and all ancillaries, as necessary. Cost of editing Cost of publication, delivery Cost of creative input - this is your skill and brilliance as a programme maker - if you don't include this then you're simply a cameraman/sound man/editor taking instructions Cost of credit if you have to give them 30/60/90 days to pay Sub-total Profit (a percentage of the subtotal, typically 50% minimum - remember this has to cover not just your businesses' profit - the sole reason you have a business - but the job's share of the costs of running your business, rent, taxes, fees, car, bank charges, advertising, promotion etc). If they applied this sort of professional criteria to a typical bottom end wedding quote, people considering coming into the business would worry less about which mic or tripod to choose. Sorry if you were hoping for a simple bottom line Shawn, but it is the real world, honestly.

February 19th, 2010, 11:00 PM	#5
Tim Polster Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Arlington, TX Posts: 2,231	I see the need for a middle ground. This is a "normal" list from a client. It is challenging, but you really need to find ways to give hard numbers on this type of information. I think the best way is to give an overall number with itemization in the different parts to break it down. I find most entities have a number for everything they do. If you pricing is above that, then they usually shave off the services to get your number down to their number. It is a polite game of seeing what one can get for as little as possible. Often, honest ignorance plays into the plans for your tasks not know how much really goes into what we do. So always protect yourself from a bottom line point of view. It is the business world and everybody expects to pay for good stuff. That is quite a list and if they want multi-cam it really goes up. It will be a nice job if you can price it correctly. But this might be an exporatory quote as well...

February 20th, 2010, 03:01 AM	#6
Shawn Legg Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Hamilton, ONTARIO Posts: 29	Thanks a lot for the replies. I am meeting with them on Monday morning to find out more. I guess I just wanted a ball park, I don't have to have the quote when I see them Monday, so at least I have some good questions to ask before I come up with a number. This is the part of the business I really hate, I just want to shoot and edit, and let someone else deal with the client, but still get all the money :)