Wedding Fusion Video Editing Rates? at DVinfo.net

Austin Harrison · November 28th, 2011, 12:38 PM

I have been presented with an opportunity to do some work for a professional photographer here in the Milwaukee, WI area and what he is looking to have done is some 'fusion videos' made up of his photos and some bits of footage. He's looking for something in the 8-10 minute range per video. I am just curious to hear what some of you would think a reasonable price would be to charge him per video. I know there's a lot of variables that can determine rates but assuming a "mid-level" editor in the Milwaukee area. What do you think?

Austin Harrison · November 28th, 2011, 12:54 PM

My biggest concern is not selling myself short yet not throwing a number out there that will be scoffed at and I'll be sent out the door.

Jeff Harper · November 28th, 2011, 04:22 PM

I'm not a pricing expert, but my thought is that you would need to get a handle on two thing before offering a price.

1st you'd want to know what he's going to give you. I'm thinking you could ask him to provide you with video and photo files from a project that would resemble what he would give you, to get a firm idea of what you'd be getting into. Or just have him show you at his office. But you would need to stress that it's important that what he shows you is typical of what you'd edit down the road.

2nd I would want to know what he expects, and ask him to provide you links to web videos that resemble what he wants, as I'm sure he has a good idea.

You absolutely cannot price this accurately until you have this bare minimum of info, IMO. From there you just figure out what the minimum you could do the work without feeling taken advantage, and go up from there.

Austin Harrison · November 28th, 2011, 04:51 PM

Okay, great tips! Thank you, I appreciate the response.

Kawika Ohumukini · November 28th, 2011, 05:14 PM

Good tips. If I understand a fusion video, it's combining photos and video into one video. Here's a couple thoughts based on one I did for my Niece (which took me a whole day because I was still learning how to do it). I am not an expert, this is just based on a few personal projects.

The amount of work ranges from him providing all the media with a timeline all the way to here's a link to my online album now go download the pictures, figure out how to put it together and be interesting and oh yeah, find some good music to sync to.

Questions:

- Is there going to be music that he wants the pictures to hit the beats on. CYA on the copyright issues. This is easy once you have the flow down but it can be challenging to capture the mood.

- Get the total number of images he wants in the video. Editing 30 videos is pretty easy, 50 is tougher, 100 is a major job, imo.

- Ask about color correction tasks (i.e. did he already color correct the photos or is that something he wants you to do).

- Does he want the video on-screen the whole time or have it interwoven into the timeline?

- Is there a prime photo you can use as a background? I look for pictures where the couple is off to a side which leaves an open area for the video and/or photos.

If I knew what I was doing and someone asked me to do this for them and they provided everything then it's just editing and that's less than if they had no real idea what they wanted. In that case I'm wearing all the hats and it would be double or triple the editor only price.

If you want to see the one I did it's here: Cory and Jessikas Wedding - YouTube

The video was from my iPhone4 and the pics were from the hired photographer. They were never meant to put together and I struggled to figure out how to give her a portrait iPhone video on YouTube until I saw the background picture. I can think of a dozen things I'd do differently but it's done so I'm moving on to my next nieces wedding where I actually used the XA10 and D7000.

Just some thoughts. GL

Austin Harrison · November 28th, 2011, 05:22 PM

Thanks for the response!! The more helpful tips/ideas I can get, the better! I didn't take a couple of these things really into consideration.

Now another question... Would it be wrong for me to ask a price slightly above what I'd really be willing to do it for and say that I am willing to negotiate my pricing based on his budget. Or is this just asking for him to try and lowball me? Would it be better just to ask the slightly higher price and see what he says, go from there.... OR do I just ask exactly what I would be happy doing it for and hope he doesn't try to low ball me from there?

I'm not very good at my pricing quite yet so I'm just learning the best way of doing things still. Thanks guys! I really appreciate all the help!

Austin Harrison · November 28th, 2011, 05:24 PM

I should add, my goal isn't necessarily to try to get more pay than I'm really willing to do it for.. rather, I don't want to put my "best offer" on the table from the start and have him try to talk me down to something I'm hesitant of even taking the job for. You know what I mean?

Don Bloom · November 28th, 2011, 10:17 PM

There are 2 schools of thought. 1) Ask more than you spec for the job so you can negotiate or 2) ask for what the job is worth to you and stick to your guns. For instance, I had a guy that I had been editing for for 3 years for a certain amount of money. Long form nothing out of the ordinary pretty simple but I put as much effort into his edits as my own. After all, it's my name as well. So this year he says business is down and he can only pay a certain percentage of what he was paying me before. While my immediate reaction in my head was not a chance I said tell me how much and if it's doable I will otherwise I won't. He told me the dollar amount and all I said to him was "it's been nice doing your work, I appreciate the opportunity to make some extra cash but I'm not doing the same work for 45% less than what you had been paying me" End of story. He was good for about 10 edits a year but frankly it wasn't worth taking a 45% pay cut. Personally I make my proposal and stick with it.A very wealthy friend of mine once told me that if you're will to negotiate your price than you should have priced it lower to start with so you don't have to go thru the headaches of negotiations. Not to mention the fact that if you lower your price you lower the perceived value of the work/product/service. this isn't me talking this is a guy that is a multimillionaire many times over and a good friend. When I took that advice to heart about 20 years ago it made my life easier. I tell them my price, explain what they are getting for it and they either buy it or they don't. Don't get me wrong, if I have to throw in an extra DVD or 2 to get the work fine but it's a fine line.
Just my thoughts. your business, your choice. How much do you want the work.

Keith Dobie · November 29th, 2011, 03:09 AM

Good advice already given, but would just add that you don't have to set a rate and be stuck with it forever. Could do the first one at a modest rate to discover how much time it takes, the work flow, and how you like working with him – and let him know you'll be talking again about price after the first one is done. I'm guessing you've seen articles on how to figure out your hourly rate. So make sure you look at the big picture and the survival of your business long term. We all know that a lot of creatives tend to undercharge, so please make sure you're getting a rate that makes it worthwhile. The other thing is that price isn't the only "hot button" for your client. They also value how reliable and trustworthy you are, how quickly you get the work done, how easy you are to deal with, and of course how good your work is. So please make sure you sell those benefits, and don't just make it about price. Good luck!

Chris Bryan · December 1st, 2011, 11:45 AM

I'd ask to see a sample of what he's looking for. Based on that, I'd think about using Animoto for your needs, just upload the photos, videos and a song and they produce the video for you, you can then tweak it on Animoto, or even download the mp4 file and tweak it in your editing software.

Mike Watson · December 7th, 2011, 01:58 AM

I have a day rate that I base *everything* off of. That's what it costs to hire me plus my stuff for a day. (I also have a half-day rate, but me personally, I don't have an hourly rate, you have to get me for the half-day.)

I'd figure out in my head how long it would take me to do a good job, multiply that times the day rate, and then give him that.

"I charge $5/day, and I think it'll take about two days. So it'll cost $10."

And if he comes back and says he was thinking more like $3, you can say "Sure! I was planning on giving it two days worth of effort, but I'd love to give you the half-day version instead." Depending on what you think you can do with the budget he's given you, you can either suggest maybe he pop for one full day (instead of his half day, or your two days).

George Kilroy · December 7th, 2011, 07:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Watson

"I charge $5/day, and I think it'll take about two days. So it'll cost $10."

Can I sub you to do all my work at that price?

Mike Watson · December 7th, 2011, 10:59 AM

If I wrote my real rates, a) OP would use that number, with no consideration for his location or level of talent, and b) we'd have to have a three page debate on how anyone hires me when I charge so much, how can I feed my family when I charge so little, etc, etc, ad nauseam.

November 28th, 2011, 12:38 PM	#1
Austin Harrison New Boot Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Stoughton, WI Posts: 9	Wedding Fusion Video Editing Rates? I have been presented with an opportunity to do some work for a professional photographer here in the Milwaukee, WI area and what he is looking to have done is some 'fusion videos' made up of his photos and some bits of footage. He's looking for something in the 8-10 minute range per video. I am just curious to hear what some of you would think a reasonable price would be to charge him per video. I know there's a lot of variables that can determine rates but assuming a "mid-level" editor in the Milwaukee area. What do you think?

November 28th, 2011, 04:22 PM	#3
Jeff Harper Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 8,425	Re: Wedding Fusion Video Editing Rates? I'm not a pricing expert, but my thought is that you would need to get a handle on two thing before offering a price. 1st you'd want to know what he's going to give you. I'm thinking you could ask him to provide you with video and photo files from a project that would resemble what he would give you, to get a firm idea of what you'd be getting into. Or just have him show you at his office. But you would need to stress that it's important that what he shows you is typical of what you'd edit down the road. 2nd I would want to know what he expects, and ask him to provide you links to web videos that resemble what he wants, as I'm sure he has a good idea. You absolutely cannot price this accurately until you have this bare minimum of info, IMO. From there you just figure out what the minimum you could do the work without feeling taken advantage, and go up from there. __________________ "The horror of what I saw on the timeline cannot be described."

November 28th, 2011, 05:14 PM	#5
Kawika Ohumukini Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 185	Re: Wedding Fusion Video Editing Rates? Good tips. If I understand a fusion video, it's combining photos and video into one video. Here's a couple thoughts based on one I did for my Niece (which took me a whole day because I was still learning how to do it). I am not an expert, this is just based on a few personal projects. The amount of work ranges from him providing all the media with a timeline all the way to here's a link to my online album now go download the pictures, figure out how to put it together and be interesting and oh yeah, find some good music to sync to. Questions: - Is there going to be music that he wants the pictures to hit the beats on. CYA on the copyright issues. This is easy once you have the flow down but it can be challenging to capture the mood. - Get the total number of images he wants in the video. Editing 30 videos is pretty easy, 50 is tougher, 100 is a major job, imo. - Ask about color correction tasks (i.e. did he already color correct the photos or is that something he wants you to do). - Does he want the video on-screen the whole time or have it interwoven into the timeline? - Is there a prime photo you can use as a background? I look for pictures where the couple is off to a side which leaves an open area for the video and/or photos. If I knew what I was doing and someone asked me to do this for them and they provided everything then it's just editing and that's less than if they had no real idea what they wanted. In that case I'm wearing all the hats and it would be double or triple the editor only price. If you want to see the one I did it's here: Cory and Jessikas Wedding - YouTube The video was from my iPhone4 and the pics were from the hired photographer. They were never meant to put together and I struggled to figure out how to give her a portrait iPhone video on YouTube until I saw the background picture. I can think of a dozen things I'd do differently but it's done so I'm moving on to my next nieces wedding where I actually used the XA10 and D7000. Just some thoughts. GL

November 28th, 2011, 10:17 PM	#8
Don Bloom Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,609	Re: Wedding Fusion Video Editing Rates? There are 2 schools of thought. 1) Ask more than you spec for the job so you can negotiate or 2) ask for what the job is worth to you and stick to your guns. For instance, I had a guy that I had been editing for for 3 years for a certain amount of money. Long form nothing out of the ordinary pretty simple but I put as much effort into his edits as my own. After all, it's my name as well. So this year he says business is down and he can only pay a certain percentage of what he was paying me before. While my immediate reaction in my head was not a chance I said tell me how much and if it's doable I will otherwise I won't. He told me the dollar amount and all I said to him was "it's been nice doing your work, I appreciate the opportunity to make some extra cash but I'm not doing the same work for 45% less than what you had been paying me" End of story. He was good for about 10 edits a year but frankly it wasn't worth taking a 45% pay cut. Personally I make my proposal and stick with it.A very wealthy friend of mine once told me that if you're will to negotiate your price than you should have priced it lower to start with so you don't have to go thru the headaches of negotiations. Not to mention the fact that if you lower your price you lower the perceived value of the work/product/service. this isn't me talking this is a guy that is a multimillionaire many times over and a good friend. When I took that advice to heart about 20 years ago it made my life easier. I tell them my price, explain what they are getting for it and they either buy it or they don't. Don't get me wrong, if I have to throw in an extra DVD or 2 to get the work fine but it's a fine line. Just my thoughts. your business, your choice. How much do you want the work. __________________ What do I know? I'm just a video-O-grafer. Don

November 29th, 2011, 03:09 AM	#9
Keith Dobie Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada Posts: 172	Re: Wedding Fusion Video Editing Rates? Good advice already given, but would just add that you don't have to set a rate and be stuck with it forever. Could do the first one at a modest rate to discover how much time it takes, the work flow, and how you like working with him – and let him know you'll be talking again about price after the first one is done. I'm guessing you've seen articles on how to figure out your hourly rate. So make sure you look at the big picture and the survival of your business long term. We all know that a lot of creatives tend to undercharge, so please make sure you're getting a rate that makes it worthwhile. The other thing is that price isn't the only "hot button" for your client. They also value how reliable and trustworthy you are, how quickly you get the work done, how easy you are to deal with, and of course how good your work is. So please make sure you sell those benefits, and don't just make it about price. Good luck!

November 28th, 2011, 12:54 PM	#2
Austin Harrison New Boot Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Stoughton, WI Posts: 9	My biggest concern is not selling myself short yet not throwing a number out there that will be scoffed at and I'll be sent out the door.

November 28th, 2011, 04:51 PM	#4
Austin Harrison New Boot Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Stoughton, WI Posts: 9	Okay, great tips! Thank you, I appreciate the response.

November 28th, 2011, 05:22 PM	#6
Austin Harrison New Boot Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Stoughton, WI Posts: 9	Thanks for the response!! The more helpful tips/ideas I can get, the better! I didn't take a couple of these things really into consideration. Now another question... Would it be wrong for me to ask a price slightly above what I'd really be willing to do it for and say that I am willing to negotiate my pricing based on his budget. Or is this just asking for him to try and lowball me? Would it be better just to ask the slightly higher price and see what he says, go from there.... OR do I just ask exactly what I would be happy doing it for and hope he doesn't try to low ball me from there? I'm not very good at my pricing quite yet so I'm just learning the best way of doing things still. Thanks guys! I really appreciate all the help!

November 28th, 2011, 05:24 PM	#7
Austin Harrison New Boot Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Stoughton, WI Posts: 9	I should add, my goal isn't necessarily to try to get more pay than I'm really willing to do it for.. rather, I don't want to put my "best offer" on the table from the start and have him try to talk me down to something I'm hesitant of even taking the job for. You know what I mean?

December 1st, 2011, 11:45 AM	#10
Chris Bryan Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: New York, NY Posts: 78	Re: Wedding Fusion Video Editing Rates? I'd ask to see a sample of what he's looking for. Based on that, I'd think about using Animoto for your needs, just upload the photos, videos and a song and they produce the video for you, you can then tweak it on Animoto, or even download the mp4 file and tweak it in your editing software.

December 7th, 2011, 01:58 AM	#11
Mike Watson Trustee Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 1,082	Re: Wedding Fusion Video Editing Rates? I have a day rate that I base everything off of. That's what it costs to hire me plus my stuff for a day. (I also have a half-day rate, but me personally, I don't have an hourly rate, you have to get me for the half-day.) I'd figure out in my head how long it would take me to do a good job, multiply that times the day rate, and then give him that. "I charge $5/day, and I think it'll take about two days. So it'll cost $10." And if he comes back and says he was thinking more like $3, you can say "Sure! I was planning on giving it two days worth of effort, but I'd love to give you the half-day version instead." Depending on what you think you can do with the budget he's given you, you can either suggest maybe he pop for one full day (instead of his half day, or your two days).

December 7th, 2011, 10:59 AM	#13
Mike Watson Trustee Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 1,082	Re: Wedding Fusion Video Editing Rates? If I wrote my real rates, a) OP would use that number, with no consideration for his location or level of talent, and b) we'd have to have a three page debate on how anyone hires me when I charge so much, how can I feed my family when I charge so little, etc, etc, ad nauseam.