Urgent-HVX DAILY RATE

D

Digital Angel

Active member
hi guys and gals

hope u can help me quick on this one. I need to give somone a quote for a days work, me and my HVX for some promotional thing. What is a reasonable wage for the day that i shuld ask for in your opinions?

please respond fast if you can, thank you
 
Are you in the United Arab Emirates ? Because I don't knwo what things go for there but for an HVX i wouldn't charge less that 500USD and day
 
SilverWolf said:
Are you in the United Arab Emirates ? Because I don't knwo what things go for there but for an HVX i wouldn't charge less that 500USD and day
Click to expand...

I concur. $350/day for HD is too low.
 
Depends on your skill as a shooter, obviously. Here in the States $600/day for a competent shooter would be too low. The HVX alone can rent for $400/day. HVX package plus shooter should be in the $800 range. Of course, the better you are, the more you can charge.
 
I based my rate on half a varicam rate.. plus my old DV rates were 600 a day. So, I've bumped up to 750 for the HVX with cards and p2store. That's also based on a 10 hour day with a 30min to 1 hr lunch. If they want mikes, lights, grip gear, audio recorder or whatever else then I have a package price of 1250. It has been pretty well received and still a lot cheaper for low-budget or mid-budget projects.

Sure, it's not a varicam so ya can't get those rates... but its pretty darn good image with no one complaining about it... just praising it right now!
 
I think you should research the market in your area, especially if you don't have a good established reputation. With my reputation with focus ability, (camera lens and mental) my fair market value is $2.27 per hour plus all the lemonaide I can drink.
 
This client was admiring the documentary i shot, well am editing now but gave the owner of the shop some preliminary footage. He was showing it off to a friend of his who happened to be an advertiser. I make connections here and there, but considering the average wage here is 400$ a month, people pay very little for video, they kinda dont get what the fuss is about, untill u show em what u can do, even then they still think money. Idealy i would charge them 2000 to 2500 dirhams. But i gave i high quote and they couldnt deal with it, so i lowed slightly with negotiation. Wish i was in the states, would be more profitable im sure. Not to say there are not truck loads of cash going arround in land cruisers here, they just dont like to spend it ;)
 
My standard quote is $250 for the first hour, $75 each hour after that. (The client only hears the $75 per hour, which sounds cheap, but the hourly rate keeps them from trying to keep you as long as possible, as they use to do with a "day rate").

I do more short, less than a day stuff, so I need it to be worth the loading and unloading the vehicle, which I don't charge for. My time starts when I record the first frame, and ends when all my bags are packed. I use time of day time code, so there is no misunderstanding on the time. If I am set up and ready, but they are not, I might grab some b roll stuff just to start the time. Time is never an issue unless it is for a 3 hour gig. They seem to be the cheap skates wanting to stretch the dollar.

Price includes the HVX200, P2 store , and cards. Editing is extra.

Lights and assisted sound (anything that requires an operator other than myself) is extra.

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DV rates are $150 for the first hour, and $50 each hour after that.


I might do work as a second camera person for someone else for $350 a day using their stuff.

I might discount it for stuff I might enjoy. e.g. indie films, bikini contests, etc.
 
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The hourly rate thing is a sweet idea as well. Probably a better protection over getting beat up on a day rate... However, sometimes a 10 hour day that you only work 5 or 6 hours is still pretty sweet.
 
I got $1250 a day for me, my dvx and our 3ton grip truck. From VH1 shooting in my home town of Wilmington NC. I don't do the dayrate thing, as we are a full service production company, it's per project not per day but this gig came about from a sizzler we did that got some attention for a Pilot. They wanted me to shoot because of my style on the sizzler.

sizzler can be seen here:
www.madisonrosemusic.com

We also produced the website.
 
nice vid. its a tough choice, usualy its a day rate thing here. But breaking the mould might be a good thing to do. What do u guys charge for editing?
 
Usually $550 / 10 hr. day. Will go down to $300 for the really right gig (and 8-hour day). Believe it or not, there's a lot of television in Denver.
 
The standard rate in San Francisco for the camera seems to be $300 for the bare camera + $25@ 4Gig card , $50 @ 8 Gig card then additional $25 for tripod and $25 for an 8045 8" SD monitor. Basically somewhere around $400-$450 for basic package . Sound & lighting extra so full production package with light kit & audio $400- $500.
Labor rates vary but $600+ would be basic for an experienced shooter 10hr day. 66- 70% for a 5 hour half day - no hourly's.
HD monitoring can get expensive and varies a lot. My buddy rents his panasonic 17" for $150 but other places get $200.
Of course you always cut deals for some clients but that is pretty basic .

My suggestion is not to under charge for this camera or your labor. I understand we all need to work, but we all need to make a living adult wage as well.
If you don't already have a family you will someday and no one can afford to raise kids on cut rate deals.
 
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yeah.. for friends sure you can pull favours, but quoting for $350 a day with camera just hurts everyone.
 
for a DV shooter, about $500/day sounds right for cable networks... it's not considered a true ENG package... most clients are scared of P2...

btw, some productiion managers try the trick of hiring you as a shooter, no equipment and try to provide one of their crappy dv cameras. b/c they are trying to save a buck, but i tell them to jump in a lake.
 
Yeah, I agree as a shooter, but as an indie producer I can't help but compare these rates to what I paid my SAG cast on an ultra-low budget agreement last year. Every one of my acttors worked for $100 a day with payments into pension and health funds and promise of residuals. In other words, because they wanted to be part of the project. And these are not cut-rate SAG actors, but working professionals, three of whom are on currently running network TV, one of whom has won an Emmy. And then I factor in $500 a day on a 21-day shoot costing me $6500, and the choice to buy or hire someone becomes tough. Even at Jarred's lowball estimate of $350 on a 10-hour day, we're talking $35 an hour. There are so many people in this country working for half that.
I know, I know: equipment cost, travel costs, health insurance, etc. But for low- budget producers, it looks a lot different. While shooters and other crew are making a decent living, we're still working second jobs to make these productions happen. Many, if not most, independent features never make a profit, remember. So $1,000 day rates for a shooter with a $10,000 camera can be hard to justify.
But take all of this with a huge grain of salt. We do not make commercials or corporate work. We make low-budget independent films. For those with an HVX wanting to make a decent living, there is always a lot of commercial, reality, corporate and stock footage work out there. Not everyone is wanting to work in feature films.
Ultimately, though, my point is that ALL of us are trying to make a living; crew, cast and producers. I hope we all can.
 
I don't think 350USD (roughly $385CDN) is too low, not for a client who has a tight budget. I still cover my expenses. Trust me, I'd much rather be charging $500 - $750, and that's usually what I charge, but I also don't like to turn clients away. I certainly let them know what I normally charge so they know that I am accomodating their budget. this seems to bring that same client back for more when they have more projects and more of a budget.
 
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