Advice on Pricing a job PLEASE

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dus10

Well-known member
Fast forward to the good stuff:

Each week our team (myself running camera and a sound man) will be filming in a classroom for two days, breaking for a day to edit and upload to the website, then back for two days and editing/uploading a second time. 6 day weeks basically, for roughly 35 weeks. October - June excluding any holiday weeks or final/midterm weeks.

All gear will be purchased by the university that is funding this project, so I really just need to know where to start the negotiations for salary for the two of us. There will be supplemental material that needs to be recorded/edited for the site, probably on a monthly basis.

There are talks of full health benefits and free classes since it is a university... but that aside, what should something like this cost?? I know what the rates are as a freelancer for sound and camera op and then editing... but long term, solid/guaranteed work cuts that rate down a bit.

Thanks for your input in advance!!!!
 
Take what you would charge as a freelancer, reduce it due to the lack of equipment costs, reduce it further if the final value sounds too high, negotiate from there. No one here can give you specifics because every situation is so unique. But base it on what you'd charge for a day rate normally, adjust as needed. Free classes would be a big deal, factor that in as in kind payment if it goes through. Make sure you're getting a living wage to make it worth your time at least.
 
Not sure what kind of gear you have, but maybe this would be a good chance for you to get some. If you could use the gear, work it into the cost and take a hit on your hourly wage.

If they claim that they want to keep it on hand for students to use, I have 3 closets full of "broken" gear that is well over $225,000.00 that was purchased for such. It last 6 months to year, then is considered too old, or it breaks from the abuse of people using it who do not understand the value.

I would have not trouble doing something like this for about $500.00 a day to be split between the sound man and myself if I was getting some new gear out of it I could use for other jobs down the road. Otherwise, I would be at $500.00 a day myself (normally $1200-$1500 a day, but because it is a long term, it works out better and provides more work).

This is just what I would do with it.

What ever you decide to do, "Good Luck" and I hope it leads to more work for both of you.
 
I'd walk then. You can't expect a brother to commit all those days he would have otherwise billed full rate.
 
I am learning more and more as we go along. It is a group seeking a grant to fund this... and a University will be hosting the site where the videos will be uploaded to. The videos are just the tool to get students/families to go to the site and then use the additional resources to learn more about biology etc....

BUT, the company will be buying the gear for this project, which I will be keeping (at least during the 9-10 months of school session). I figure it will be a memory card based HD cam, with enough cards to film a few hours without offloading, and then a wireless mic and boom setup. And then macbook pro and final cut (academic???) With additions when needed, but for what they want I think this will be more than enough.

I asked a producer I was on set with today and he said we should start at something like $3000 (combined) a week, based on 4 shooting days. I still need to figure out the workflow bc the girl putting this together expects instant uploads after editing and doesnt really understand that she/others will need ot approve material before it hits a university's website.
 
if your looking for work flow simplicity have them buy firestores, if of course your shooting with panny cameras. In a fixed location they work great, you can get 278 min of record time on a 250 gb drive and they are simple and relatively fast to import with via firewire. As for price id say do a percentage of what you would expect to make for the year if you were not doing their gig. Base it off what you made last year and what your goal or expected income for this year would be. Take the 35 weeks which is like 67% of the year and base it off say $100,000.00 of income for that time frame. So it would be like $67,000 for the shoot. It's also a university so know that if you need help with shooting, editing and post you can put some flyers up around the school to get some interns helping you out. Also make mention of that to the folks your doing the quote for cause if you can involve the colleges students then they will be even more stoked on you and what your doing. Just some thoughts, hope it helps. Good Luck!!
 
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One thing that you need to watch is being nicely ''emotionally black mailed" by a client. Because they are helping with equipment costs and giving you free classes, etc it can easily turn into a nasty situation. Why?

Well, when a client thinks they are doing you a nice favour and "giving you a good break" they expect you to help them out. E.g. Expecting you to do heaps more editing because "we've gone out of our way to help you". I've had this sort of thing happen to me and it quickly turns into a bit of a nightmare because when a client doesn't appreciate or truly value your service getting stuff approved can take way too long and throw your schedule out drastically. E.g. Need approval by the 5th, they look at it on the 12th and want a bunch of changes that will take hours!


Also an approach that works well is to create several packages. E.g. for 25 000 we will do x weeks and for 60 k .... and for 100k xyz. Very quickly you realise how serious they are if they choose the 100k package GREAT! if they choose the lowest it is also good, why becuase you won't have to deal with them feeling they were "ripped off" later and therefore telling others you are "too expensive, don't hire him".


That's just a few things I have discovered.

Sbailey
SHON PRODUCTIONS 'Film & Video'
www.shonproductions.com
 
grinner said:
I'd walk then. You can't expect a brother to commit all those days he would have otherwise billed full rate.
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And I wouldnt expect you to either Grinner.

But these guys are students? How would you rate yourself against a working professional?
 
This looks like a salaried position to me - for one person (camera / editor) going about 50 - 60 hours a week. The second position (audio, unless also editing) is more like 30 - 40 hours per week. If you take two positions at a standard lower day rate of $550 / 10hr day x 35 weeks, you get $192,500.

You'd have to be bringing a huge amount of revenue to justify that salary at most universities as you would effectively be there in a services capacity. My bet is that they have about $55 - $70k for the project in the labor detail plus benefits.

Since this is bound to be your year (and by bound, I mean trapped!), I'd look at the job as a salaried position and try not to bid it as we would a shorter-term contract. You should ask what "the range" is - as they are bound to have something in mind already.

e
 
Noel Evans said:
And I wouldnt expect you to either Grinner.

But these guys are students? How would you rate yourself against a working professional?
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Because they'd have to pay a working professional close to 200k, as a student, I'd bid 100k.
This is not a very high day rate if ya do the math. It's quite the deal for em and it's not like they can get it done cheaper unless they educate/exploit the video depertment att he school as a school project.
 
$550.00 a day is nothing for this kind of work, they are getting a deal. The only reason it sounds like a lot of money is because of the amount of time involved. I would also imagine you aill have very few 8 hours days, more like 12-13 hours.


Note: The education institutions are taking a"BIG" hit right now and budgets are being sliced and diced like crazie as enrollment decreases along with donations and bad investments. Make sure you have a "solid" agreement to get paid, I would ask for 1/3 up front.
 
grinner said:
Because they'd have to pay a working professional close to 200k, as a student, I'd bid 100k.
This is not a very high day rate if ya do the math. It's quite the deal for em and it's not like they can get it done cheaper unless they educate/exploit the video depertment att he school as a school project.
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Yes youre right sorry I was seeing two people but then costing for one - I have these brain farts from time to time.
 
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Erik Olson said:
This looks like a salaried position to me - for one person (camera / editor) going about 50 - 60 hours a week. The second position (audio, unless also editing) is more like 30 - 40 hours per week. If you take two positions at a standard lower day rate of $550 / 10hr day x 35 weeks, you get $192,500.

You'd have to be bringing a huge amount of revenue to justify that salary at most universities as you would effectively be there in a services capacity. My bet is that they have about $55 - $70k for the project in the labor detail plus benefits.

Since this is bound to be your year (and by bound, I mean trapped!), I'd look at the job as a salaried position and try not to bid it as we would a shorter-term contract. You should ask what "the range" is - as they are bound to have something in mind already.

e
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I agree with Erik that this would likely be treated as a salaried university position with little to no room for negotiations.
 
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