Color Grading Rates

A

ANTshooter

Active member
For the colorists out there, how much do you usually charge for color grading services? Im sure rates depend on the type of project, whether it be a feature, short, documentary, tv show, commercial, corporate avp, wedding videography, indie shorts, etc...

I'm sure its an hourly rate. And it'll be based out of Apple Color...
 
Thats understood...but how so? I mean let's talk numbers and how much they differ depending on the intended market. Because I dont really have an idea as to what these rates are. I know there's no solid rate but just a ballpark figure will do. Features films/commercials I'm sure are huge but I figure first rate production houses get dibs on those.

I dont really have a particular market in mind as I'm still studying the opportunities.
 
Most colorists charge a little more than editors as far as freelance rates, go. Again, dpepending on your market, they are 50-100 bucks per hour with the room (depending on the room) can be anywhere from 100 to 700 per hour.
I do realize it's an art but, to me, color-grading is just part of the editor's job. By this, when editing, I can be pulling an hourly rate for anything from sound design to animating. Naver made sense (to me) to pay someone with a smaller tool set a better hourly rate.
 
grinner said:
I do realize it's an art but, to me, color-grading is just part of the editor's job. By this, when editing, I can be pulling an hourly rate for anything from sound design to animating. Naver made sense (to me) to pay someone with a smaller tool set a better hourly rate.
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If a specialist isn't any better than a generalist then I wouldn't understand it either if they got paid more. But the idea of hiring a specialist is that they can get it done faster and better than a generalist, and are more rare than a generalist, which means they can charge more. Supply and demand as well as 'better, faster, cheaper... pick any two' both apply here.


-A
 
People do like to pay specialist rates with or without a specialist.
I'll specialize in whatever they want me to.
lol
 
this is a tough question because most high budget films go through many many stages, one being color correction(done by a specialist of course) so again, depending on your market you can adjust
 
The stuff that your jack-of-all-trade editor does tends to be color correction that affects the whole image. A colorist worth his salt would provide secondary CC work that is much more meticulous and time-consuming. I would gladly pay a good rate for someone to do this as secondary CC is a PITA to do.
 
True.
But getting paid by the hour, I've never cut corners affecting a whole image when the princeipal is what needs tending to. As you mentioned it does take longer but that's how the bills get paid.
While I consider my specialty to be story-telling, the best each shot can look is just part of that process to me.
but back to rates... I'll say the natl freelance average for a colorist is 70/hr, give or take per talent and market.
 
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