Consulting Fee for Information?

adamr316

adamr316

Well-known member
I received an email from an old "colleague." A director I was going to work with but chose not to for various reasons. I like the guy but really don't have any type of friendship with him. I received this email today:

Hi Adam, its me X.

I had a couple of questions I wanted to asked you. First, I was thinking about buying a Panasonic AG-HVX200 and wanted to know what you thought of this camera. The price on this camera seams to greatly range from $1700-$5000 (WHY IS THAT?) Also im working on writing a business plan in order to start my own freelance video taping services.

One of the questions I need to answer in the business plan is what type of video taping services I will offer and the price. This is where I get real confused because video taping services can be offered to just about anybody. But still I have to list them. So I figured, video tapping services for weddings, short films,feature films, small businesses and non profits.

I was only going to set my rate at fifteen per hour, since I have less than one year operating a camera and know formal education. Should my pricing be different? Also should this price include a copy ofthe DVD and editing of the DVD or should I charge extra for that? One more question, do you know of any companies that sell pro consumer or professional video cameras in Maryland?

If my grant gets approved I will be given fifteen thousand dollars to put together all the gear I need. What do you think would be a good gear package to put together( meaning the camera, lights, audio, laptop(for editing)etc...) Any help is appreciatedThank you X

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Ugh...I can't decide whether to ignore this message or give him my consultation fee. I don't see why I would want to "help the competition", especially someone who hasn't paid their dues (I've been on these boards for at least 10 hours a week, every week since I became a member here, plus on other forums, went to college, etc.)

I have no problem answering people's questions here because they made the effort to research/ask. And if you look at my post history you'll see that. But I will not hold someone's hand throughout the whole process, just to be undercut on jobs later on down the line.

$15,000 worth of gear if his grant gets approved. I don't even have that much gear and I've been busting me bum getting every freelance gig I can for the past 2 years. How would you respond?
 
If it were me I'd give him a quick rundown on his questions, and spend no more than 30 minutes doing it. As for the gear list tell him you'll trade him lunch or something as you really need to know more about what he's going to be doing. You're only helping the competition if the guy is any good. Just telling him what gear to get isnt much help anyways. Charge when he comes asking how to use it :) Let him take the crappy low py jobs - did you want them? I personally value people with no skill or dedication that charge low low rates as they just help me justify mine to clients.

If by some great chance he becomes your greatest competitor and is raking in the dough, then collaborate with him. He ought to already like you since you were so kind when he was just starting out.

Just giving him your consulting fee is a bit snobbish IMO and might give him a reason to not want to work with you in the future. If you dont want to take the time to help him but dont want to ignore him either just tell him you are really busy but try searching the forums like DVXuser etc. Lots of people are just unaware of forums like this and dont go to google everytime a question pops into their head. I'd at least point him in the right direction.
 
Consulting prices are more than services for obvious reasons.
The daily average for consultation is arounf 600 bucks.
The last consultation I provided, I billed 3k and then was asked to double it so the entity would be approved for the same budgets the next year.
FWIW.
if he's a buddy, help him out. If he's a competitor, tell him your rate for consultaion.
 
Does anyone want consultation here? I'd be happy to provide some advice for $500/day ;) LOL, j/k, I'm worth like $40 a day tops! ;)
 
Well I for one have provided nothing but free info on these boards for over a year, constantly updating my blogs, answering questions, getting personal e-mails, phone calls, and PMs all the freaking time.

I like doing it, and I will continue to do so.

Having said that, if I need to make a hole in my schedule, I'll do so for a fee, but it won't be cheap.

That also depends, though. I've met lots of DVXUsers in person - they've got hours worth of free advice for the price of lunch.
 
I have charged a $100 consulting fee before. Person wouldn't pay it. This person said "We'll hire you but we want to sit down and talk about how this has to get done." I told them the basics and said it's $100 to sit down and talk with you in depth. She said, "I'm not going to pay you $100." I said. "Okay. Nice talking with you."

Not too long ago my friend and I consulted with a person under the guise of putting a music video together on the quick and cheap. We broke it down and worked it out. Did get the job but they sure used the concept.

Like Adam, I have no problem sharing info with people here, not to mention I publish books on the topic anyway, but if people want me to sit down and consult with them and I don't know them, they have to pay me like I'd have to pay them or we have to work out some kind of deal. People will walk with your ideas if you let them.

-Nate
 
haha I am a testimony to Adams Consulting Fee of a free lunch! I would give him some quick broad answers, or recommend him so some forums or books. If he wants more agree to either a free lunch, or a fee.

Graham Robbins
 
Set a rate and hold them to this. At the very least it will act as a gate keeping the clueless away. In past, when I have 'helped' people just starting out -for free- it becomes almost a full time job. Whenever they can't figure something out, who do you think they call first? Most of the time it is simple things like how to add a drop shadow in the CG of their NLE, basic things they should take the time to learn on their own.

In my case, my knowledge is based on being in this industry for -gulp- 20 years. Potential competition want to instantly come in and pick your brain on myriad issues. Let them put their time and sweat into this knowledge base, or at the least pay your consulting rate. Lets not forget their paying for what you know now, but additionally your experience that you aquired through your hard work.

Please note that this does this does not apply to interns, I freely give time and pass along my experiences to them. They're working for me, the least I can do is help them advance their skills and professional contacts.
 
MikeyP said:
In my case, my knowledge is based on being in this industry for -gulp- 20 years. Potential competition want to instantly come in and pick your brain on myriad issues. Let them put their time and sweat into this knowledge base, or at the least pay your consulting rate. Lets not forget their paying for what you know now, but additionally your experience that you aquired through your hard work.
Click to expand...

Yep. And 20 years is a heck of a long stretch.

-Nate
 
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