HELP!!! I don't know what to charge!!!

W

windedsailor

Active member
I need an estimate budget on a 30 second piece, i'd shoot and edit in Los Angeles... I've only shot as favors before so I don't know what to charge... I know all I'd need to pay for is Gas and Tapes, but what is my work worth?!?!?!?!

What would you guys charge?

I need a fast response if possible!
 
start with your daily rate. shooting, cutting, producing, motion gfx -- those are all different skill sets and you should charge accordingly. add in rental fees for your equipment, add overhead costs, and you should be close.

my key piece of advice now and in the future is do not be shy about taking their money. it only hurts you.
 
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It totally depends on who the client is and how much you think they can afford. Do you know anybody who does this kind of job you can ask? Even if you don't, call up somebody who does out of the phone book or wherever, ask them to give you a quote for the same job, then use that as the basis for your rate. Pretty sneaky, huh? Frikkin' diabolical. Call up several places and get multiple quotes for an even better idea what the market will bear. And don't be afraid to overcharge if they are churches, car dealerships, or big companies. Those guys all got more money than they know what to do with and think the bigger the quote, the better the service. These are the types that will ***** at you for giving them bonus stuff for free, like Christmas version of their commercial. They'll nitpick it and try to make you do extra work for something they were getting for free!!!

I know a guy who has pretty much no talent at camerawork or editing at all but he knows how to work the gear and owns his own equipment, so he makes $5k a month making crap commercials and industrial training vids. Everything he does pretty much sucks or is mediocre at best and he charges more than his more talented competitors! Ridiculous, but this bozo keeps managing to get work by overcharging, overpromising, and underdelivering...
 
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