i've been working for someone in my city for almost a year doing coporate, weddings, and freelancing on my own and it's getting frustrating contstantly waiting on money to come through for jobs. I have been paying my bills for the last year but basically I'm working to live and can't afford to do much anymore...the plus side is that I'm doing it full time now, no side job but what can one expect to make max in this field?
how much can u make a year as a coporate videographer/editor
- Thread starter Paunch
- Start date
Barry_Green
Moderator
Depends on what you mean by "this field". And what you mean by "max". There are folks making twenty grand doing weddings. Do one a week and that's a million a year. Not that there are that many people doing that much, but six figures is entirely approachable. Low-end weddings should be around $800-$1200, and if you're really good it shouldn't be much trouble to get $3k-$5k for one. Again, do one a week, and that's $200k/year.
Corporates and industrials - depends on who your clients are and what type of work you're doing. I did a lot of that stuff a decade ago, and we'd get average budgets of $10k to $20k.
Freelancing - the bottom has dropped out of that market now that producers seem to think that anyone with a Flip Mino is a videographer. But a professional freelance cameraman with his own equipment should still be able to command $400 to $1200/day in most major markets. Rates vary though - when I was doing seminars in New Zealand they were stunned and floored to hear the kind of rates that US videographers were getting; in NZ the shooters were getting about 1/3 as much.
And, of course, the "DSLR Revolution" has driven everyone's rates down, because there's a huge influx of newbies who think that $100/day is "a lot of money". Your profile says you're in Canada; I don't know what the market is like in Canada so hopefully we'll get some members from there weighing in on your question.
Finally, don't forget that we're still mired in "The Great Recession", the worst economic global meltdown since The Great Depression of the 1930's. So everyone's rates and business are down.
Corporates and industrials - depends on who your clients are and what type of work you're doing. I did a lot of that stuff a decade ago, and we'd get average budgets of $10k to $20k.
Freelancing - the bottom has dropped out of that market now that producers seem to think that anyone with a Flip Mino is a videographer. But a professional freelance cameraman with his own equipment should still be able to command $400 to $1200/day in most major markets. Rates vary though - when I was doing seminars in New Zealand they were stunned and floored to hear the kind of rates that US videographers were getting; in NZ the shooters were getting about 1/3 as much.
And, of course, the "DSLR Revolution" has driven everyone's rates down, because there's a huge influx of newbies who think that $100/day is "a lot of money". Your profile says you're in Canada; I don't know what the market is like in Canada so hopefully we'll get some members from there weighing in on your question.
Finally, don't forget that we're still mired in "The Great Recession", the worst economic global meltdown since The Great Depression of the 1930's. So everyone's rates and business are down.
Paul Hudson
Vacuum Tube Member
Barry's comment was very wise and thought out. You can make a living at this just don't expect to live the life of a king. As you move along in your career and if your work is good, you will find it easier and easier.
One important thing to remember as you advance your career; you are only as good as your last job. Keep that in mind every time you go out and good luck.
One important thing to remember as you advance your career; you are only as good as your last job. Keep that in mind every time you go out and good luck.
MSpencer
Well-known member
Freelance is my only job as well. You just gotta up your rates and figure out if some clients can do split portions pay half up front. My wife can finally be a stay at home mom with my two kids and I work like 24/7 always on call for one client or another but once people get to know you and your good work you should raise your prices.
Things are always up and down but I've really only been putting myself out there for the past year since "I was working on a film for 4 years and didn't take on any work during the production.
It'd be great to get into bigger budget stuff, 1k jobs here and there almost cost me more in time effort and communicating than they are worth. But I feel ya on the recession bit, I have people come to me that are shocked by a 2k wedding and corpo clients who feel that 1700 to film a concert with 2 cameras is too much.
I might end up biting the bullet this year and have to work for a post house or something but I'd really rather just be freelancing and making a good living.
It'd be great to get into bigger budget stuff, 1k jobs here and there almost cost me more in time effort and communicating than they are worth. But I feel ya on the recession bit, I have people come to me that are shocked by a 2k wedding and corpo clients who feel that 1700 to film a concert with 2 cameras is too much.
I might end up biting the bullet this year and have to work for a post house or something but I'd really rather just be freelancing and making a good living.
adamrahn
Well-known member
not sure why, but I've been busy with decent paying freelance gigs so far in 2010 (and one terrible experience that left me making less than $2/hr for all the work - !*@$). my friend/colleague and I are in the process of starting a company up (officially) so we are obviously in need of procuring enough jobs/work/gigs to support at least 2 people. if we get a few of the jobs we have put bids in on and can secure a few more over the next couple months I dare say we might be doing well for ourselves. (not sure if running a prod company is technically the same as freelancing - but as far as I'm concerned it's the same thing since we work on a job-by-job basis). my boss (I'm working at a university as I get my Master's) made REALLY good money doing freelance work by himself for 20-25 years.
Adam
Adam
Matt Gottshalk
Resident Preditor
It's not.
$2/hour?! My worst job worked out to be about $5/hour but it did lead to 2 more jobs and one of them has big potential if the show we did gets picked up.
I have kind of had it for the time being and am going to apply as an editor for a reality show in my area, and hopefully get some steady income for the next year.
I can't count how many times i've been late on my rent, or borrowing from family just to support my job. It's kind of pathetic but I dug myself a nice hole of debt and have been getting screwed on payments over and over again. It's not like I'm not getting paid, but I'm currently owed something like 4k and get money here and there so i can't even count on that money. More than anything that fuked me over worse than everything. Here's to a successful and prosperous 2011 cuz 2010 sucked!
I have kind of had it for the time being and am going to apply as an editor for a reality show in my area, and hopefully get some steady income for the next year.
I can't count how many times i've been late on my rent, or borrowing from family just to support my job. It's kind of pathetic but I dug myself a nice hole of debt and have been getting screwed on payments over and over again. It's not like I'm not getting paid, but I'm currently owed something like 4k and get money here and there so i can't even count on that money. More than anything that fuked me over worse than everything. Here's to a successful and prosperous 2011 cuz 2010 sucked!
kevinottawa
Well-known member
If people go to you to get a job done, rather then you hunting down scraps of work, you should think maybe upping your rates a bit.
adamrahn
Well-known member
I understand that they are not technically the same thing, but they seem to be incredibly similar in my experience (what I do is basically the same for both my company and when I freelanced). out of curiosity, what makes doing work via a production company different than freelancing? (other than the fact that it's through a person rather than a company)
Barry laid it out pretty well.
A couple of things I'd like to add though. I don't have to work. I'm technically retired so I either get the rate I want or I turn it down.
Others don't have that luxury and have to take what they can to make ends come close together. Industry wide, lowballing hurts everyone but on an individual basis, it has to be done at times.
The economy is a wild card. In my opinion, we haven't even seen the bottom yet and how bad and how long it will last is something to consider both in rates and financing equipment. You need to stay flexable.
A couple of things I'd like to add though. I don't have to work. I'm technically retired so I either get the rate I want or I turn it down.
Others don't have that luxury and have to take what they can to make ends come close together. Industry wide, lowballing hurts everyone but on an individual basis, it has to be done at times.
The economy is a wild card. In my opinion, we haven't even seen the bottom yet and how bad and how long it will last is something to consider both in rates and financing equipment. You need to stay flexable.