Part time editor hourly rate

A

Ashbury

Active member
Hi guys, I was recently offered a part time job as a Cinematographer/Editor for a Creative agency in Michigan. We went out to lunch together to talk about themselves and how the company came about and their reason for doing what they do. It went very well, they've been around for quite some time and they just re-branded themselves a few years ago and are focusing more on Brand storytelling through video. (Even though they specialize in web design and photography as well). They took me to their office which is actually in the basement of the owners house lol,(they just put a offer down in an actual office which is quite nice) although it is very cool! They have multiple Imac stations as well as 2 editing stations, one of them consisting of a Mac pro with 64 gbs of ram 8 core etc(seems legit right?). Anyways I'm rambling, they offered me a job to work 2 days a week as an editor and shooter, they edit on Final cut pro x, (I have always used premiere pro) so that'll take a little time to get used to, but I'm also 19 years old, turning 20 in March. So One of the guys I went to lunch with called me the next day, to discuss pay. He said we would like to start you off at $13 Hour(But for me to film they would still pay me my half day rate of 350 and full day rate of 550 as they sub-contract me from time to time). At that I was a little confused and upset, I was expecting closer to $20 an hour. I said I will get back to him about this. The office is about an hour away from me on a day without traffic, could be an hour 30 with traffic. So initially 2-3 hours of driving a day. They typically create videos for all types of clients but right now they've been marketing skilled trade companies and organizations. I do realize that I'm young and I don't have a degree in film or editing. But they also highlighted during our little lunch discussion about talent and that's what they want, they could care less about the degree or certificate. So my question is, are they trying to take advantage of me because of my age? Am I getting offered a very low rate or is this normal and I'm seeing imaginary articles and blog posts about editing rates that are way higher( I do understand the price difference between freelance editing jobs and ones like this offer). I'm not super new to this, I've been doing this for a couple of years and have quite a few projects ranging from weddings to brand marketing videos to music videos. What are your thoughts? I would love to hear, thanks.

Here is my site with my work: http://www.spencerwhitemanvisuals.com/
 
$13 is definitely low. I am working on a freelance editing gig right now and I charge $45 an hour. Age is a factor (I'm twice yours), but that doesn't mean you should be taken advantage of... On the other hand if you are getting the feeling that doing some editing work for them will enable or encourage the higher paid DP work it may be worth the trade-off. (Although it is a little strange that they under-value your editing work compared to your camera work) Also, if they are giving you the chance to learn FCP X on the job without putting ridiculous pressure on you that may be somewhat of a bonus (Personally, I hate X :/...I would ask them if the pay rate is negotiable (mention the commute) and make your decision from there... Bottom line is trust your instincts about them as potential employers and whether you can see yourself in a relationship with them...
 
I don't know what is normal in the US but $13 is definately way too low for any freelancer who masters his craft.

At least ramp it up to $20 per hour for the first job you take on, with the promise of better wages in the future.
 
I cannot say the pulse of the business as I am not yet involved (beyond student work), but $13 is low, I was making that in a retail store after 2 years.


I like your style BTW, the cider video was very cool.
 
How often are you working behind the camera? How much will the editing take you away from shooting and marketing yourself?

Basically you are making $100 a day for a 10 hour day (with drive. ) If you can shoot 1/2 day extra per week- or really, every 2 weeks- you would make about the same cash. (That is called "opportunity cost"- the other things you could be doing with the same time.)

Sometimes doing a lot of boring stuff just burns you out too, so you don't have any energy for more creative work.

How real are these guys? Working out of a basement is ..... not so encouraging. Everybody has big dreams and promises a lot in the future. And wants to pay you very little now.

Good luck.
 
Another way to look at pay is to do value-based pricing.

How much money are they bringing in from their clients? How much of the value that they're creating is the value that you create as an editor?

Calculate from there.

Also, your work is really good. $13/hr is low even for someone without a good real.
 
$30-$50/hr seems pretty standard in my market for freelance work, a bit lower for full time.

That said, if you're getting paid to build a reel it could be worth it. The first comp job I had paid $12/hr and the first feature I cut (for an NBC affiliate) paid less than $7/hr.

Both were good for the resume. This kind of stuff isn't too unusual and the trick is to recognize that you're being used and figure out how to use the opportunity. If you can't, don't take it.
 
What are your costs in your area, that may factor in to the decision? Some parts of Michigan and Indiana you can buy a house in a fairly safe neighborhood for 7k. Just had a friend buy a 01 impala that ran and drove from the auction for a hundred dollars. Its easy to say its to cheap if your in LA, Boston, new york but parts of the US have extremely different costs of living. That being said get as much as you can, but getting your rate consistently for shooting may may outweigh the low editing rate.good luck.
 
^^ I just checked his web site. It says he is North West of the Metro Detroit area.

If he is travelling an hour+ in good traffic (60 miles), this is definitely "big city"/ wealthy suburban area. The outer suburbs- Plymouth, Novi, Northville, etc- are full of $500k+ homes built during the boom years in the later 1990's. Lots of white collar automotive engineers with good salaries. Or the Ann Arbor area, also a fairly well-to-do area, with a cost of living index around 111- higher than the national average.

He will also need a very good car to travel 60 miles each way to work. The gas cost alone at 20 mpg is 3 gal each way, x2 x $2.50 per gal = $15.

So $13 an hour for 8 hours = $104 - $15 = $90 for 10-11 hours total with travel = $9 per hour net max. I assume with no benefits? I think our local Busch's grocery store starts people at $10 per hour.

+++

That isn't necessarily bad, as others have said, if you want to learn Final Cut Pro, get your foot in the door, etc.

Who else is doing editing for them? How long have they been there? What are they getting paid? That might tell you the true future potential ....

This industry is full of people wanting you to work for cheap or for free, for some future "pie in the sky" benefit. Make sure that any return to you is short term, like in the next 3 months! Creative agencies in particular are often dependent on 1 largish - and fickle - client.

Question: Are you in school? Even if you only go to community college for general studies - Anthropology, English, Sociology - and get an Associates Degree, that might have the largest long term payback of anything that you could do right now! Good critical thinking and oral communication skills from a broad liberal arts education can help you reinvent yourself many times over throughout your career. That, together with a technical Masters, is an excellent combination (if you desire to go that far.)

I have an MBA in Information Systems, but I value my undergrad major in Philosophy more than anything else I did in school (Also: An undergrad Major in Sociology/ Criminal Justice, with a Minor in Photography.)

All of that said, you are probably fine either way. You have an opportunity, you are young. If you are living at home the risks are small. Just make sure the rewards are tangible, not some pie-in-the-sky future promises, with many others ahead of you in line.

Good luck!
 
Wow the responses were awesome everybody. I thought about it and I told them I think I'm just going to stick with doing my own thing building a name for myself freelancing through "Spencer whiteman visuals". And I told them in all honesty the compensation was a lot less than I was expecting, and he was totally understanding. Long story short. He called me back the next day and offered to start me at 18/hr and see how it goes and in the future if all goes well then they plan on bumping up the hourly rate!
 
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