Pricing/ Fees - What do you charge.

s3films

s3films

New member
Just curious as to what some of you guys out there charge. I just started out and I've been getting alot work lately but have no way of knowing what to really charge. I heard of what some of the other big guys in town charge for a local 30sec commercial and it seems crazy high.

Commercials, Web Adverts, Promotional Videos
1. Per Hr filming, 1 camera, 1 videographer: ?
2. Per Hr filming additional videographer:
3. Per Hr editing/ AE:
OR
1. 15sec local commercial:
2. 30sec local commercial:
3. 60sec local commercial:

Weddings (I don't do them but have had a lot of people ask)
1. Per Hr filming, 1 camera, 1 videographer:
2. Per Hr filming, 2 camera, 1 videographer:
3. Per Hr filming, 2 camera, 2 videographer:

OR however you price out your stuff.

Currently I charge $100hr for filming and $50hr editing. (1 camera). However it seems like I'm not charging enough.

Thanks for any info.
 
You, more than anyone else, knows how much you are worth. I bid a huge range of prices depending on the job, the client, how busy I am, how much work I will actually be doing. Charge whatever you want, but do it with a 10 hour minimum and overtime after 12 hours or something like that.
 
You may find it difficult to get people to give you exact numbers.

Though of course this doesn't apply to everyone here, I've noticed over the years
that members are reluctant to reveal their day-rates or project rates. I think it's
because this is still a competitive marketplace and while you can help colleagues
creatively, your business practices are still out of bounds. Fair enough.

Of course, I'd love to know what Barry Green's typical day rate is or what Philip Bloom
charged for his Greenpeace commercial. But I'll respect their right to keep that private.

That being said. My day rate for shooting is $500.00 for a half day (less than 4 hours)
and $750 for a full day (4-10 hours) and includes a camera/lighting and sound kit.
I don't normally charge hourly, but if we go over 10 hours in a day it's an additional
$150 per hour overtime.

Editing is $75.00 per hour and and effects work (motion graphics, keying, etc) is $100
(though I will be raising my rates in the new year to $100 and $125 respectively).

I don't shoot weddings. For commercials, documentaries and PSAs I simply estimate how
long it's going to take me (producing + shooting + editing) and add in any additional crew and
equipment costs. So a simple 30 second commercial (for a local business) might take 5 days
of pre-production, 1 day to shoot, 2 days to edit, plus motion graphics, a soundman, gaffer
and music composer.

Producer (flat) $2,500
Script writing (flat) $1,500
Shooting 750 x 1 = $750
Editing 750 x 2 = $1,500
Gaffer = $400
Soundman = $500
Motion Graphics = $500
Music = $500
Broadcast mastering = $250
Contingency (10%) = $790

Total $ 8690.00

This of course is just a rough guide, since prices can vary wildly. Each project is
different and pre-production can sometimes take weeks. You'll have to judge
each for yourself and price accordingly.

One more thing - don't be afraid to ask the client how much money they have to spend.
You shouldn't have to estimate in the dark. Ask them for a budget range. You can
then tailor the project to match their budget. Some clients may have $5,000 to spend for
a 30-second commercial, some might have $50,000. You'll never know unless you ask.

I hope you find this helpful. Good luck with your business.

Peter

.
 
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I charge a lot of different fees.

I won't say what I charge, but when you think you might have someone who will have a lot of business for you in the future, cut them a break on the first few jobs. This will let them see the quality of your work without risking too much cash.
 
Thomas Lew said:
Wow what a quality response you gave there Me Myself & I lol

:bath:
Click to expand...


When I started, I was lucky enough to have mentors who helped me not
only with the technical side of my craft, but with the business end as well.

I like to pass that along whenever possible.

Peter.
 
I don't freelance much, so I don't really know anything about pricing but I can definitely see how it would cost a lot to hire people to produce videos. I sometimes forget how much easier it is for me that if I want to make a video for something I can just do it myself. Such a useful skillset to have!

:bath:
 
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