Wedding business

that depends on where you live. i used to live in the dallas/ftw,tx area and i used to charge 800 and that was considered cheap most ppl were chargeing 1000-1300 now i live in stx a small market city and 400 for a wedding is considered expensive.
 
im getting into this business for the summer, i already have 3 weddings scheduled for this summer and i plan on doing a couple more in order to pay for a mac book pro and textbooks for college this september
 
i usually shoot weddings in 60i... i don't know why, but it just seems better to me. I charge about 800 dollars in a big market area, New York City and it pays off. I get a lot of jobs and since I started about two weeks ago, I've already landed about 12 jobs. I also have other people working for me, but it really pays off! I supply two cameras and each camera goes with a microphone boy... so it works off really well... in addition to weddings i do corporate events, school events and tons of others... prices vary of course...
 
Well since it is not only me shooting in my small company, we all use different presets... it really depends also on the lighting at the event and even teh space that you are given to shoot... that may not seem like somehting tha tpeople would consider, but i consider it because when you have a certain area to film at you have to know how to move around and use the light to your advantage... like i just keep my DVX to 60i, with nno nd filter, the iris is usally at around 2. 4 with the A channel and a a gain of 0dB... nothing too much... sometimes i even just keep the factor settings and just manage to capture really well... however, whatever the event requires is what i assimilate to...
 
800$ including editing and delivering to DVD?
Two camerapersons and to soundguys?
Plus an editor?
Including camera equipement and the NLE?
Do you know how much they pay for the photographer or the cake?
Or how much they pay for the invitation cards?
With all respect, you guys are killing this industry - why not just do it for free...?
rcbrown did his math though...
 
Jeff, I just saw that you charge 450$ for your "Hollywood" package (2 camerapersons, nice editing, the works..)
How many hours do you usually need to finish a project including preproduction, production and postpro?
 
Spartacus said:
800$ including editing and delivering to DVD?
Two camerapersons and to soundguys?
Plus an editor?
Including camera equipement and the NLE?
Do you know how much they pay for the photographer or the cake?
Or how much they pay for the invitation cards?
With all respect, you guys are killing this industry - why not just do it for free...?
rcbrown did his math though...
Click to expand...

I guess it depends on the area your in,,,rcbrown can get a lot more in dallas than a guy can in southern indiana or here in east central Illinois.

Plus people want cheap. I know someone who hired a wedding photographer for $300.
The pictures will probably come in a wal-mart bag. Or people have a uncle with a new digital rebel and he will do it for free. It is just the times I guess.

Same with video.
I have cut my cost. I've started offering CD's only. They get all there pictures on CD and we are done. Most people like the idea. They get a low price and I don't have to do much. CD's are very cheap.

If I every do video again,,,one camera. A long music video to go along with the pictures.
 
You now, maybe it´s our own fault, personally I like having an internet flatrate or a mobile phone flatrate - seems only natural, that people are selling weddingphoto flatrates...
And when people start to notice the similarities between the flatrate photographers and the uncle with a digital rebel, maybe then they´ll start looking for quality and good knowledge o the art and craft again...
I understand, that in some areas, people don´t have the money to pay 1000$ for photos or 1500+ for video, but you just cannot sell a product cheaper than it costs you - nowhere!
Hows the situation in bigger cittys? Well, there are people having more money - but there are 10 times or more the amount of people offering the same services.
So again, go down with the prices to get the job?
Everybody here should read the "How to stay in business" threat in the bisiness section, it excellently sums up everything I´m trying to say...
(BTW just to make it clear: even 200$ sometimes can be more than enough pay for a video job, it all depends on how much time and/or effort you have to put into...
But actually I believe that everyone doing wedding videography professionally at some point realises just that: if the client wants a "once in a lifetime" product, you have to do a damn good job and for that you wanne and have to get paid enough cause there won´t be much time left for your fulltime job at Walmart;o)
 
bashnaran said:
I charge about 800 dollars in a big market area, New York City and it pays off. I get a lot of jobs and since I started about two weeks ago, I've already landed about 12 jobs. I also have other people working for me, but it really pays off! I supply two cameras and each camera goes with a microphone boy... so it works off really well... in addition to weddings i do corporate events, school events and tons of others... prices vary of course...
Click to expand...


This is absolutely insane! 800 bucks? I can get just a bit less than that as a single cameraman on a wedding gig. (CT/NY area) That's doesn't include editing, just handing off the tapes to the editor or video production company. (For the record, I don't have the patience to edit a wedding, but I don't mind shooting them.)

Sparatacus hit the nail on the head. I back his posts 100%. Photography, cakes, florists, they all cost a huge chunk of change. Don't sell yourself short! If you can deliver a quality product, charge accordingly. And if they balk at your rates, tell them to cram it with walnuts! (Just kidding)

NYC (aka "big market") You should be charging so much more for a two camera shoot & edit.
 
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Los Angeles $1,500 for a simple 2cam ceremony/reception up to $5,000 for a whole day package... with DVD and Menu with chapter selections/packaging... I like to charge by the hour or production minute. either by on location hour $100.00 per hr. or by production minute... me $35-$40 for weddings... it's all in the packaging the more simple for the bride the better!!
 
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