What to charge.

D

dylantoombs

Member
Hello,

So, I've been working in the field of digital filmmaking for a few years, I have a bachelors in film studies. I was recently contacted by a not for profit org. and they really like my work and want to fly me out to them. Now I've never done freelance work before, it has always been with a company. Since it is a not for profit and they're flying me out what would be a good daily fee to charge, keep in mind I'm also editing it for them.

The project should take about a week or more to shoot, it's a 20min promotional video, the shootings will be random through out the day.

could someone help me out? I don't want to over charge, but I also don't want to do it for free. since this is my first freelance job, I'm excited to be flown across country and would probably do it for free, but they did ask for a fee.

whata think?

dylan
 
"non-profit" can encompass anything from a local save the park operation to some of the largest corporations in the country/world. Sesame street is a non-profit with an endowment
in the many millions.

A place to start might be what your present employer would have charged a major corporate client for your time/work. If it's a cause you support, you could offer a reciprocal donation which protects your base fee. (These things do get talked around - it's a very small world.)

Another approach might be by finished length. The corporate vid people can weigh in here but I believe the low end base might be 1k/min + talent +crew +titles +FX +++++

Anyway, sounds like a great opportunity - always nice to be "discovered". Congratulations!

P.S. - Might want to move this over to the Business/Post forum for better exposure
 
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Dylan, as you can see by the responses you did not get the answer that you wanted. Price for any product is the most difficult thing to establish. The reason is that its not the price that you charge but the price the client is willing to pay. Too much and they won't hire you, too little and you think you won't appear as a professional. I have produced video for insanely high prices and so low that its a little embarrassing. The key phrase is "what the traffic will bear" If you work you improve and if you improve you get a reputation that is eventually worth higher prices. All this being said, you need a point of reference. Who is the client? A local business only knows what the local cable company charges but a Pharmaceutical company will pay 10 times the going rate of most production companies.
If you have a contact at your non-profit be honest and tell them you want ot be fair because you know they are a non-profit organization. I sat on the marketing board of United way for a few years and I did things for no charge because there were so many businesses that gave of their time. As a result I got company projects paid by the member companies. I'm not suggesting that you do it for free, but I am saying that price is not so much a business element as it is emotional.
Gary
 
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