What should I charge?

David Calson · May 5, 2009

Slightly newb videographer, what would you charge?

Atlanta-

I'm an intermediate videographer, this lady wants me to do a promotional for a band, 3-5 min edited video, bascially of them performing at a concert, some basic graphic titles, a few soundbytes of them. I'd be using my HMC-150 camera, what would you charge?

Tom Jensen · May 5, 2009

That's up to you. What do you want? What are you worth? Usually, people have a day rate and producers have a budget. Whenever someone tried to negotiate rate, I always asked what they had budgeted? The funny thing about a budget is that a producer knows how much they have budgeted for every position on a crew so when they negotiate they know that for every dollar they save is a dollar that can go somewhere else and in the end, every dollar they save is a dollar that goes in their pocket. This might be a little different since the band might not have a lot of money. If you are shooting a live show, you will need more than one camera. That being said, your time is worth something. Ask her how much she has and ask yourself if it's worth it to you. At this stage it's all about gaining experience and building your reel.

Brian Dzyak · May 5, 2009

Slightly newb videographer, what would you charge?

Atlanta-

I'm an intermediate videographer, this lady wants me to do a promotional for a band, 3-5 min edited video, bascially of them performing at a concert, some basic graphic titles, a few soundbytes of them. I'd be using my HMC-150 camera, what would you charge?

So you're not just a Cameraman for this project and you are expected to produce a finished piece?

I honestly don't know what Videographers in Atlanta are able to get at the moment, but I'd be shocked if it was less than $500 for a 10hr day... camera, sound, and lighting on top of that. The cost of the gear will depend a little on what you bring, but you shouldn't ask for less than 1% of the cost per day. For instance, an F900 package will cost the owner/operator about $100,000 to purchase. The current going rate is roughly $1000.00 a day. So, take what you've spent for the equipment (bought) and charge at least 1% of that. If you're renting anything, charge your cost + a bit extra.

You SHOULD have a Sound Mixer with you who will ensure that you get quality sound on tape. He/She should charge $400 to $450 for 10 hours plus the cost of their gear (which they bought and maintain and insure) which is generally only about $50/day or so.

Then there is Post-Production. You want to create a quality piece, but you need to know what your time is worth plus the "rental" on your editing equipment. You don't want to spend 30 days editing a 5 minute video as that translates into far less than the minimum wage. You need to eat too. So depending upon your own cost of living plus your perceived worth (as determined by your own experience and skill) keeping in mind other things you need to do for work... don't undercut your pay just to get the job. Charging too little does two things... one, it undermines your own perceived worth to others. If you're charging too little, then you appear desperate and new and probably not very good. Two, you undercharging undercuts everyone else who has worked so hard to keep the going rate where it is. The new guys always think they've "scored" because they can charge far less than an established professional. But all that does is keep your own wages too low and hurts the entire industry...except for those at the top who CAN afford the going rate but who are now paying less than they should and are taking more home for themselves.