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Independent Videographer Rates?


Max Field

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This is mostly to anyone who's run their own business as a videographer in the digital age.

 

What will you usually end up charging for a commercial/infomercial/documentary where you need to oversee all parts of production?

 

Let's just keep it small; assuming the final project comes out anywhere from 1 to 10 minutes.

 

Thanks, just trying to see if my rates are fair relative to the others out there.

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AFAIK a sort of standard rate for 2man crew (DP/Audio)plus gear (Super 35m sensor video camera with cine lenses /Sound devices audio/2 or 3 radio micas /shotgun mic/ 2 or 3 LED light panels /tripod etc.. for doc/corp US$2,500 10 hour day.. with a bit of wiggle room if its an easy day or a prod co that gives you alot of work.. no editing but down loading footage ..

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AFAIK a sort of standard rate for 2man crew (DP/Audio)plus gear (Super 35m sensor video camera with cine lenses /Sound devices audio/2 or 3 radio micas /shotgun mic/ 2 or 3 LED light panels /tripod etc.. for doc/corp US$2,500 10 hour day.. with a bit of wiggle room if its an easy day or a prod co that gives you alot of work.. no editing but down loading footage ..

Would you say $5,000 for covering that plus all fronts of pre and post is a fair rate? More than fair?

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Sorry I don't know .. Ive never covered the editing/post side.. from what I hear the editors don't give a blanket one cost.. they will quote for say the main edit and say 3 or 4 amendments .. and anything extra is added cost.. some dir/prod will just want end less edits /sub tile changes so they have to cover themselves for that event ..

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Sorry I don't know .. Ive never covered the editing/post side.. from what I hear the editors don't give a blanket one cost.. they will quote for say the main edit and say 3 or 4 amendments .. and anything extra is added cost.. some dir/prod will just want end less edits /sub tile changes so they have to cover themselves for that event ..

I work fast as hell so day/hourly rates screw me over in the end.

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I think from the edit/post point of view its not so much how fast you work.. but the endless re edits that are asked for, going on for months..that you are expected to do straight away even if you are working on other shoots..I would be really careful there..

 

Shoot day rate is 10hrs day.. over that is overtime.. if you shoot less you still get the full 10hr rate..that up to productions schedule .. beware the buy out day rate.. you can then be worked 18 hrs a day..

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I'll echo what Brian said.

 

The problem with editing is that it's more or less the last thing in the chain, and often the first time that an inexperienced client will become aware of what they've really asked for and what they're really going to get. It can become a nightmare of endless tweaks and reworking. You need to be very careful about managing expectations in terms of both what you're aiming to create, so they aren't surprised, and the number of edit days in total that have been budgeted-for.

 

Also be specific about deliverables, formats, frame rates, audio tracks, etc. As an editor, much less an all-in-one production resource, you may find yourself becoming responsible for providing various outputs for them in perpetuity - one day they'll want it on YouTube, then YouTube and Vimeo, then they'll want a version for playback in some sort of exhibit kiosk off some sort of server you've never heard of, then they want to supply it to an external company that's doing the LED video walls at their event... it's endless and you need to make sure all that versioning work is chargeable.

 

As ever I find myself bowled over by the rates Robin suggests - he's shooting very high end gear, though. I wouldn't expect to get those sorts of numbers for an Ursa Mini and a pocketful of DSLR lenses, though you could do very credible work on such a setup.

 

P

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Sorry Im not trying to make out Im some big shot.. ;) quite the opposite .. Im just shooting corp stuff most of the time.. not the big time.. but in my experience $2,500..or so 10 hr day.. is the defacto sort of bog standard rate 2man crew../ f5/C300/Amira ,cine lenses.. high end LED,s.. Sachtler level tripod, sound devices audio .. wireless monitor etc..

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I'll echo what Brian said.

 

The problem with editing is that it's more or less the last thing in the chain, and often the first time that an inexperienced client will become aware of what they've really asked for and what they're really going to get. It can become a nightmare of endless tweaks and reworking. You need to be very careful about managing expectations in terms of both what you're aiming to create, so they aren't surprised, and the number of edit days in total that have been budgeted-for.

 

Also be specific about deliverables, formats, frame rates, audio tracks, etc. As an editor, much less an all-in-one production resource, you may find yourself becoming responsible for providing various outputs for them in perpetuity - one day they'll want it on YouTube, then YouTube and Vimeo, then they'll want a version for playback in some sort of exhibit kiosk off some sort of server you've never heard of, then they want to supply it to an external company that's doing the LED video walls at their event... it's endless and you need to make sure all that versioning work is chargeable.

 

As ever I find myself bowled over by the rates Robin suggests - he's shooting very high end gear, though. I wouldn't expect to get those sorts of numbers for an Ursa Mini and a pocketful of DSLR lenses, though you could do very credible work on such a setup.

 

P

 

output to multiple platforms may be relatively easy as long as you can:

-use the same grade version (no need to tweak colours and contrast)

-you can use the same audio track (and no need to find new music for separate versions which is very time consuming)

-there is no need to change the graphics (it is always a freaking nightmare to find the correct font and placement etc for them, may very well take 30% of the edit time)

-the aspect ratio is the same (no creative cropping decisions needed, they may want for example making a vertical screen version of the horizontal aspect project which will need additional work)

 

you just need to ask beforehand which platforms and aspect ratios etc. they want to do and put that in the contract, as well as how many versions can be made. and everything else will be extra. it would be wise to make a "full frame" uhd version of the grade, though, even if they would not ask for it, because if they want to do versioning later you can reframe if to some point and do different aspect ratios out of it. (if they would as only for scope 2.39 aspect and then want to do something else later as well (always happens) then it may be difficult to arrange another grading session compared to just having the full height graded clean version and just reframing it in edit as needed)

 

I would ask the customer to deliver the graphics and music and put that in the contract as well. will save incredible amount of your work ;)

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