{"id":117786,"date":"2019-08-02T07:00:46","date_gmt":"2019-08-02T12:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=117786"},"modified":"2019-08-01T10:47:20","modified_gmt":"2019-08-01T15:47:20","slug":"what-to-charge-for-videography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/what-to-charge-for-videography\/","title":{"rendered":"What to Charge for Videography Projects: A Handy Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gear, travel expenses, the editing process \u2014 we discuss how to calculate just how much your video services are worth to potential clients.<\/h2>\n

So here you are. You\u2019ve gone to film school (or you\u2019ve done your homework, learning from online resources and YouTube tutorials). You know your craft. You have your camera. You have your gear. You\u2019re ready to take on real, paying work in film and video production.<\/p>\n

But, what do you charge?<\/p>\n

If you ask around (and even check around online), you\u2019re bound to get many different answers. Plus, for better or worse, many clients may preemptively tell you what your services are worth. (Hopefully they don\u2019t just say “exposure!”)<\/p>\n

The real answer, though, is personal. Here\u2019s how you can begin to calculate it. And while this guide will help, it might not be exact. That\u2019s good, though, because it’ll help you determine your precise worth \u2014 as well as how to explain it to potential clients.<\/p>\n

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What Is Your Time Worth?<\/h3>\n
\"What<\/a>

Image by Elizaveta Galitckaia<\/a>.<\/p><\/div>\n

This is the biggest variable, and it changes from person to person. At the end of the day, if you take on a project and devote hours, days, or weeks to a client, you need to have an idea what your time is worth.<\/p>\n

Your time should mean something to you. Not only is your time a representation of all the hard work you\u2019ve put in so far \u2014 learning your craft and developing your skill-set \u2014 it also represents all the avenues of other work, development, and leisure that you\u2019re missing out on by taking on a job.<\/p>\n

A number I\u2019ve often come across has been something in the ballpark of $600 a day for a competent video professional. Usually you can divide work terms into full- or half-day gigs (so $600 full or $300 half). But those numbers can be confusing, and people might assume it includes things like cameras, gear, travel, and expenses (which it shouldn\u2019t \u2014 more on those below).<\/p>\n

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How Much Does Your Camera Cost?<\/h3>\n

In today\u2019s professional video market, many videographers must provide their own camera and gear for shoots. This is all well and good for most, but sadly, it often creates work agreements that neglect the value of said equipment. Almost as if we\u2019re all supposed to naturally exist with thousands of dollars in equipment that magically paid for itself.<\/p>\n

If you’re taking on video work that requires you to provide your own camera and gear, those things cost money, so you should account for them in your fee. One of the easiest and most accurate ways to find a good rate to charge for your cameras is to simply look up the cost of renting said camera from an online rental house or agency.<\/p>\n

This can also be helpful because you can send this link to your client to demonstrate what your gear is worth. (And sometimes you\u2019ll need to work this way if you don\u2019t own a camera, or need a specific one that you don\u2019t own.)<\/p>\n

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How Much Have You Invested in Your Gear?<\/h3>\n
\"What<\/a>

Image by GavranBoris<\/a>.<\/p><\/div>\n

Along with a camera, you\u2019ll need to find a price that reflects the rest of the gear you\u2019re including. If your client is asking for specific things like recording audio or professional lighting setups, you\u2019re well within your rights to include the costs of the gear this requires. Price it as if you were going to rent it.<\/p>\n

However, if your client is being vague or looking to work cheap \u2014 just because you might want to include your nice three-point lighting setup or new fancy drone for some shots \u2014 don\u2019t be surprised if your client balks at paying for those things. Be prepared to explain why you’ll need which pieces of equipment.<\/p>\n

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Calculate Your Travel and Expenses<\/h3>\n

Perhaps the greatest error of omission in most professional video work is not including things like travel and expenses. For many just starting out, there’s a real pressure to work for cheap (if not for free). This might just be the way of the world in some places (and certain incidents), but eventually your value will increase, and cutting corners at your own expense won\u2019t help you in the long run.<\/p>\n

Travel can be a big one. Not only are you talking about time spent driving hours for shoots, but also the miles on your vehicle and gas in your tank. And that’s not to mention that for every shoot that doesn\u2019t have a fully stacked craft services smorgasbord on set, you\u2019re just eating away at your value every time you take a meal on your own dime.<\/p>\n

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The Cost of Editing (and Revisions)<\/h3>\n
\"\"<\/a>

Image by Jacob Lund<\/a>.<\/p><\/div>\n

If you\u2019re working on a project that involves both shooting and editing (or just editing for that matter), pricing your time is just as important when working at the computer. The results are unfortunate when many editing projects are subjected to a baseline price for a “video edit.”<\/p>\n

While you have to make those deals from time to time, they can quickly devalue your hourly rate \u2014 and leave you subject to endless revisions. Your best bet is to offer an hourly rate.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve seen numbers ranging from $25 an hour to $75 an hour, for just basic Premiere Pro editing projects. You can be flexible, but the biggest way to ensure fair value is to be upfront about your expectations, based on the project. Even making just one small change and exporting out a new draft may take an hour, as your computer has to render and you\u2019re left twiddling your thumbs.<\/p>\n

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Cover image by Maridav<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

For more videography and industry advice, check out some of these articles below.<\/p>\n