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Home: Video University Forums: Digital Photography for Videographers:
rates for commercial work

scotthayes
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Jan 30, 2007, 7:45 AM

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rates for commercial work	Can't Post

I have been approached to shoot some hotel interiors and exteriors for a place a couple hours away from me. Just wondering what a good rate would be to charge? I was thinking $1000 per day, travel and processing fees. they are going to put me up in their place for free.

If your gear is paid for, KEEP IT!

Colvin ADTR
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Jan 30, 2007, 8:06 AM

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Re: [scotthayes] rates for commercial work [In reply to]	Can't Post

you might find help here

DarrenS
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Jan 30, 2007, 8:22 AM

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Re: [scotthayes] rates for commercial work [In reply to]	Can't Post

Can't comment on exactly what you should charge; too many unknown variables. However, that is not an easy job. If you have the proper gear and experience I think a grand would be low.

Shadow
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Jan 30, 2007, 9:23 AM

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Re: [DarrenS] rates for commercial work [In reply to]	Can't Post

Good God - low, really? I don't think I could charge anyone $1000 a day. I know they are paying for tools, talent and time but that seems like being greedy to me.

But then again, I'm stuck with either paying for vet bills or clothes, if I charged $1000 a day I'd be able to get both.

RustyB
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Jan 30, 2007, 9:49 AM

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Re: [Shadow] rates for commercial work [In reply to]	Can't Post

In Reply To

Yeah, wedding video has gave me that mentality, like a dog that's been beat too much. Laugh

Faith Poison Wedding Films Blog
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DarrenS
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Jan 30, 2007, 10:53 AM

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Re: [Shadow] rates for commercial work [In reply to]	Can't Post

Rusty is dead on (again). It likely sounds high compared to what we've done in video, however, you don't get to keep the whole g-note for yourself! Plus most videographers are part-time. I'm not going to touch on the whole 'video is easier than photo or vis-versa' issue. Someone will shoot me Laugh

But I'm assuming he's running a full time business. I lop 25% for income taxes right off the hop, asset depreciation, pro services like accountant/legal, your operating and overhead costs like gear/liability insurance, interest (esp. if you borrowed to startup), Internet/phone/fax, pc software/hardware upgrades, rent, utilities, loan payments, advertising, association/club dues, light bulbs, salaries including your own, batteries, time spent on research/post shoot processing, etc, etc, etc.

Overhead/Operating costs KILL most small business owners. They never account or even consider how much all those tiny little costs add up. They either outright fizzle out and die, or end up making $15/hr. I'd rather go work for someone else if I'm getting $15/hr and let them get gray hair from running a business. Personally (not to sound greedy or anything) I think a talented photographer, esp. one that can make nice pictures of building interiors, is worth her weight in gold. Sounds like his clients do too if they're bringing a shooter in from hours away. These people want it done right. Those pictures must be dazzleing, not flat snapshots that any chooch could make with a SLR and strobe. Buildings have lots of straight lines that must be kept straight. Cheap zooms are going to have complex distortion photoshop simply can't fix. A shift lens or high quality wide prime. Lighting is another huge issue. It's hard, and pretty expensive too.

I'd rather shoot people/weddings. Way easier.

edit: sorry my spelling sucks Blush

(This post was edited by DarrenS on Jan 30, 2007, 11:58 AM)

Shadow
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Jan 30, 2007, 12:57 PM

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Re: [DarrenS] rates for commercial work [In reply to]	Can't Post

Yeah, you're right.
I think this is why I never have the money to buy the things I want.

And agreed, over the years wedding videography probably took a strip out of my self worth.

Just pay me $3 and a can of alphaghetti and we'll call that corporate training video even.

RustyB
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Jan 30, 2007, 1:10 PM

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Re: [Shadow] rates for commercial work [In reply to]	Can't Post

In Reply To

....Just pay me $3 and a can of alphaghetti ....

Hey, I had beans/rice/spaghetti mixture for breakfast this morning, dinner last night, lunch yesterday....

...and if you put generic brand seasoned salt on fat-free generic crackers, they almost tast like seasoned curly fries! Laugh

And the Epson R200 is out of ink...again. Laugh

Scott, don't forget Bear's spreadsheet, for helping calculate what to charge. It was made for video, but....

http://videouniversity.com/weddingprices.xls

Faith Poison Wedding Films Blog
Intergalactic Award-Winning Epic-Cinematic Wedding New-Doc Style Indie Bridal Movies on Hi-Definition Blu-Ray Disc

DarrenS
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Jan 30, 2007, 4:52 PM

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Re: [Shadow] rates for commercial work [In reply to]	Can't Post

Remember, Scott is dealing with another business and they understand what you're up against. In other words, they won't pass out cold when you hit them with your quote. If anything, if he comes in low they might wonder if he's mickey-mouse or not. If they do cough they're just starting the negotiation game, like any shrewd business person should. That's when you say, 'hey, I've got a bit of wiggle room here but I've got overhead just like you!'...with a smile of course. They back off; respect stays intact (instead of going down, at which point they attack like a shark and beat you down to the $10/hr point). Business is business. Hard nose, but always light and with a smile.

Dealing with brides, well, most of them haven't a clue what it takes to run a business so they fall right over when you quote them. Usually don't wanna pay the taxes, etc. etc. Nickle and dimers. It's much more difficult to conduct a service business with the general public than it is B2B (business to business) in my experience, especially when it's a one-time shot deal like a wedding (no on-going relationship). Lord knows I learned the hard way doing wedding videos Laugh

. Was a major shocker, and then there's the whole issue of the service its self not being in demand ON TOP of all this! lol...double whammy. I'd be willing to bet 90% of wedding videographers run a cash, tax-free "business".

Shadow
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Jan 30, 2007, 5:04 PM

Post #10 of 14 (770 views)
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Re: [DarrenS] rates for commercial work [In reply to]	Can't Post

I had a discussion with someone a while ago, she said "It isn't fair that if you only do one job a week that I have to pay for your weeks salary"
Where she got that from I'm not sure - I guess she figured I was trying to rip her off with at $1200 wedding video???

Anyhooooooooooo, yes I have noticed business is totally different, and I quite like it that way!!!
I think I have old British guilt ingrained in me or something, to ask for $1000 a day, I would expect my mother behind me about to give me a smack upside the head and tell me to be polite and to the work for free.

DarrenS
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Jan 30, 2007, 5:55 PM

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Re: [Shadow] rates for commercial work [In reply to]	Can't Post

lol! Clueless people drive me nuts, especially when they start telling you how to run your business like that. "There's the door sweetie. Use it, please."

I know exactly what you mean about the 'guilt' thing. Took me a few years to get over that when I started in computers too. Working for peanuts, sleeping on warehouse floors, and everyone stepping on ya along the way. Thank goodness I got over it when the Y2K crisis came along. We were debugging old Cobol code for companies at, are you ready....$2000 per hour. Try looking a dude in the face with that proposal. Laugh

One guy who was way better than me was getting something like $385/minute. Of course it was a supply/demand/time-of-the-essence thing that drove it up so high, but we saved them far more money than we billed out.

If one is good at what one does...and you certainly are...one deserves to make good money. You deserve it. It's not greed. Guilt should never come into play. It's a mindset. Virtually impossible to get that mindset going in wedding video, however. I tried hard and failed. Ended up groveling for $1000-$1500. A pittance! Brides just don't care enough about video, bottom line. They care about photography though.

Next time you feel guilt just think of real estate agents. They go to school for six lousy months and get paid huge (if they're hustlers). My Mom's husband averages $20,000 per sale. Half goes to broker but ten large is nothing to sneeze at considering their other overhead. Forbes rated them the most overpaid professionals in North America a couple years ago. Nobody is forced to use their services...but they do. And happily. Just think of them.

RustyB
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Jan 30, 2007, 6:00 PM

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In Reply To

I was consulting with a MOB her wanted to book me for her daughter's video. Daughter was a spoiled little "princess", who didn't want a video. (Her name was actually 'Angel') After giving the mother all sorts of free crap and discounts, the daughter butted into our conversation and,"you're charging us $900??? I wish I made $900 for a few hours with a video camera"...or something like that. I just laughed and ignored her, and snatched that check out of the MOB's hand. They were big time PITA clients, and I knew they would be upon booking. But when the bride got her video, she was thrilled with it, and nice to me then. But that's wedding video. I doubt Santa Claus gets paid anything either. He's just really nice, or a complete idiot. I'm a little of both to do wedding video. Laugh

Faith Poison Wedding Films Blog
Intergalactic Award-Winning Epic-Cinematic Wedding New-Doc Style Indie Bridal Movies on Hi-Definition Blu-Ray Disc

Shadow
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Jan 30, 2007, 6:32 PM

Post #13 of 14 (759 views)
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Re: [DarrenS] rates for commercial work [In reply to]	Can't Post

Ok -thanks for the pep talk.

$2000 an hour - SWEET!!! I hope another Y2K-ish problem comes along for you, and of course, you'll need a videographer to document everything... just think of me!

szerangue
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Feb 2, 2007, 10:11 PM

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Re: [Shadow] rates for commercial work [In reply to]	Can't Post

Shadow, I was in IT for the past 30 years, never in my life did I ever come across anyone making $2000 per hour. If you read this whole thread, you really got have to chuckle a bit.
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