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Home: Video University Forums: Marketing & Business:
shooting a corporate training vid.

stonecutter
Novice

Oct 20, 2005, 2:38 PM

Post #1 of 6 (1655 views)
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shooting a corporate training vid.	Can't Post

i have a canon XL1. i'm going to be shooting a training video of a chef teaching servers about meat, cheese, wine, etc.

first i don't know what to charge my company. is there an industry standard rate? the number $800 was thrown around, but i don't know if that's per day, or what that includes - (they were going to use a different company, then found out i had my camera and offered me the project)

second- lighting and sound. i know that's big, but i just got my camera and am a complete newbie with sound/lighting.
it'll be inside the restaurant.

i've got about two weeks to figure out how to pull this off!
thanks for any tips.

dansen
User

Oct 20, 2005, 3:23 PM

Post #2 of 6 (1648 views)
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Re: [stonecutter] shooting a corporate training vid. [In reply to]	Can't Post

There's no industry standard rate. How many days do you need to prepare and write the script? How many days shooting? Do you need any additional actors?etc?? And how many days editing? How many copies do they need?

Charge them per day for shooting, like $800 or whatever, and tell them what they're getting for their money -- the equipment, YOU, actors etc... You'll need to write all this out in a budget before hand... and get it approved by them....

An ordinary 'Budget Lighting Kit' could do you if you want to rent it out -- again, ask somebody you know who's into cinematography or anyone from a nearby film college - they'll be glad to help you out. Sound wise, I've always recorded sound seperately using a Shotgun mic connected to a DAT recorder (Digital Audio Tape). Then in editing you sync up the sound with the image. or you could use radio mics, there's articles in the Free Library here on this site about wireless radio mics...

I highly recommend you get Professional Video Producer -- it's a course by Hal Landen that you can buy here. I bought it and you won't believe how focused it can get you. You said you have two weeks...order the course and read every word, stay up all night or whatever and study the manuals. You can't go wrong.

So my advice is, ask them these seven questions. The answers should stay with you throughout the production process.

1. Goal
2. Setting
3. Audience
4. Printed Materials
5. Distribution
6. Countries
7. Updates

Here are two examples of how these questions could be answered and used:

Drimnagh Castle CBS – Primary & Secondary boys school
1. Goal: To increase enrolment in the secondary school
2. Setting: The grounds of the school.
3. Audience: Primary school children ready to choose a secondary school. Parents.
4. Printed Materials: School catalogue and examples of the school’s newsletter and history of achievements etc.
5. Distribution: Available on the website. 45,000 copies mailed to schools and households. Will be shown on large screen TV’s in schools across the country.
6. Countries: Ireland only
7. Updates: Change music in two years. Update football related achievements in three years.

Tell them you'll charge them in thirds, one third NOW before you write the script....if they like it, move onto budgeting and planning the video. get a lighting and sound guy and a production assitant and work it out from there... Get a third of the payment when you shoot and a third when you deliver...

Some of the things I've advised may not work out for you or just don't suit your situation. So make out a list of what you have to do, in the order of most important and work your ass off to achieve them until the video is done. Don't sweat it, you'll be fine.

If you want to know it all, from a GOOD teacher, then get Hal Landen's course -- you won't be disappointed.

videobear
Veteran

Oct 20, 2005, 3:31 PM

Post #3 of 6 (1642 views)
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Re: [stonecutter] shooting a corporate training vid. [In reply to]	Can't Post

Quote

i don't know what to charge my company. is there an industry standard rate? the number $800 was thrown around, but i don't know if that's per day, or what that includes

Oooh, that's at least three questions. Smile

1. What to charge your company. If you are doing this for the people you work for in your day job, my suggestion would be: NOTHING. These guys employ you, and figure they own your a** anyway, so why should they be paying you an additional fee? Even if they go along with it, it won't make them feel good about you when the next performance review comes around. (This burns my butt, by the way. I've worked for a couple of outfits that needed a video at one time or another. I'd've been happy to do it for them, for the cost of overhead, depreciation and materials...but they wanted it done for nothing, so I said, "sorry, not in my job description.")

2. Industry standard rate. It varies a LOT, but a shooter with a full EFP package (camera, sticks, mics, lights) can generally hire out for $500 a day. That's the median; the range, I'd say, goes from about $250 to $1,000.

3. But that's for shooting only. If they want you to do the whole project...preproduction, shooting, and post...then there is a lot more to be considered. Time spent in script development and meetings, and time, equipment, and production elements (music, graphics, etc.) needed for post production. Then there's duplication, if the company plans to give this material to many employees.

You could be considered either an employee or an independent contractor on this project. If you want to charge for future duplication work, or for future revisions to the video, be darn sure you have a written contract that specifies who owns the rights to the finished work.

Regards,
Doug Graham
Panda Productions

stonecutter
Novice

Oct 21, 2005, 3:20 PM

Post #4 of 6 (1615 views)
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Re: [videobear] shooting a corporate training vid. [In reply to]	Can't Post

thanks for the replies.
luckily they approached me, and would rather pay me than an outside company. and money is not really an issue for these people, though i wanted to be market rate. so your posts gave me some good info to pass on to them.

Bill Mecca
Novice

Oct 24, 2005, 12:13 PM

Post #5 of 6 (1552 views)
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Re: [stonecutter] shooting a corporate training vid. [In reply to]	Can't Post

Consider this:

1. They approached you because they want it on the cheap.
2. Take the advice and get Hal's book, read it several times.
3. Money is ALWAYS an issue.
4. see #3.

Realize this is just the facts as I see them, based on my 20+ years producing video.
_________________________________________________

Great Voice/Great Price
http://www.voiceover-talent.net

(This post was edited by Bill Mecca on Oct 24, 2005, 2:21 PM)

dansen
User

Oct 26, 2005, 12:27 PM

Post #6 of 6 (1460 views)
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Re: [Bill Mecca] shooting a corporate training vid. [In reply to]	Can't Post

I agree with Bill. I used to work in a video store. They only reason they chose me to make their training video was because they "wanted to cut down on costs".

At the time, I didn't even think of going into videography as a business. I was, and still am, a film head. The video I made for them was grueling in every cliche complaint you could have against a corporation. They chewed me up and spat me out.

Now, granted, I'm very thankful for the opportunity I had, I made a good video and they still use it. I made only 2000 Euro (not even that) for EVERYTHING, scripting, shooting, preparing, all the meetings, several re-writes over the course of about 7 months. i didn't have a clue about how to approach it until years later I read Hal's course "Professional Video Producer".

If I was doing that video today, I'd see myself making more than 10,000 Euro PLUS in profit. And if they tried to treat me like a schmuck again, I'd tell them to walk the plank. And shiver me timbers.

It's a learning curve: the creative, the technical and the business aspects of these things. And you'll get there if you work hard and give it some thought and never be afraid to ask questions. That's why this forum is here. For me, the creative came first at the expense of any kind of technical ability. Now I'm more technical, still learning. I paid more attention to the business side of things a few months ago my taking Hal's course for example and doing other courses too.

Let us know how you got on doing your video.