I am starting to get some freelance video jobs coming in, and I have no idea what to charge.
I am a recently graduated film student. I have some experience doing commercial video work, but not much. I’m looking to do some freelance work to help ends meet. I have a very nice three chip “prosumer” digitical camera, decent shotgun mic and excellent tripod (no lights, though) and I’m pretty darn proficient. I don’t have ready access to editing facilities but I kind of have access. I hate editing, but luckly most the stuff I’m doing (taping people giving speeches, or teaching classes, or whatever) is pretty low on editing.
I need to come up with a fair hourly rate- probably with a two hour minimum. Most videographers seem to charge $100.00 and hor and $75 an hour to edit. I’m not that experienced and advertise myself as “rock bottom prices”, so I’ve got to charge less than that. I just accepted a job for three hours spread over two days with no editing for $175 and he seemed thrilled at my rates. What do you all think is fair?
I’m digging into memory for this, but I think we paid our semi-professional videographer 500 dollars to shoot about three hours of our wedding.
That was just for the shooting, one camera, no editing. And that was a steal compared to the professional ones we looked into, who were $1000 or more for similar packages.
All I have talked with recently were somewhere between $800-$1500… (for a 7 hour wedding)
The $1500 package had all kinds of extras… like DVD’s to send to people…
The most common price was $995.
If you are just getting started go a bit cheaper than everyone else for a little while… and raise your prices after you have clients who will give you a referral if needed.