Well, that depends. That is what ALL videographers and content producers will tell you. Here is what they won’t. It’s all dependent on the scope of the project.
My target earnings per day are $750. That is 168,000 a year if you count two weeks of vacation. Is that a lot? It’s a living!
My target earnings per day are $750. That is 168,000 a year if you count two weeks of vacation. Is that a lot? It’s a living!
You have to consider equipment costs, operating costs, and employee costs. I am constantly upgrading my equipment. Last year alone, I spent over 40k dollars on equipment. If you consider other business costs, $750 is about what it costs per day to ride the ride. What does that mean for you as a consumer? Well, it depends on what kind of video you want.
For example, the video below cost my client 2k dollars. It was three days of shooting, lots of drone work, and a good amount of editing to get just the look my client wanted. They expected a distinct look, and it took more time to produce the look they were looking for.
Talking head videos usually bill out at 750 a video. If you want to do several in one sitting, we will adjust the price accordingly. I have several clients under retainer, and we produce videos for them in the 5-600 dollar range. That price point works excellent for companies with a lot of content to share or have a lot of repetitive information to give to employees. Such as procedure videos.
I tend to see myself as affordable to the middle-of-the-road video production agency. Some agencies would scoff at my numbers, but these are my numbers, and they are what I am comfortable charging folks. Some competitors may say I bill way too much. Folks who say I charge too much probably don’t have the same equipment costs that I do, resulting in a lower quality finished product for you, the consumer. It’s all about the quality you give to your clients. I buy the best because I know my clients expect the best. That being said, there are companies in Memphis that charge 20k for a 30-second spot, but they are shooting on $100,000 Arri’s and Red Cinema Cameras. I shoot all my videos on Sony Cinema Cameras, a more cost-effective camera that doesn’t shoot 8k or 12k but truthfully, not many of my clients need 8k or 12k.
I hope this helps you understand the pricing involved with video production, as there seem to be a lot of misconceptions out there. The truth is that it costs what it costs.
Until next time. Drop me a line if you have any questions.
Best,
John
