http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ Videomaker Community Forums » Forum: Commercial Video - Recent Posts en Fri, 17 Feb 2012 21:14:13 +0000 http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/making-an-informational-video-what-to-prepare-for#post-74308 Sun, 29 Jan 2012 19:27:09 +0000 composite1 74308@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Stephen,</p> <p>Primarily you need to be familiar with the material as possible. Next, you should have someone who's an expert on the topic from the school to write the outline of what is to be taught. Once written, it will fall upon you to 'clean up' the outline and turn it into narration or an on-camera script. Make simple storyboards (stick figures are fine if that's the best you can do) in order give your client a working look at the concepts. Doing so will allow you to streamline your shot list and build client confidence in what to expect.</p> <p>Contract wise, that's a pretty big question but at it's basic level put in only what you are capable of doing at the price you propose. Schools like churches have a nasty habit of pushing for far more than they pay for. Don't get in too deep just because you want to help. It will lead you to trouble. Keep it simple and put everything in writing is the safest bet.</p> <p>Lastly, use as much of the local assets as possible (i.e. staff, teachers, students) to cut down on the cost of talent. The school will need parental consent forms for the students to appear in the video. That will apply to any students you use directly as onscreen talent. They should already have a blanket release covering students in crowds as they no doubt film their sports competitions, etc. Confirm all that stuff before you shoot a frame of video.</p> <p>Lastly, the hardest part will be getting paid. Unless it's a privately funded school, it will most likely come down to you submitting a proposal and bid. You may end up having to wait for the school to go through the open bidding process. If someone comes up with a lower bid, you may lose the gig altogether. Should you get the gig, you may have to wait a considerable amount of time just to get paid. You can put in the terms of your proposal a payment schedule, but you'll probably have to sign one of their contracts and go off their payment schedule whenever that may be.</p> <p>You can do deals with public/government organizations, but often it will be on their terms and schedules. Best to get all that out in the open and negotiated before you get too involved in the project.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/making-an-informational-video-what-to-prepare-for#post-74301 Sun, 29 Jan 2012 13:59:44 +0000 Stephen Pickering 74301@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Hi everyone,</p> <p>I have done lots of weddings and web-videos (talking heads), so I'm not new to video production, but I have recently been asked to help put together an informational video for a school.  We're doing this at a very low cost for them so I would like to be as prepared as I can be in pre-prodcution so I can deliver a great product with minimal production/editing time.</p> <p>It will only be a 3 minute video with a few talking heads and some action b-roll shots.  It's basically going to be used on their website to quickly bring some of the school's highlights to the viewer's attention.  The point is to sell this school as a great place to send your kids.</p> <p>I understand this may be an "everyone does it differently" answered question, but because I've never done this I would some insight into pre-production workflows.</p> <p>Are there pre-production documents that I could use to assist my working with the client in piecing this together?  Anything you've learned the hard-way (even contract-wise) which I could learn from you?</p> <p>Thanks for any advise!</p> <p>-Stephen</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/video-business-help#post-74167 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:15:25 +0000 franko 74167@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Thanks everyone for all the great help! love this community for that feature. I will look into others doing that work out here. I dont think anyone does. Thus why i thought it would be a nice thing to try freelancing. i have an "in" cause my family is good friends with a local independent agent out here. her firms business cards even say wanna work with us in real estate call us. So im gonna get things together on a business plan so to speak. and then talk with her about if this is done. and if not. maybe i can just do it for her real low key. to get my feet wet. Thanks again everyone!</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/video-business-help#post-74163 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:20:57 +0000 composite1 74163@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Since you have a day gig, approaching production as a hobby isn't a bad idea. As interest and potential clients begin to build, freelancing will give you a clear indication if this is what you really want to do full time.</p> <p>Earl's correct in that if you can, link up with someone who does this as their day job. Whether they are crazy successful or just crazy, you can learn what to do and what not from their example. When you think you're ready to work in production full-time, be prepared to jump into the shark tank. We've all said it here many times and will say so many more; starting a business is not for the fainthearted, half-assed or marginally interested. </p> <p>Running a biz is all day, everyday. All the things you take for granted as an employee (days off, paid vacay's, etc.) go away a warp speed when you start up. You also better love doing what you do because there is far more about running a biz that sucks than what is cool. You'll have to come to terms that the few and fleeting 'cool things' must outweigh the 'suckage' or you won't be in business long!</p> <p>The good thing about you having gone to filmschool is the tech side is one less thing you have to learn about. Learning how to run a biz is going to be enough of a heavy lift without adding having to learn the tech from scratch!</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/video-business-help#post-74116 Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:34:32 +0000 EarlC 74116@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>There's a LOT to be said for going into the business, jumping in and getting your feet wet, so to speak, especially if you've received some degree of education on the application and skills of film/video production. Nothing teaches better than working with a professional in some capacity, or even taking on some personal risks yourself. It has been said that those who can't, teach. That is not entirely an accurate indictment but it's not totally off the wall either.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/video-business-help#post-74114 Fri, 20 Jan 2012 12:39:24 +0000 franko 74114@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Thanks Vid-e-o-man. I have always loved videomaker FOR the business tips, as well as its focus on video technology. As both are something we never really studied, just had to research on our own. In the intro to production class, we DID watch videomaker published dvd's. And wish they would use some of its sources on the business side.</p> <p>I am probably gonna go back to the university, since im an alum now, and ask about any non degree courses they may offer on business management, it DOES have a business school. </p> <p>I am deff gonna look up your suggestion of business of video on here. That is gonna be a huge help i imagine.</p> <p>Marketing wise, im generally set. I took Intro to marketing for non majors as an elective. Which was a wise decision on my part. To take classes that pertain to my industry, but others in my study are not forced to take. I chose to take that one just to add some good bloat to my resume. I am not a pro at it. but, I think based on the small venture I am perusing, in such a small community. i should be fine.</p> <p>Thanks for the tips!</p> <p>ps. I imagine most would have to look up semiotics. I studied it in film theory, which for media arts majors is a 400 level class. Semiotics is dry as hell lol, one of the many things that i learned about, and will probably never use other then to talk film theory with my film nerd friends lol.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/video-business-help#post-74072 Wed, 18 Jan 2012 12:59:46 +0000 vid-e-o-man 74072@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>&nbsp;P.s. I had to google 'Semiotics in film'.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/video-business-help#post-74071 Wed, 18 Jan 2012 12:56:46 +0000 vid-e-o-man 74071@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>&nbsp;franko,&nbsp;what composite1 describes, the business side of Video isn't part of the usual course of study. Perhaps&nbsp;some business/enterprise courses should be required for any course of study which will end in a business environment. If you research the&nbsp;business of video on this site you will find many threads about pricing, marketing, etc. I remember a thread on the very subject you mentioned- real estate videos. Posters with real life experience in this left some excellent comments. As far as marketing video, we are lucky to have a contributer, EarlC, who has given all of us some sage advice on this aspect. This is a great place to find information about all phases of this industry.</p> <p>My advice for you would be similar to composite1's build up a video resume to show to any prospective client. Showing a&nbsp;wide variety of your work,&nbsp;real&nbsp;estate, weddings,&nbsp;birthday parties, sports events, memorials, etc. will showcase your talent and expertise. Shoot, shoot, shoot. Get lots of practice, shoot lots of different projects (paying or not)&nbsp;and as you develop your highlight reel, your confidence in your abilities will blossom.This confidence helps you market yourself, getting jobs and the pay rate that's appropriate. Keep shooting.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/video-business-help#post-74068 Wed, 18 Jan 2012 12:37:42 +0000 franko 74068@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Thanks so much for the help! I am gonna start looking into it. i have a day job, at nights. so that is doing fine for bringing in the cash, but i wanna venture out to more things of my field. so i can start that research and see where it takes me. thanks a bunch! I really appreciate it.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/video-business-help#post-74058 Wed, 18 Jan 2012 04:45:22 +0000 composite1 74058@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Franko,</p> <p>Unfortunately, that's the drawback about going to filmschool or getting a degree in broadcast comm's. Universities are not mandated to teach the practical side if they want to keep their accreditation. So they only teach the theoretical side. If you're lucky, there will be classes which deal specifically with producing or self-study where you can research the business side on your own. If you're luckier, you'll have instructors who know it's BS not to hit you with some practical aspects and they'll jam in much as they can.</p> <p>So in the meantime, you're first going to have to learn what it's going to take to start a small business even if you will start out as a freelancer. You can do that by getting with your local SBA (small business administration) office and they'll break down the info you'll need to research. Also, tap self-help books like 'The Idiot's Guide to Starting a Business'. Lots of great info translated into English on the steps to start up.</p> <p>In the meantime, continue your research. You may find out there isn't a need or desire for the services you wish to offer. Problem is these days with digital cameras so readily available and easy to use, everybody figures they can save money by shooting stuff themselves. Your task will be to show them what the sales impact could be by hiring your professional service instead of them 'happy snapping' their potential products. You'll have to convince them with your work that the money spent on you will translate to sales that make the investment worth it.</p> <p>That's tough to do. You won't just be able to walk in, pitch your idea and get the gig. You'll need sample shots, referrals from other realtors and a basic gear kit to do a good job. To get that, you probably will have to connect with agents and slog it out with their BS, until you can build a reputation for doing good work. Remember, you're going to have to make a living while building up what you'll need.</p> <p>It's going to take time, but if you do the research and build your portfolio/reel, you'll be able to take advantage of good opportunities as they come.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/video-business-help#post-74047 Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:00:18 +0000 franko 74047@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Greetings. I have been looking for ways to make money with the video skills I learned in college. I came to the conclusion that I could easily shoot real estate photos and videos for agents in the small community I live in. (I will be getting a Canon D7 in the coming months, so would use that.)</p> <p>The idea is, going to the major real estate firms out here, I think its only 2. Going to them with the option to contract me as there video/photo guy. Instead of connecting with the countless agents, and working for them. Connecting with the firms itself. so that when any of its many agents needs photos or video, the firm just says "we got a guy for that, we'll send him out tomorrow." </p> <p>Is this a somewhat good business plan for such a venture? And if so, how would I appropriately charge for such a service? a standard by the hour rate? Or on a per visit system? And what would be an appropriate cost for such work? I wanna make money, but I also wanna be competitively priced. I can debate semiotics in film, but was taught NOTHING about video business practices in college lol. So any comments or thoughts are welcomed.</p> <p>Thank you for your time.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/first-paying-gig-i-hope#post-70881 Mon, 12 Sep 2011 08:41:57 +0000 InLawsEnterprises 70881@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Thank you for the encouragement. </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/first-paying-gig-i-hope#post-70876 Mon, 12 Sep 2011 04:54:14 +0000 grinner 70876@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> Just wrap the meeting up with a call time to shoot it. Let em know how long it'll take you in post then meet that deadline early. Just after they watch it and love it, that's when you'll book the next one. </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/first-paying-gig-i-hope#post-70872 Sun, 11 Sep 2011 19:13:59 +0000 InLawsEnterprises 70872@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>I work in the trucking industry.  I play with video. I recently approached my GM about an video marketing idea for a new product that is coming out, basically a testimonial and an installation video and copywrite. This would be my first paying gig. I was wondering what I should do next to seal the deal?  I have a meeting Monday to talk about this project. </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/beta-site-for-selling-video-online#post-69712 Wed, 27 Jul 2011 01:33:45 +0000 Gavin 69712@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Hi all, </p> <p>I have created a website for selling video online. The main focus is on the seller having full control over the access being sold, allowing for multiple buying options per video. The following are some of these options available so far (of which all can be independently configured for a selling option):</p> <ul> <li>The duration which a video can be accessed before access is disabled</li> <li>The amount of bandwidth which can be streamed before access is disabled</li> <li>The rate at which the video can be streamed (e.g. 512Kbps, 8Mbps, etc.)</li> <li>Whether the video can be downloaded or not, and what bitrate encodes (e.g. allow downloads with quality suitable for an ipod)</li> <li>For subscriptions, what cycle a particular video can be accessed (i.e. the buyer doesn't have access to everything from the start, there is incentive to renew the subscription each month)</li> </ul> <p>The site also has the ability to create private discussion groups and blogs with control over who can join and access.</p> <p>The payment method is paypal with 100% of the purchase price going straight to the seller's account. The cost of using the site is still to be nailed down but will range from free to something like $25, $50, and $100 (for low, medium, and high usage). </p> <p>The site is still in early beta so I am looking for people with the intention to sell their videos in a marketplace to try it out and provide some feedback.</p> <p>Anyway, get in contact if you want me to create an account for you to use the site free of charge. Again, the site is in beta so I would not be using this for actually selling content to real buyers, more for testing that it works the way you would want so that when it comes out of beta it is something that you could really use and get value from.</p> <p>Regards,</p> <p>Gavin</p> <p><a href="http://www.HostStreamSell.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.HostStreamSell.com</a></p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/videography-rates#post-69511 Mon, 18 Jul 2011 01:32:33 +0000 WSanford 69511@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> </p> <p>"Do any of you charge a rendering rate?" </p> <p>Yes, I also have been tagged for FTP download fees from a couple networks for 40 bucks a pop and have started to charge for upload as well and even a upload to youtube or vimeo. It usually runs half my hourly rate unless its a big project then I may wave them. </p> <p>When it comes to contracts, I would advise anyone sit down with an expert a couple times before writiing their own. It is suprising how many of the little things that need to be covered and what can bite you in the rear for simply not having mentoned it. Especially in the area of dealing with deadlines and still getting paid when the client screws all that up.</p> <p> </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/videography-rates#post-69491 Sat, 16 Jul 2011 13:37:37 +0000 composite1 69491@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>I sat down with a contract specialist who helped translate the legalese into a 'plain english aggreement'.  I just have to tweak a word or two to set it to a specific project/client and put their name on it. </p> <p>After doing things that way for a number of years, I can write one out on my own. However, I always let a lawyer or contract specialist take a look at it to catch anything I may have missed. </p> <p>What it boils down to is you specifying what you're going to do, when you're going to do it, who you're doing it for, when it's supposed to be finished, and how much it's expected to cost. Include provisions that give you and the client some 'wiggle room' if the unexpected occurs in addition to what happens if you're late or if they don't pay on time. </p> <p>So whether it's a formal contract, proposal or WFHA, you don't need to parse the details down to microprint unless you're trying to pull a fast one. Keep everything simple, up front and <strong>in writing</strong>. Both you and your clients will benefit from it.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/videography-rates#post-69489 Sat, 16 Jul 2011 13:27:24 +0000 Don 69489@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>again good advice Grinner. My basic contract is simply a standard get it online/from a book, job that I've rewritten to suit my needs, prettied up in company letterhead.</p> <p>I don't have any multimillion dollar ad campaigns... any contract disputes I have (usually settled amicably anyways so moot point here but...) would fall under the "Small Claims" division in court with no lawyers.  I suspect that a Judge there would rule not based on the "Legalize" of the contract, but rather on the spirit of the contract and the personalities of the individuals and it would likely boil down to who tried hardest to resolve the problem. So I expect I'd win if it ever came to that.</p> <p>The contract is the device that spells out who is expected to do what and when, and should protect both parties interests in the project,  and is your main tool for negotiating and reasoning to prevent a misunderstanding or problem from ever going to court. If we're talking huge sums of money...pay the lawer a little up front, or pay him a lot later...your gamble.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/videography-rates#post-69487 Sat, 16 Jul 2011 13:15:06 +0000 grinner 69487@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> no sirree. EEEEvery now and again, I'll have a local artist who want's a contract drawn up because I have to get half down. I just type em up and put the date and place in there. There are online templates if you need one but I like a close personal vibe when dealing with, well, anyone. I don't do lawyers or formal contracts. I even tell em that. I just give em what they need in writing to feel comfy with me. The verbage in each one of those simply depands on how comfy they are with me at that point in a new relationship. lol</p> <p>Don't hesitate to put the word dude in your contracts, Making people laugh is not only fun, it's rewarding.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/videography-rates#post-69484 Sat, 16 Jul 2011 11:17:53 +0000 Charles Schultz 69484@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>A formalized contract is something I need to work on. I have an Estimate sheet they can sign but not a formal, court proof contract. Grinner, do you have an electronic one I can get from you, since we both live in the same state?</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/videography-rates#post-69481 Sat, 16 Jul 2011 09:35:35 +0000 Don 69481@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>I'm with Grinner, but have to admit, I don't charge by the hour for "Render time". truth is I plan my time so I can hit "render" and go to bed. Last thing I need is to be forced to upgrade computers every year because my competitor can undercut me by one to three hundred dollars, on render times because his computer is faster than mine. simple rates. by the hour for set up take down and shooting. plus same rate by the hour for import and capture times the number of hours of footage time the number of cameras used. An estimate on editing hours in writing, same rate per hour. and one or three hours for the rendering time (estimated). I try to work out an estimate that fits thier budget, and then I try to organize the shoot and edit to come in slightly under budget. Job done.</p> <p>Never go over budget unless the client starts asking for changes or alterations to the original contract.</p> <p> </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/videography-rates#post-69477 Sat, 16 Jul 2011 06:13:05 +0000 grinner 69477@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> I charge for rendering, capturing, travel, ect. Much of supervised time in the edit suite, as you all know, is acting as counselor, not editor. lol 100 bucks an hour for that. Whatever time I put into a project, that's what I bill for. It's why it's so easy for me to quote flat bids to new clients. It's easy to guage how much time I'll have in it. None of my time is worth less than other hours. It's still time away from billing something else. That just aint free and I have no reason to discount it, at least not with editing rates so much lower than post houses in my market. They are all 175-195 and hour per the usual rates. I can offer 100 hour because I have so much lower overhead than the oldschool post houses that are struggling to keep producers doing what they did a decade ago.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/videography-rates#post-69473 Sat, 16 Jul 2011 05:08:37 +0000 Charles Schultz 69473@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Do any of you charge a rendering rate? </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/videography-rates#post-69469 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 17:42:30 +0000 NYJack1953 69469@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Many are saying $75-$100/hr. How many hours do you charge for? is it just the time you're shooting? Does the customer usually understand that the shooting part is generally the shorter of the two when compared to editing.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/videography-rates#post-69468 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 15:44:25 +0000 grinner 69468@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> ... and I'll add, it's always better to be known as the best in your market, not the cheapest.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/videography-rates#post-69445 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 15:30:43 +0000 composite1 69445@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Whether setting a flat-rate or charging strictly on an hourly basis, the best way to get yourself in the ballpark is to check with your state's standard estimated hourly wages usually found in your Secretary of State's or State Economic Development webpages. There you will find what the base expected hourly wage for professions (including video and photography) are in your state. Use that as your starting point and factor in what it actually cost you to both prepare for and shoot an hour's worth of production. </p> <p>Knowing that information will help you adjust your potential rate per hour up or down. From there you can set up packages if you like, but don't forget to include the time it takes to edit and prepare the materials to create the final product after post-production. Once you get a figure setup, then take a real-world look at what your market will truly bear. If you're coming in too high, you've got either inflated rates from over compensation to be profitable or you've got potential unnecessary overhead that needs to be jettisoned. If you're coming in too low, you're most likely undercutting your expected profits and not including overhead items that are necessary to be 'cheap enough'. </p> <p>There's a big diff between being 'inexpensive' and 'cheap'. Inexpensive is cost-effective and still profitable. Cheap is cost-prohibitive because you are not bringing in enough to cover your costs just to be 'cheap'. It's a fine balance that will need to be tweaked and reworked many times as you work your way through the business of running a business.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/videography-rates#post-69438 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 10:55:49 +0000 Joshua Strazewski 69438@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Just A quick question:</p> <p>I normally stick with small business 30-60sec Tv ads as well as event videography and that's how my pricing is set up.  Price packages with additional options.  I'm working on getting a contract with a pretty large bank and they asked me to supply my hourly rate for just shooting raw footage for the documentary they're putting together.  I may land the editing contract but the raw footage is my foot in the door.  Would it be wise to charge my $70 hr rate and $300 processing fee (which covers transportation, video transfer and DVD costs)?  I normally do a start to finish contacted bids so this is kind of new to me. Any helpful info would be great.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/videography-rates#post-69395 Tue, 12 Jul 2011 18:53:02 +0000 TheDVshow 69395@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>for a 5 or 10 minute promotional gig for businesses I would go with a packaged flat rate route if you have a tight production schedule in place that you can stick to. </p> <p>I produce strictly :60 second web videos for business with no more than 24 hours turnaround time given to any project of this type. Time is broken up into story boarding, location shooting, breakdown, editing and sweetening, changes and approvals, then final edition to website and bulk upload to all social media sites - all within 24 hours - which is roughly two 8 hour working days-  at a flat rate of $1000</p> <p>16 hours is how much time it take me to produce 1 minute of quality video - the other 8 is a pad for any changes the client requests - which is time paid for anyway depending on how good the edit and final production turns out.</p> <p>Figure out how many hours you think it will take to produce a 5-10 minute video and go from there...</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>For some this sounds impossible but I've been doing it for so many years and have become very proficient at it while maintaining creativity.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/videography-rates#post-69392 Tue, 12 Jul 2011 17:31:33 +0000 EarlC 69392@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>There are essentially two forms of wedding event production: short form, or long form documentary style. There are a million other names for them and others will likely pipe in here with corrections, but the "essential" forms are along these lines.</p> <p>Short form can be any combination of time-shift techniques, narrative-heavy with vows and toasts under various elements, interspersed with vignettes or montages of the rest of the activity. Or highly creative treatment with not only the wedding itself, but portions of photo and music and narrative underscore, and the overall event highly truncated. The self-proclaimed ARTISTS among us usually charge a premium price for such productions while IMHO not giving the bride and groom an accurate representation of their wedding day. These have been as short as 12 minutes (so claimed by some who feel that "less is more") and perhaps upwards to 45 minutes. The longer one, I think, probably offers a more fair representation of the event as well as a better value for the bride's buck (or her Dad's bucks ;-)</p> <p>I tend toward the documentary, interspersed with vignettes and montages and usually one and one-half hours, give or take. Often I will have two DVDs, one focused on a shorter, more creative production with just the absolute highlights of the event; and a second one with limited editing (more than cleanup, less than the short form) that includes some pre-ceremony stuff in a montage; procession, all the vows and ring portions (usually with the communion, if a Catholic ceremony with Mass, and Mass portions given minimum footage) any special message pertinent to the bride from the minister or officiant but most of the SERMON removed; candle lighting usually by the mom's then the subsequent single camera lighting by the couple; THE KISS OF COURSE, and often from more than one angle if I'm using more than one camera; the announcement "for the first time" and the recessional. Some of the stuff that goes on if there's a receiving line, rice, birdseed, or whatever fanfare.</p> <p>Then I include some pre-reception elements in a montage, full two-camera production of the first dance, single camera (usually) limited production of the B&amp;F, G&amp;M, and bridal party dances, and some representation of the party with portions of one fast and one slow song played under them montage style.</p> <p>I also usually montage the cake cutting, bouquet tossing and garter (removal) tossing elements. If there is a demonstration dance by the B&amp;G, I of course get that in its entirety.</p> <p>There are other things, and other elements, and I don't always do ALL of the above ... it pretty much depends on how many hours they want from me, and how much they spend with me.</p> <p>But essentially I offer the two approaches, but instead of JUST a short form the B&amp;G also receive a lengthier documentary of their entire day with the appropriate live audio of vows, toasts, etc.</p> <p>By the way, I also usually edit Looooooonnnnnnnngggggg toasts to the salient points, and/or whatever generated the most reaction or any goofy antics, etc. RAW video, something that is usually a provocative subject, with the stuff I DON'T want seen or heard removed is available for a substantial fee. Otherwise not.</p> <p>I start at $1,500 and go as high as $6K, but on average I get bridal budgets of about $3K which includes most or all of the above. And I often do weddings based on an all-inclusive hourly rate with a minimum of six hours at $200 per hour, including editing. I'll be updating my wedding website to reflect some serious changes ASAP. I don't go for naming packages after gemstones, precious metals or romantic topics and will likely go for straight hourly coverage with a BASE package all inclusive, or a package that removes all barriers for something like $6K or better. I plan to no longer have anything, other than the hourly with 6-hour minimum, package-wise for under $3K.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/videography-rates#post-69390 Tue, 12 Jul 2011 16:51:10 +0000 Will Faulkner 69390@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Thanks Earl, thats excellent feedback.</p> <p>I cant find much info on competitors web sites in my area regarding wedding pacjages though.</p> <p>Can anyone tell me what package I should offer? ie should it be on DVD, should it be 1 hour in length? Should it have chapters? etc</p>