What do you charge for photos or video?

[ArnoldLeVine]

My input is leave off the audio. You don't want to get sued for copyright infringement, it's being used commercially.

 

[Brett8883]

My input is leave off the audio. You don't want to get sued for copyright infringement, it's being used commercially.

Thanks! I've got a cover version I will use when I submit it to the client. For now its not being used commercially.

 

[Donnie Frank]

Trying not to sound harsh, but I stopped doing real estate stuff years ago. I still do a few jobs for some quality companies, but I quickly learned that real estate shots are simply not worth my time. They nickel and dime you to death, and then you are the last on the list to get paid. And then they always find ways to save on the shots, like letting a relative do it, or a neighbor kid, or simply buy a cheap Mavic. Their stills do not need to be all that good (as far as they are concerned) and are easy to shoot. The biggest frustration is that they typically thumb their nose at the FAA for commercial use. I was initially really disappointed, since I thought this was going to be a great tool to improve their business.

You nailed it. I dumped real estate gigs years ago for the same reasons. Hard to sell "quality" to someone who not only wouldn't know a quality photo if it bit them on the knees, but who doesn't give a flying "crud" in the first place.

D

 

[Steve@AerialImagesPro]

Thanks! I've got a cover version I will use when I submit it to the client. For now its not being used commercially.

Even a cover version, you need permission. And if you’re getting paid OR if it’s going on YouTube, it becomes ‘commercial’.

Also, I see some nice shots, but even those get old after about 40 seconds. You want to tell a story, not just take a bunch of different shots. it’s fine to get nice shots, but after 30 seconds you start dropping viewers unless you can convey a story.

 

[Brett8883]

Even a cover version, you need permission. And if you’re getting paid OR if it’s going on YouTube, it becomes ‘commercial’.

Also, I see some nice shots, but even those get old after about 40 seconds. You want to tell a story, not just take a bunch of different shots. it’s fine to get nice shots, but after 30 seconds you start dropping viewers unless you can convey a story.

I get the audio thing I do and it’ll be pinned up by the time it’s delivered.

Thanks for the good input about the storyline it’s much appreciated and that is something I will work on. Thanks!

 

[Hawaii Aerial Visions LLC]

Perhaps you ought to read my lessons learned paragraph again. Why wouldn't you charge that much more. Your cost of living is 106% higher than where I live.

I just did and my critique (not criticism - you can charge what ever you like mate) stands. $65 for even one acre is _still_ insane. And you don't know where I live... yes Hawaii, but in Puna... So again, if given the whole "cost of living" thing... your $65 + 106% = $133 - still not worth it and dont know any commercial operators that would either. - Hey, good luck mate and safe flying... Aloha

 

[Cat Eyes]

I just did and my critique (not criticism - you can charge what ever you like mate) stands. $65 for even one acre is _still_ insane. And you don't know where I live... yes Hawaii, but in Puna... So again, if given the whole "cost of living" thing... your $65 + 106% = $133 - still not worth it and dont know any commercial operators that would either. - Hey, good luck mate and safe flying... Aloha

Mahalo and aloha

 

[noakey]

Nice work... My comment would be that you need a flow, beginning middle end... one of your shots pulling away from the property would make a great end shot, but slower... I think there is too much movement in every shot.... slow it down, have a story and it'll be great.

 

[Brett8883]

Nice work... My comment would be that you need a flow, beginning middle end... one of your shots pulling away from the property would make a great end shot, but slower... I think there is too much movement in every shot.... slow it down, have a story and it'll be great.

Thanks!

 

[lukeraffertyvisuals]

Hourly rate? Think about what your local plumber is charging.
If a customer isn’t willing to pay what you think is reasonable, you don’t want them for a customer.

Precisely — if us as media producers aren’t treated as normal vendor / contractor, what’s the point?

At the end of the day the pricing comes down to:
1. What the market can bare
2. What is it worth to the client
3. What’s the cost to you
4. What’s the benefit to you

1 - 2 are tricky, but the ones that mean the difference between decimals sometimes.

Lastly, let’s think collectively on this. If we all (hypothetically) set a low price barrier that we simply won’t work under, that helps all of us right? It’s capitalism at the end of the day, but if the price goes too low for whatever reason, that hurts us all. And that’s the amazing benefit of groups like this that let us discuss and learn from each other.
Thanks for even opening up and discussing this in the first place

 

[Brett8883]

To update this thread the client liked my video so much they asked me to come out and do 5 more videos. The 6 videos took me a total of 39 hours for filming, editing, and some vFX work in one of the videos (Google Earth Studio animation with 3D callouts and motion tracked graphics.)

As a bonus I exported several still frames from the videos for them that they are using as high resolution photos on their website. This took me almost no extra time as I had already color graded the footage and didn’t figure into the cost structure I came up. I now see the potential in marketing this as a benefit without taking anymore time on my end.

I charged a total of $2775 for the entire project keeping in mind that it was my first project and the volume of consecutive hours. The client accepted the cost after the project was complete.

The feedback I received from the client on the cost was that they recognized that the quality of my work was far above what they could have ever dreamed of getting from Drone Base and far exceeded their expectations. They would have been reluctant to accept that cost up front since their expectation was so low and didn’t envision the production quality or working hours I put into it but we’re happy to pay that for the results I gave them.

Wondering what you guys think of that pricing arrangement?