• Business & Career Building

  Transport. How much to charge?

  Posted by Rafael Amador on June 1, 2008 at 10:59 am

  Dear friends of Business & Marketing,
  This is my first post to this forum.
  When I go filming, often take me a full day to reach the location, and one day back
  Until now I’ve been charging as a filming day per transport day.
  But some customers argue that if I’m not filming I should charge a different price.
  Which would be a fair approach to this situation.
  Thanks,
  rafael

  Mac OX 10.5.2-FC 6.02-QT 7.4.1
  G5 2x2Gh 4GbRAM-BlackMagic Extreme
  PMBP 17″Core2Duo 4GbRAM-AJA ioHD
  JVC DTV-17″
  SONY EX-1 . SONY PD170
  ..and always a big mess on top of the table.

  Mike Cohen replied 18 years, 1 month ago 3 Members · 4 Replies
• 4 Replies

• 

  David Roth weiss

  June 1, 2008 at 12:56 pm

  Hi Rafael,

  When traveling, you and your equipment are unavailable for other paying jobs, plus, you’re not able to search for new work. However, from the client’s perspective, those travel days are non-productive and expensive. Neither of you is wrong. Charging a half day going and a half day on the return is a good compromise, but its a compromise you aren’t compelled to make, but rather its a judgement call that you probably need to consider on a case by case basis. At least that’s what I do.

  David

  David Roth Weiss
  Director/Editor
  David Weiss Productions, Inc.
  Los Angeles

  POST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™

  A forum host of Creative COW’s Apple Final Cut Pro, Business & Marketing, and Indie Film & Documentary forums.
• 

  Rafael Amador

  June 1, 2008 at 3:57 pm

  Dear David,
  Thanks for your advice. That is the agreement I made with a regular customer: half day and half day.
  The truth is that a day filming can be more relaxing than jumping inside a 4WD. Mostly for my equipment.
  I’m writing a proposal for an agency of UN. Papers, formularies, annexes..If I could choose between writing a proposal or installing MacOX and FC2 with all the updates and plugins, I choose the second.
  I hope you enjoy the Sunday. Here is already Monday.
  cheers,
  rafael

  Mac OX 10.5.2-FC 6.02-QT 7.4.1
  G5 2x2Gh 4GbRAM-BlackMagic Extreme
  PMBP 17″Core2Duo 4GbRAM-AJA ioHD
  JVC DTV-17″
  SONY EX-1 . SONY PD170
  ..and always a big mess on top of the table.
• 

  David Roth weiss

  June 1, 2008 at 5:02 pm

  [Rafael Amador] “If I could choose between writing a proposal or installing MacOX and FC2 with all the updates and plugins, I choose the second.”

  I hear ya… Writing is the loneliest profession of all.

  Have a good week Rafael.

  All the best,
  David

  David Roth Weiss
  Director/Editor
  David Weiss Productions, Inc.
  Los Angeles

  POST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™

  A forum host of Creative COW’s Apple Final Cut Pro, Business & Marketing, and Indie Film & Documentary forums.
• 

  Mike Cohen

  June 5, 2008 at 5:46 pm

  If we are billing a client for a shoot which involves travel, we price the job accordingly to compensate us for the travel time.

  For example, let’s say we have to fly the day before and evening after a one day shoot, we would charge the hypothetical amount of $XYZ.

  If a client says “I can get a local crew for $XY a day,” our response is, “You asked for our rate for the project, this is what we charge” without getting too technical about what part of the cost is shooting time and what is travel time. The rate also covers our expertise and any planning that precedes the shoot. Everything is billable, although not always in an overt fashion.

  Mike

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