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Do FCPX freelance editors charge for your “Edit Suite”
This is a sincere honest question. Those of you FCPX freelance editors, or even those who work for post houses on FCPX, Heck even Adobe guys, do you charge for the equipment you edit on along with your standard day rate?
Not to long ago it was incredible common to have a day rate for the Editor and a separate rate for the Edit suite. All my “research” (read googling) it seems like that isn’t the case anymore. Is it just factored into your Editor day rate? if so what percentage.
Where I am at we charge between $450-$550 a day for editor and up to $120 hr for the edit facilities. Is this normal? outrageous? Thoughts?
Mike Jeffs
Production Services Manager
KPBS San Diego -
79 Replies
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the day rate seems a little low, while the equipment seems a little high.
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[Mike Jeffs] “Where I am at we charge between $450-$550 a day for editor and up to $120 hr for the edit facilities. Is this normal? outrageous? Thoughts?”
How does it compare to what other places are charging in San Diego that do similar work as yours? Geography and ‘genre’ play a massive role for what’s considered ‘normal’.
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I change for both – my day rate and a rate for my edit kit. When I’m working on my home-based system, it’s easier to get the rate, although often it ends up being a package deal. It’s harder to get a fair rate when I’m on-site using my laptop system. Clients seem to think that should be tossed in for free. So, while I usually get a fee for it, the rate is often lower than it used to be. Usually I get a day rate for me and then some sort of flat kit fee for the use of my gear.
– Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
[Andrew Kimery] “How does it compare to what other places are charging in San Diego”
That is what I am getting at. Looking around I can’t really find others still charging for their Edit equipment. All I hear about or see (Google) is day rates, and they are all over the place. I have to assume they are building it into their day rates which leaded to my question of FCPX editors what percentage to they build into it? Or do they not?
Mike Jeffs
Production Services Manager
KPBS San Diego -
[Oliver Peters] “Usually I get a day rate for me and then some sort of flat kit fee for the use of my gear.”
Oliver is your flat kit fee per project one time charge no matter the amount of days of edit or is it per day? Even if its less then your home base set up
[Oliver Peters] “when I’m on-site using my laptop system. Clients seem to think that should be tossed in for free”
This gets my thought process when it comes to FCPX. Do clients think “hey thats a cheap software that runs on a regular mac laptop I shouldn’t possible have to pay for you to use it.” And maybe it is unfair of me to single out FCPX editors, all the major NLEs are relatively in expensive and run on relatively economical machines.
Mike Jeffs
Production Services Manager
KPBS San Diego -
[Mike Jeffs] “Oliver is your flat kit fee per project one time charge no matter the amount of days of edit or is it per day?”
The flat kit fee only applies to on-site gigs. I attempt to get a day-rate, but often I have to settle for a flat fee for the whole gig.
[Mike Jeffs] “Do clients think “hey thats a cheap software that runs on a regular mac laptop I shouldn’t possible have to pay for you to use it.” And maybe it is unfair of me to single out FCPX editors, all the major NLEs are relatively in expensive and run on relatively economical machines.”
I don’t think it’s specific to FCP X. I think it’s a general trend. I’ve had similar conversations whether it’s Resolve, X, PProCC or Avid MC. Not so much because of the software, but rather the hardware. As in, “it’s a laptop, so it can’t cost that much.”
– Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
[Oliver Peters] “I don’t think it’s specific to FCP X. I think it’s a general trend. I’ve had similar conversations whether it’s Resolve, X, PProCC or Avid MC. Not so much because of the software, but rather the hardware. As in, “it’s a laptop, so it can’t cost that much.””
Correct me if you think I’m wrong, but I feel like this shift started occurring maybe 10yrs ago or so as FCP was coming up in the ranks. If someone spent $80,000 on an Avid setup it was pretty easy to sell the cost of doing business to a client. “Hey, the gear to do what you want is really expensive so that’s why I charge what I charge.” Even though the gear couldn’t do anything w/o a good editor, it was easier to sell the value of the ‘exotic’ gear required vs the value of experience.
When FCP helped usher in ‘desktop editing’ then the act of explaining your rate based on the exotic gear and/or overhead started to backfire because clients were like, “If FCP costs way less than what Avid does then shouldn’t your rate come down a whole lot too?” I still think clients are in the learning process of divorcing the value of the person doing the job from the amount of money the tools to do the job cost when it comes to rates. I doubt many of these people would hire someone to build them a fence and ask ‘Hey, would the cost be lower if you used Craftsman tools instead of DeWalt?” yet when it comes to video projects that can be very much be the mindset.
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[Andrew Kimery] “but I feel like this shift started occurring maybe 10yrs ago or so as FCP was coming up in the ranks.”
I think that was mainly a factor for facilities. It really started with Avid before even FCP as equipment shifted from linear bays to Avids. Then to FCP on commodity gear. I think it’s just a continuation of the same trend.
– Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
[Oliver Peters] ” It really started with Avid before even FCP as equipment shifted from linear bays to Avids.”
Exactly. Avid used to be the cheap disruptor. “You Avid guys are charging so little, we’re all going to go out of business.”
Then in the mid-90s, guys like me with their “cheap” $30,000 Media 100 cards and “cheap” $10,000 Betacams with “cheap” $12,000 lenses. “Your cheap $1500 day rates killing this industry!”
Lather, rinse, repeat. I had to take a second mortgage to buy my “cheap” system, but at least I had a house. I have no idea how some of you kids are pulling this off…
…but indeed, this process has been underway since the very beginning of nonlinear editing. I think self-cannibalization is built into the DNA of this business more than most others.
In any case, the old guys in this forum like me were driving prices into the ground while some of you were toddlers. Yet another part of the economy that boomers torched before millenials arrived. You’re welcome. LOL
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I’m in Santa Barbara, CA and I charge hourly. But I’m a production company so when you walk in the door to my office there is no separation between gear and me. I refuse to do day rate jobs or flat rate jobs. I loose jobs to Craigslist but they aren’t jobs I want.
Dajen Productions, Santa Barbara, CA
Mac Pro 3.5MHz 6-Core Late 2013
FCP X
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