Editor Day Rate NYC

[Shane Ross]

What do you normally charge? Where it ends up really shouldn’t matter. They are hiring you and your system. What is your rate?

New type of campaign or no…they are hiring you for your skill and storytelling ability and technical expertise. That shouldn’t waver…unless you are doing a favor for a friend or waving your fees for some higher cause (maybe trying to land a new client). But that can be poor practice as then the client will expect that low rate from now on.

BTW, best to pose that question in the BUSINESS AND MARKETTING forum…

https://forums.creativecow.net/businessmarketing

Shane

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[Tom Dewitt]

thanks for the response Shane. The reason I ask is because this is a big step for me into higher profile work and I don’t want to throw a wrench in the works. Up to this point I’ve been charging $350 per day for editing and graphics. I’ve managed to do some good agency work through production companies so this new client hired me for a bigger project.

They don’t know what I made previously. It’s just hard to gauge where to price myself for this project. I priced it out through a post house that I have worked for in the past and they would charge $1200 per day for an editor and edit suite. Obviously if I charge $350 they will laugh in my face because that’s super low. So any help would be awesome.

thanks,
Tom

[Shane Ross]

Ahh…there we go. Yeah, ad agencies tend to laugh you out of the job when you come in too low. I did that once…and I thought I as bidding HIGH. But the other guy bid more, and they went with him. “You obviously must be forgetting something if you only charge that much.” It was mind boggling.

Well, I am in LA, so the rates might differ. But $125-$150/hour is what I charge for short term gigs, and that is me and the system. If it goes longer than a few weeks, then I jump to daily or weekly rates.

Shane

GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def

[Tom Dewitt]

Cool, thanks for the advice. This gig will be 8 days, possibly a little longer. So I’m thinking of charging $1100 per day. All of the days will go beyond 8 hours so I figure that works out to a decent deal for them, but isn’t ridiculously low? That would be for me, and the FCP edit suite in midtown manhattan.
Let me know if that make sense.
Thanks

[Shane Ross]

Well, that might be a tad low. Say that your rate is a tad higher. And if they balk, then you can say that you can work with them on the rate. But you might not want to go lower than that price. And I always budget for 10 hour days when I quote.

Tough to call. You have to feel them out on the rate.

Shane

GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def

[Chris Borjis]

[tom dewitt] “So I’m thinking of charging $1100 per day. All of the days will go beyond 8 hours so I figure that works out to a decent deal for them, but isn’t ridiculously low?”

no not at all.

thats a fairly average day rate for editing in my experience.

[Dan Brockett]

I think a factor is the gear. If you are editing on your laptop, you would probably charge less than if you were editing in your edit bay with a Mac Pro, Kona 3, Broadcast monitor, etc.

NYC isn’t known for cheap editing either. I think you sound like you are in the ballpark for agency work. Also, eight hours at $650.00 should turn into around $1,100.00 with four hours of OT so you sound right I would be, assuming a twelve hour day, depending on how high end the spot/project is. These days, you want to be low enough that they don’t feel gouged, biy high enough for them to take you seriously.

Dan

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[Casey De stefano]

Hey Shane. Can i hire an editor just to polish a 1 minute spot? Do you guys do that? We are doing local commercials. I have a student editor who is good. But really need a professional to clean it up. We edit a tight rough cut with music and VO. But i just need someone to give it that extra magic that a good editor can do. I am assuming then i would pay them one day’s day rate? Shouldn’t take longer than that.
What are your thoughts?

[Shane Ross]

[Casey De Stefano] “Can i hire an editor just to polish a 1 minute spot?”

Yes.

[Casey De Stefano] “Do you guys do that?”

Yes. That is typically what a “finishing editor” does…although it is usually for longer pieces. You might be able to find someone who’ll do this in a day.

[Casey De Stefano] “I am assuming then i would pay them one day’s day rate?”

Yes. And if you are LUCKY, you can find an online editor who also edits, so they can be the finish editor, and the online editor. I happen to do both….but I’m in LA.

Shane
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