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How much should I charge for repurposing pre existing footage from online to broadcast?
Hey guys,
We’ve done a series of videos for a client over the past year which have all been finished and were charged for online use. We’ve had a request for recutting the already shot material into a 30s TVC (all the footage was shot and is owned by us). I was wondering if there was a general formula I could employ in terms of how much more I should be charging. Of course I will charge for editing time, new licences for music etc. But in terms of a general price increase for the footage now being used for broadcast I’m not sure how much to charge.
Any advice would be appreciated! Say if the initial video was charged at $40,000 could I then safely charge say 50% of the original fee to repurpose the footage i.e. $20,000 for the footage for broadcast and then add on any other costs.
Thanks in advance for any help
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5 Replies
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It’s probably not what you want to hear (and it may not be at all the way anyone else in here operates), but in a situation like that we don’t charge the client anything at all.
We do mostly commercial production, and under our contracts all footage and rights to such is owned by us. If a client wants to take that footage elsewhere and use it for something else, we are happy to sell them rights to do so.
However, as long as they keep the production here and we do any and all additional work, then we do not charge them for rights to use reuse footage. That’s more than worth it to us to get another post job… and our clients would probably balk at the idea of being charged for what they see as “their footage” (even though we own it).
The only time they are charged for usage is if the footage contains any rights-managed material… i.e., footage of a location that we paid for for just a specific use, or an actor’s performance that has limited usage rights due to talent, agency, or union restrictions. But the footage itself, that’s a giveaway.
BUT… sounds like your client might be expecting to be charged for re-use of the footage. In that case the answer is simply “Whatever you think is fair… and you can get away with.”
T2
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Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
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Thanks for getting back so quickly Todd!
Normally we wouldn’t be charging if say it were a recut for another video on their website etc. We’ve done that before without an issue and just charged for editing hours but because the footage is now being used for a TVC we want to charge them extra.
I’m basically just trying to get a feel for how people work with this process. So all opinions are welcome and wanted!
Thanks!
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Todd is right on here, I think. You want to make it cheaper for them to stay with you than to take the biz elsewhere or DIY. “comp” them the footage charges and only bill for the new edit, and incidentals like licensing music or adding storage media for files. Make a point of it that they are getting a “discount” for being a frequent flyer with you. While you have them, see if you can brainstorm any other ways to re-purpose the stuff and up-sell follow-on services. One thing that comes to mind is that you can do A/B testing of versions of their broadcast spots, with different web sites or phone numbers on each, which will tell them quantitatively, which approach they use works better for them. This is “added value” and not coincidentally, more billable edit time. But it’s also genuinely useful to them.
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[rose_em] “because the footage is now being used for a TVC we want to charge them extra.”
Might I ask why?
It occurs to me that you might actually have different shooting rates, and that your rate for shooting for broadcast TV is higher than it is for web. We don’t do that (and honestly I’ve never heard of that), but it certainly is possible.
If that’s the case, then I’d say you should feel comfortable with charging the client for the difference in what the shoot (or whatever appropriate portion of the shoot) cost them at the time vs. what it would have cost if it were shot for broadcast.
If that’s not the case… then to stick them again for use of footage (when you’re getting the edit job) that I’m sure they feel they’ve already paid for seems a little… well, I hate to use the word “sleazy”… let’s say “inappropriately opportunistic.”
But if you can get it out of them, I guess go for it. I certainly wouldn’t do that with a valued long-term or repeat client, though.
T2
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Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
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Been in business for 13 years…would not charge the client extra for this. There would be setup time etc, plus the edit and music licensing, but no charge for the footage that the client already paid to shoot the first time around. It is their’s to use as they need and cutting a TV :30 is in that category.
$20,000 for footage they already paid $40,000 for? Hardly.
Rich Rubasch
Tilt Media Inc.
Video Production, Post, Studio Sound Stage
Founder/President/Editor/Designer/Animator
https://www.tiltmedia.com
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