OT-Someone’s asking for copies of videos I shot and edited

[Ro Ghosh]

If you did it for free you may as well give it for free – in return you’ll get their goodwill and you never know who might help you someday (if not karma 🙂

[Angelo Mike]

I’ve done so much charity and non-profit video work in the last two years-easily at least 100 hours-and while some of it was with a small group of people who I would happily work for free for, for the most part, it was people who had no intention of paying me, never referred me for paid work, and it undercuts my chances of future pay. Plus, there’s the fact that for the last few months I’ve barely had enough money to pay my bills. I won’t even get into my finances beyond that since this is a relatively public place, but I was almost considering selling some of my equipment. That’s no way to make a living.

http://www.scenethroughglass.com

[Bob Peterson]

How do you make a video for free? You have to buy equipment including cameras, computer, software, etc. You have to spend time and money learning, and then more time to produce a product. There are many, many costs involved in producing good video.

Sometimes you may choose to contribute something of value to a good cause, but the people receiving that contribution have no right to demand that you enlarge your contribution.

If you do give it away as a regular practice, you are undercutting your peers who are trying to earn a fair return on their investment and pay their bills. You are creating a culture which thinks that the worker is not worthy of being paid for his or her work. If you sow disrespect for the value of a good product, you will reap much in the way of disrespect. I guess that is what some folks call karma.

[Jim Lillis]

To me, it’s obvious that they are looking to enhance their business from or through your efforts and work.

That said, 100 bucks p/video with a contract for all video work in the future with them, would be where I would start. Though, the “if it’s free it’s for me” theory isn’t in my stable any more.

Find your per day per camera rate and that’s the contract rate for future work. It’s up to them to sell your video services with their planning services as a package.

If it moves . . . Shoot it!