Please advise! Am I charging too much for this documentary?

[Bill Davis]

Hi Kayla,

You’re getting good advice here. But I’d also suggest you spend a little time taking a wide overview of the entire gig and see if it “fits” what you want to accomplish.

First think about qualifying the client. From the rates you’re talking about, I’d expect them to be relatively new to funding documentaries. It appears as it you feel they are still shopping price. Which is fine. But it means you’ll have a lot of client education to do along with making the actual doc. That makes this a project between two parties without a lot of direct experience in what they’re doing. (the SPECIFIC project, not general production, where you seem to already know what you’re doing.)

If you’re in it for experience, or if you’re truly passionate about the TOPIC, then by all means keep your prices as low as you can afford and start learning as much as you can about everything involved in this type of work.

But if you’re not, just be wary of the reality that it’s really, really easy to WANT to do a documentary. And it’s even easy to start down the path do doing a documentary. What’s really, really difficult is navigating around the thousand potholes that will one the way between the idea and the finished video.

Make SURE you do your homework and have the necessary discussions before you get too far in. Items like rights management for the content, format transcoding (so little source material from important events of the past is in clean high def, darn it!) and how common it is for documentaries to start off thinking they’re about A, B and C – but E, F, and G, crop up while you’re getting to know the story that might be MORE compelling than the story you originally set out to tell!

Whatever else, enjoy the journey. Every top tier documentarian started out precisely where you are right now. Getting your feet wet.

Much success and good luck.

Know someone who teaches video editing in elementary school, high school or college? Tell them to check out http://www.StartEditingNow.com – video editing curriculum complete with licensed practice content.

[Kayla Turner]

[Andrew Kimery] ” There are many people on the COW that have long form doc experience so don’t be a stranger if you are looking to bounce ideas off people. :)”

When I first began researching ways to prep for this project I found tons of great forums on ways to organize a long form documentary. I love this community. So many experienced professionals who love what they do! Thank you for your help and I certainly won’t hesitate to ask for additional insight!

[William Meese]

“…everything he needs to take this straight to PBS from one editor in one cost.”

If PBS is a goal, then there are technical specs to plan for beyond basic broadcast quality. Google “PBS Redbook” to start.

If he already has a deal with PBS then you want to check with his contact on what deliverables are required and their delivery deadlines. If there’s a presenting station you’ll want to contact them; they’ll have their own requirements and can also help you through the process. If there are sponsors then your client has contracts specifying their requirements.

PBS and APT have specs and requirements and delivery schedules that mean work and costs for you well beyond creating a broadcast master. Captioning, HDCAM mastering, loudness specs, promos, content pre-approval, music cue sheets — the list is long.

It would be smart to find an online facility with experience delivering to PBS — a presenting station can suggest someone — and discuss the project in detail. It can save money to subcontract with them for online/finishing.

Whether for PBS or elsewhere, the discussions will help you be as detailed as possible with your producer about what you are — or aren’t — delivering for that one cost.