[Brian Mills]

So we all agree you are not making enough on these projects, but I offer a partial solution to your problem:

find ways to be more efficient, that way you spend less time for the same money and automatically give yourself a raise (per working hour).

I had a client with a very limited budget but gave me regular work, so I found every way to streamline to process: creating templates for editing, shooting multiple projects in the same day, etc.

They kept paying the same rate but I was working less time on the project, thus earning more per hour and freeing myself up to look for new clients/take on more work.

So, I find it hard to believe you are really making $10/hr on this, because that would imply 100 hours of work per project. Cut those hours WAY DOWN as much as you can, and you may be happier with the arrangement…

Brian Mills
Videographer

[Brian Mills]

Tim:

In QuickTime Pro, you would have to use Export, not Save As, to make your changes to the clip permanent. Then FCP would open them correctly.

Choosing Save As just makes a clone of your original file, and FCP will ignore the QT adjustments the same because those adjustments are made in the player, not to the file, unless you Export.

Brian Mills
Videographer

[Brian Mills]

One thing I’ve got to chime in here with:

I have a client that initially behaved just like you described. They called me in to “discuss the project” and ended up picking my brain on various other aspects of the project. By the time he called me to the 4th meeting, I said that I had already met with him enough to give him a quote to proceed, and any other meetings hereafter would be charged an hourly “consulting fee.” The meetings got a lot less frequent and I charged him for every one after that (and then the shoot of course).

These meetings were actually me teaching him what he needed to be a producer on this project.

This client is still active and still sends work my way, but if the phone calls start getting a little too long, I cut him off and say, “this is getting a little technical, do you want me to come in and consult with you?”. Some times he says yes and gets an invoice, mostly he says no.

You have to recognize the meetings which are necessary to bid a job (and therefore not charged), and the meetings where you are in essence helping the client produce their project, which very much should be billable hours (I charge 75% of my operator without gear rate for example).

Good luck…

Brian Mills
Videographer

[Brian Mills]

That would be ironic if that were the case here because the JVC deck doesn’t even have a sync input! I’m going to try a fresh install…

Brian Mills
Videographer

[Brian Mills]

I am using a new Quad Intel mac going into a JVC HDV deck. So, no one else is experiencing this?

Thanks!

Brian Mills
Videographer

[Brian Mills]

If your production friend has a camera, he probably has all the other gear you need as well (to shoot and even possibly edit). Why don’t you arrange to rent the gear from him for the first few jobs until you build up your client base/reel?

Now, you two would have to hash out the details, but be prepared to pay $300 – $500/day for camera/lights/audio (maybe less if he’s a close friend).

Why not just buy the gear first? Well for a Panny HVX, tripod, decent light kit and 2 decent wireless lavs, we’re talking at least $7k, probably much more. That means you would have to shoot 14-22 days before it would start to pay for itself.

That’s a lot of shooting days! If you’ve got steady business coming in, of course you should buy, but until then, why not build the rental cost into your bids and cover your behind in the meanwhile?

Good luck.

Brian Mills
Videographer

[Brian Mills]

These guys are right: you should have an agreement in writing, although it does not HAVE to be drawn up by a lawyer.

US copyright law automatically grants the copyright of footage to the photographer/videographer, unless they sign it away as a work-for-hire. So get them to sign an agreement that you will pay them and they will give you all rights, and you should be fine.

Good luck.

Brian Mills
Videographer

[Brian Mills]

I too try to walk that tightrope between charging low enough to get the job but high enough to make a living, but you really are charging too low, especially for a 2 camera shoot/edit.

For a 4 hour event, you need to charge a full day rate for yourself and the other camera operator because with setup/takedown you will be there for at least 5 hours. Then you need to charge a rental fee for your gear.

This is the part I see a lot of guys missing: if you spend thousands of dollars buying and maintaining equipment and then charge only operator rates, you are working for your gear instead of having your gear work for you.

So, the minimum camera operator full day rate in my area is $400 (and can go up to $650). Rental on a simple DV/HDV gear package is minimum $150 (up to $300). So, just to shoot it, you’re looking at least $1100 + tapestock fees. (You pocket $700 and pay the other guy $400). Don’t get a PA to shoot it at PA rates unless you/your client don’t care how it looks in the end. I tell clients all the time they can go to Craigslist all they want, but they will get what they pay for.

Again, this is the minimum (for Las Vegas, your area may be slightly different)and you should try to negotiate for more than this, but at least you have a benchmark from where to begin. And those prices are super-fair, so if the client balks, then run away, you don’t need them.

Now, since you are also technically directing the shoot as well, you are entitled to charge more than just an operator rate, and well you should (I personally would tack on another $400 or so).

Now, for editing, prices are much more flexible. If you are editing at home on your gear at your leisure, set a price you can live with. Make sure to allot at least 3 days to digitize/edit a 2 camera/4 hour concert. Specify how many copies they will get in the end, and charge for extra copies.

I hope this helps. Good luck…

Brian Mills
Videographer

[Brian Mills]

There is a very simple reason its not working: the Sony deck (1080i HDV 2 standard) does NOT output 720P HDV 1 standard video via firewire. The reverse is also true of my JVC deck and Sony 1080i footage.

I believe that your deck can play the 720P footage and output it via component video. So you either have to use the camera as a playback device or capture the component video from the Sony deck via AJA/Black Magic card.

BTW, if you shot 24P on the JVC, NO other deck (besides the JVC BR-HD50) will work AT ALL – and that includes the other JVC HDV deck and the other JVC HDV cameras!

Brian Mills
Videographer

[Brian Mills]

I am not a woman, but from what I have observed in the freelance world, this is one industry that DOES NOT have a glass ceiling. I am a shooter/editor and I have worked under women producers, directors and client agency reps. The sharp women out there (and men) get reputations for doing good work and stay booked. My editing professor in film school was a woman and I respected her talent immensely. I’m sorry, but I have not observed what you are complaining about out there…

Brian Mills
Videographer