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Charge for filming Childrens Parties
  • lmackreathlmackreath

    Morning all,

    I have a full time monday to friday job but recently I have been making some pocket money filming weddings and now have been asked to film childrens parties for a local party organising company. The job would entail around an hour to two hours work filming the actual party and then probably on evening or two editing the piece at around 4-5 mins with music. Ball park figures of what I could/should charge for such a service ? (uk based)

  • 8 Replies sorted by
  • rNeilrNeil

    @lmackreath

    You're looking at what ... an hour or so prep/check/packing time; some setup plus 2 hours shoot plus packing; 2-4 hours editing. Oh, and plus travel times and expenses whether via personal car or public transport. Around seven hours plus travel time & expenses.

    I'd figure out next how little I'd be willing to work per hour for this type of job, AND ... what's the max the typical client will pay and gets to you through the organizer. If I was a young unmarried/no-family guy looking at a bit of spare cash & didn't mind the time, maybe USD$220 plus whatever travel time/expenses there'd be would be "adequate" as the minimum. But if the organizer was gonna get say USD$475 for my service ... I'd be expecting a chunk more of that total.

    I do know a couple guys who'd edit something like that in an hour, which would drop the time-cost ... some. Not much, over-all. Now, do they handle all the arrangements ... and complaints ... with the snotty parents? That's something I'd be aware of going in ...

    Neil

  • lmackreathlmackreath

    @rNeil thanks for your feedback. I fall into the bracket of *Married with young family" so my weekends are quite precious to me seeing as I work all week. At the same time a bit of extra cash wouldn't hurt for doing something I love...but does the passion go out of the hobby as soon as you start getting paid for it?

    In terms of arrangements the clients book the parties etc, I just get told where to go, I turn up, do my thing and then leave. I then edit the piece, and hand it back to the client who then passes it on to the respective parents. The client has seen some examples of my work and wants to book me based on this so I am confident in the work I produce so have no issues with worries about complaints from parents etc about the video they receive back.

    At the end of the day it kinda has to be worth my while for the time I am losing at the weekend with my family, as well as the editing hours I will be putting in in the evenings after a full day at work!!

  • balazerbalazer

    Childrens? Like, Arthur Childrens, founder of Childrens Hospital?

  • mrbillmrbill

    Haven't seen the grammar police out in a while..

  • balazerbalazer

    "I believe the Childrens are our future."

  • htinlahtinla

    Just my two cents: whatever the customer is charged should mostly go to you since it seems that you'll be doing all the hard work. If the company you're doing this for makes more than you just for booking the jobs, methinks you'll end up being very unhappy with that pay situation. I say a 90/10 split with a 100 dollar cap on the booking fee the organizer can collect.

  • mrbillmrbill

    Be certain that every single one of the parents have given clearance, and ideally get them to sign a release form. Your hours will easily run into double figures - I would be charging £150 minimum, and your guy isn't getting charged for camera kit or edit suite.

  • rNeilrNeil

    @lmackreath

    Yea, releases & such ... which can for something like this these days be an unmitigated PITA. Get one parent of another kid who insists THEIR child not be photographed ... or, after-the-fact, raises the demand with their kid sitting next to party-child the whole thing ... and you've got Problems.

    And don't forget, you'll have wear & tear on gear that WILL need replacing. Getting paid enough to put some decent amount for replacing camera, lenses, lights, tripods, mics, all that?

    You have to consider all these things. And yea, after a few shoots-for-pay, it's ... a job. Nothing wrong with a good job, or even a decent job, but ... it is a job.

    Neil

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