Exp.. wedding cameraperson needed - £200 paid

A personal view & please do not be offended. I`m not sure what the going rate is for Wedding Videos in the London area but my own view is that for what you are asking, experience equipment etc, you need to offer substantially more than £200!

Even if it was in this region, Torbay, you would be very hard pressed to fill the job.

John on your own site for a basic wedding coverage your prices start at £650! (and thats for max 5 hours you want somone for 9) Or do you simply want it filmed and then handed to you on DV, that perhaps for some would be more acceptable!

i think it sounds pretty obvious its just for filming the wedding as a second camera man then he will finish it off.
i personally don't think its that bad a price

Nest Films

In the first paragraph of the origonal post it says, "I have been let down for a single camera wedding"

I think that it`s a bit like the "Ronseal" advert! i.e. it does exactly what it says on the tin!!

The guy needs a single cameraman to cover the wedding, on his own with his or her own equipment.

Therefore it is not OBVIOUS that it`s "just for filming the wedding as a second cameraman"

That is unless your interpretation is different to what I read & understand!

[accent=liverpudlian on/]

Calm down, calm down!

[/accent off]

To clarify:

I simply need a camera person to video only.
I will complete all the editing, which as you will all know, is truly where the serious work begins. However, lets not forget that it all begins with the footage - that is why I have asked for an experienced wedding camera operator.

Personally, I think £200 for 9 hours (really 7.5 because I take a break when they eat as I am sure most of you do), and then to hand over the tapes... job done! is pretty easy money for the right person.

If I had wanted someone to 'Edit' as well, I would have asked for someone to 'Edit'! I think in Torbay things move a bit slower. Next time I will try and make things clearer, maybe bigger spaces between the words!?

Thanks for everyones comments, always a blast.

Verve Video Productions

P.S no offence intended if any taken, it's just my big city humour. "Ooh'ah muy lurver, them three's a right pair"!

I tried on the Computer Video web site to get a wedding operator for a wedding I had agreed to do before I gave up weddings forever. Although I offered substantially more than you I had no success. I would imagine that anyone with the skill and decent equipment would want a lot more than £200 to work until midnight on the kast bank holiday week-end of the year.
Just remember he'll be the one getting you out the S%%T Why not sub-contract the whole job out then it MAY be more attractive.

Looks like things move even slower up in the smoke!

I can`t seem to find any ref in the origonal post of "Editing" :rolleyes:

Still. I think McQueen has the right point!

Pity my own daughter is getting married next week in Brum. but I`d stiil want substantially more than £200 even if I`m a country boy

I have had a look at Dougy/John Bennett/Verve's Wedding Price List and he is charging £950.00 for a maximum 8 hour shoot. Without the rushes he will not be able to produce anything yet he is only offering a miserly £200.00 for the main part of the job.
This is a bank holiday week-end and he expects someone at very short notice to provide a full kit including radio mics and sweat for at least eight hours for £200.00 so that he can sit in the comfort of his edit suite for a day to make £750.00.
According to his terms of business he will already have collected the £950.00 so he won't even be paying anything up front.
It's amacing how GREED DEFIES LOGIC.
On the one occasion when I was let down by an operator I had to bite the bullet, put the punter first and pay the going rate for a full time pro cameraman.
Although I theoretically lost money on that wedding it was well worth it for my reputation.

Oh dear, looks like I've hit some raw nerves.
Sorry to disagree, but £200 is a good price, even if it is August Bank Holiday. It is a well known fact that the wedding industry pays between £20-£25 per hour depending on experience. If someone says they will do it but for X price, and the quality of their camerawork is justified then no problem. I have met and viewed very few that I could compare and say is of a high qualilty.

People should take pride in all aspects of their work. How you are percieved by your peers and colleagues is crucial to your overall success. Stringing coherant sentances together and avoiding blatant spelling mistakes is paramount. Some comments are origonal... sorry I mean original, and I will always heed, and some are the rantings of of the misguided.

'Cat... Pigeons'

Mr Popular in the 'too fast for some' Big City

I wonder how much the couple will sue you for if your underpaid Cameraman cocks it up. Expect most
Good Cameramen to be working on that day!!!

It would appear that Dougy/John Bennet/Verve is not only a wedding videographer but also proof reader.

Before commenting on others typo errors he should get his own house in order.

He says "I have met and viewed very few that I could compare and say is of a high qualilty"

Obviously grammar is not his strong point. As for making sense. Another failing.

Getting back to the main point it is obvious from the postings that the general concensus of opinion (given the facts) is that he is not prepared to pay a decent rate for the job.

Can't believe I'm agreeing with Mr Hunter. £200 for a nine hour day inc travel, parking and full rig. What a joke! If you've been let down and need an experienced cameraperson then employ a professional. Try ringing a few and see what response you get from them with your fee.

Thank you for your kind comments Rob! it was most un-expected

As far as "Mr Popular in the big fast city" goes, if his attitude is indicative of the type of person therein, I`m glad I live & work in "SmallTown"

By taking the attitude that he has, Mr Popular is fast running out of choices, mostly due to his rip off ways!

The one I feel most sorry for are the couple who may end up with little or nothing on record of their special day.

Hook, line and sinker!

"ooer missus" - How controversial a few words can be!

Lets try and innovate rather than follow the herd.

FYI - Now have three people who are happy to earn £200 for a days work rather than sit and do nothing.

If I were a company paying wages at that rate:
£200 X 5 days a week = £1000.
£1000 X 52 weeks a year =£52,000

Where I come from this is a VERY decent wage. Maybe elsewhere there is wedding video utopia, where everyone earns £££ and the streets are paved with Gold.

It would be interesting to know what other companies are prepared to pay for camera work only (with own equipment). I have freelanced numerous times on this basis. To video the day and then to hand over the tapes, hassel free is always a massive incentive - easy money. Maybe I am losing out and under valuing my obvious 'skill and talent'!

I have bared my soul to you all. You know all about the company and the prices (and my sarcasm and superior wit). So tell me, what should I be paying, and lets try to keep it in the realms of reality? Try to resist the temptation to inflate the truth just to make a point. I haven't.

Lord of my Manor

Lets try & quantify this a little!

Try costing out the hire of the equipment, add this to the cost of insurance, (I assume the person carries this) and all this is before you find someone with the skill of covering the event!

The average plumber will command somewhere in the region of £300-350 per day, working day that is, not unsociable hours mind you. And if he gets the job wrong, no problem, just come back again the following day & do it again! Try that with a wedding.

Lastly, the cameraman has to pay tax on the earnings, he is, I assume & not just doing it for a few bob on the side.

All in all, you stand to earn somewhere in the region of at least £750 plus any repeats. Granted you have to pay your way with advertising & other costs associated with running a legit business but I consider in those circumstances that "You`re `avin a laugh mate!

Just one other thing, your theory of potential earnings is just that, theory! Play with the numbers all you like but the likelyhood of getting more than 2-3 jobs per week is highly unlikely!

Sorry to say it, but I find the attitude to Dougy's request very strange.
I know highly skilled, pro camera operators from 'oop North' who have travelled to London to film 4 hours in a nightclub for £200.
The money offered may seem derisory to all you £1K a day men, but lets face it, there are operators with bills to pay, who may not have any work in sight for the next few weeks and would relish this opportunity.
If I was in this situation and it was a choice between filming a disco for 4 hours (8 if you include the travel), or doing the wedding - give me a wedding anyday.

Wonder if they are declaring it

Up here in Scotland, we are supposed to be meannies when it comes to money, but any operators i know would simply half the money. £300 for filming and £300 for the editing. After all, if its a second job for your company, you can hardly talk about advertising costs etc as you already have a wedding that day and this is an extra £300 for a days editing.

So be nice and pay a decent rate. You could get a student to do it for £100, but if he makes a mess of it you are in trouble. In that case, i would rather give the whole job over to another company.

Anyone who can produce an edited wedding video in 1 day, is making an arse of it!

(Barry - to whom are you refering re: declaration of money!??)

I cannot sub contract the whole lot out because no one, except the odd one, edits similar to what we do. People like our style because we are different. We do not produce the 'tired, formulaic, traditional and quite frankly, achingly boring stuff that some, not all, of the more established companies do. I have seen many bad videos by so called experienced, seasoned professionals, but sadly, very few good ones.

We charge more because we stand out. The footage is standard stuff, the editing is not.

I`m not accusing anyone re payment & what is done with it!

Merely bring the subject to attention!

I`m sure you pay tax on your earnings as we do.

branny

A rather bold statement there. How can you judge someones work by the time they take to create it. We all use different equipment, various skills, and work at different speeds.

If you can't edit 2/3 60mt tapes using premiere or whatever and create a master tape by working 9 till 5 then you must be doing something wrong.
3 hour dinner break perhaps. If i am missing something here, please enlighten me.

Oh, by the way. Your web site is down. Perhaps someone has made an A**e of it!

Dougy

We are all different, and create different videos. If 3 of us filmed a wedding they would all look different due to our skills and interpretations. That's why a customer will pick company "A" over company "B".

I therefore agree that your customer will expect a video created in the style of your sample/demo. This can be done of course, but problem with someone else filming for you is they will film to their style and some of the shots you would normally take may be missing. Also the framing, angles, colours and exposure will all be different, particularly if they are using different equipment. It's a lot easier to edit your own work than someone elses. You have "seen" the day and filmed to your own style.

Editing and sound is everything when it comes to a wedding video.

By the same token, so many wedding video companies fail by getting these two things so dreadfully wrong. That is why they cannot charge the bigger money.

Personally, I could not justify charging more than £25 per hour for filming only, when I know some poor bugger has got to sit down for hours and hours (like we do - nothing cheesy or rushed with Verve) to create a really impressive film that stands out from the 'run of the mill' stuff.

We like to think that we, like some others, are dragging the industry out of the 80's and into the 'noughties'. Do more charge more.

We now turn many clients away for exactly the reasons discussed, and are reluctant to reccomend anyone as an alternative because they are so very different to us.

Hope the poor bugger (one of the three) who takes the job doesn't have to supply his (or her) own tape stock.
After all that could subtract another £50 from the wage. (2 x 180 min DVcam)
Mind you it will probably be around a fiver (2 x 3 hour VHS) Can't see what other format Dougy's going to get for his money!

Rob2882,

I'll go easy on you coz I don't think all the cells were firing when you added your iluminating remark!
My original post says that I would need to meet up. Why do you think that is Rob my old china??
Could it possibly be to brief them? Could it possibly be to ensure that they are happy with what I expect? Could it possibly be to pay them money? Could it possibly be, by some amazing coincidence, that we had discussed what format they will be using, and I will be supplying them with ample stock? What do you think Rob, is that in the realms of possibility? Does that sound feasible to you?

-------------------------------------------------

Enough already of this bashing me up. The whole reason I use this site is because it has helped me enormously over the last few years. I ask one simple question... can anyone help - and it leads to an amazing discussion that you have all been good enough to contribute to. I appreciate all the comments. Even the ones that tell me I'm way off centre. This only reinforces my belief that I am different and that is why Verve get paid well and continue to innovate rather than follow the norm.

Happy filming all.

Verve Video

I`ve seen various wedding videos, edited by different people over the 16 years our successfull little concern has been going, no sign of hitting the proverbial wall yet!

What we strive for is a finished product that will be as enjoyable to watch in the future as now.

I havn`t seen the style that VVP creates, not really interested, but what does come across very loud & clear is the image of "Our work is much better than yours" & that the aquiring camera person needs to be experienced but all the skill is in the edit.Maybe it is, maybe it isn`t!

Both have their place & the labourer is worthy of his hire

As John says, they are booked on the particular style they have but I wonder how time will show styles that over time go in or out of favour.

I know which my clients prefer.

Nice community you guys have got going here.

Barry,

Appreciate your input.
With all due respect and in my personal opinion, how long you have been in business is irrelevant. However, if I had been doing wedding videos for 16 years I would want to be charging a damn site more than is advertised on your web site. Surely after 16 long years you should be at the top of your game and be charging big money. Maybe you feel that people in the West Country would not pay more than you charge. I know for a fact that they will, but you have to be different.

I have put my prices up 3 times in 4 years. Not because I am greedy, but because last year I was running around like a headless chicken. This year I have increased the price, increased the quality but decreased the volume. There are still many wedding video companies that charge far more than I do. There is a chap in Essex I know who will not get out of bed for less than £2000!

I, unlike you, would be delighted to view your work as I am sure I could learn something. I do not have a superiority complex; I simply look at this business from a fresh and innovative perspective. Maybe there lies the answer to your humble, but no doubt honest earnings.

I'm sure you're all competent wedding videographers but at the end of the day, just like the stills photographer, if you do more than one wedding a day then you probably have to use part-time week-end videographers. These people, some very dedicated, are in it for the beer money. They are not full time cameramen and therefore work for less than a proper one would. Few if any wedding videographers can sustain more than one cameraman all year round.
The less scrupulous wedding firms can readily exploit these part-timers who are anxious to show what they can do. In the stills wedding field at least the part-time operators are required to shoot on roll film rather than 35mm. The equivqlent criteria in video would be that part-time operators would be required to shoot using 3 x 2/3" CCD cameras recording on to DVCAM or better.
Since 28" widescreen televisions are available in most supermarkets for under £250.00 how many wedding firms are using true widescreem cameras? Or are they still using 4:3?

Branny.

Obviously i was not including the capture to pc time. Is that what you call editing?

Don't just sit and watch the capture, create titles or dvd covers or whatever. You really have to manage your time better.

By the way - how does it take 6 hours to capture 3 x 1 hour tapes?

There you go - branny will do it for £200.

Dougy,
If you consider £200 a good wage for a day filming, could you please send me a list of the weekends next year that you are not working as I'd love to pay 'an experienced cameraman with own pro kit, radio mics etc.' £200 for the day.

I'd even give you extra for travelling expencies over her to the Emerald Isle !!!

Good idea Fabian!

I can stop knocking back those second wedding requests and get Branny to film them. Don't let him do any editing for you though, he says 8 hours is not enough.

I second what you say Fabian, and if you're still on this thread Dougy, may I remind you of an earlier comment;-'our filming is standard our editing is not'. Well I'm experienced enough to know what can be done in the edit but remember:- 'you can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear' so pay your rate and let buyer beware.

yes barry i mis read about the camera but i said there was no editing didn't i?
but Barry, if a person wants to do this for £200 then let them apply otherwise i can't see the point of going on about it. you are obviously not intrested, your obviously way above this price range so don't go on.
The going rate here in poor old London for a broadcast camera man without kit is about £250 a day with kit about £500-£600
In the Freelance market you should be glad of work as there are plenty without it, which brings to another point don't get to cocky about how much you charge as there is always someone willing to do it cheaper, not better, but cheaper and in this day and age clients are tempted by money even if they employ cowboy's and they don't find out until its too late.

Oh my god! What the HELL is going on here. Don't get me wrong as i have read all the post with great interest and considered all the points. For this i have come to the following conclusions.

First of all, grow up. I'm only 21, but i know a thing or to about the wedding video business, so please don't try and tell me i don't know what i'm talking about. That may sound stupid (due to my age), but is very true.

Dougy:

This guy (who i don't know like everyone else i'm going to comment on) has asked a question. He requires help. This forum is here for people to get help. Like Dougy has said, he has 3 people interested in his proposition. If your not interested, don't bother replying as it is going to be of no help. He's not after a fight, he's after an experienced cameraman with his own (pro) kit which i hope he has now found and solved his problems. If he decides to offer £200, thats his decision and no one else's. Take it or leave it.

Barry Hunter, McQueen, Rob2882:

You are all of course entitled to your own opinions, i do how ever feel that your are being quite harsh to Dougy. Have you thought that some experience people with their own kit who don't happen to be working on that particular day might want to earn £200 for a days work, thats not bad money, especially as you don't have to advertise (which is the hard part) edit for 3 days, then make changes after a proof, DVD's, VHS's, NTSC copies for the relatives in the states?! It all adds up. £200 is better than nothing, did you think of that?!

I think everyone should take a more friendly and helpful attitude in these forums. I noticed for some while there has been a bit of 'bullying' going on - sort it out!

Mooblie: Best comment made so far

Torrent: Welcome to the forum. Please don't be put off by this thread, it's not normally like this.

Si

Hey who are you kidding. I bet you are 50+. If not then you should be.
I do agree though. When I shout H E L P, I would sincerely hope some one will come along and lend a hand.
That is what this forum is about.

p.s. I used to charge £90 for day's filming plus expenses - now I charge hundred+.
But I expect the favour returned. It is called helping out a fellow-professional in need.

is an XL1 good enough ? lol

I would think an XL1 is a very suitable camera for a wedding. After all, its going to be put onto DVD or tape after editing. Of course thats up to dougy. But desperate times etc....

Hi Simond83

I agree that this is becoming personal, but hope that Dougy is tough enough to accept that a lot of this is just banter. It was Branny who made it personal with his statement

"Anyone who can produce an edited wedding video in 1 day, is making an arse of it! "

How can you say that without viewing the finished article.

I hope Dougy does get someone to cover the wedding, as you don't want to let the customer down. Not good for your reputation either.

I have worked for £200 (and less) before, but these were to help out colleagues who were only getting about £400 for the job anyway.

So my arguement is simply this. 50 / 50 for cameraman and editor - its the fairest way.

Calm down dear (its just a commercial).

WOW!

I do feel honored that so much discussion was created after my initial posting. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly... was graciously received - and I do mean that.

I feel it is only fair to give you all an update on what has transpired:
I did get 4 replies for people willing to help me out. Only 1 came from this web site though (maybe not very surprising in the circumstance).

The very nice chap, who has agreed to help lives local to me, has worked on numerous weddings but does not do it as a full time profession but is keen to do more. He has his own DSR500 (far better than my humble PD150's) and still does occasional freelance stuff for TV and Corporate. Have seen his weddings and am very confident of his ability.

I have asked around, considered all points raised, and have decided to increase my pay to £300. This was not asked for by my new friend (he was quite happy with £200 - Obviously ecstatic now), however, I feel happier knowing that all you video exponents out there will remember 'Verve Video Productions' is a company that is always willing to learn and intends to be in the years to come, one of the best. After all, I may call for help again one day, or you might even require some yourself, and in that event I would be delighted to.

Regards,

John Bennett

P.S some kind souls were concerned for my feelings with some of the remarks. To be honest I relish the criticism. I always want it from my colleagues, but I especially want it from my clients. It is the only way that my company can stay fresh and up front.

JB

I'm absolutely amazed at the reaction that this thread has caused.

£200 isn't a huge sum of money, but at the same time it isn't to be sniffed at. It equates to over £20 per hour.

As for splitting the fee 50:50 I cannot agree. That would be perfectly reasonable for an edit that could be completed in a day, but if like me the edit takes around 5 to 6 days then it simply doesn't stack up.

If I needed somebody to film the whole day with their own equipment I would probably offer something similar or maybe slightly more. The other 75% of the fee would be for me to do a whole weeks worth of editing.

I also agree with Doughy on one very important point. The footage is important, but the edit is more important.

Give two editors the same footage of reasonable quality and the result could be the difference between a £400 video and a £1000 video.

Simon

Glad to hear that you have it covered & full marks for increasing your fee by 50%.

The mark of a professional is he or she who deals with the problems that arise in a professional way & I beleive you have!

Well done Dougy. Glad to hear its a happy ending all round.

SIFI

I agree with you to a point. As pro video bods we will notice the difference between 1 day and 5 days editing, but will the customer, see the difference to the extent of wanting to pay 3 times as much?

I accept that the more time you spend on the edit the better it will look, but personally i would not want to spend 4 or 5 days editing a wedding. I would be bored to death. I'm quite happy to do 1 day filming and 1 to 2 days editing for about £400 as that is all the market will stand in this area. Customers are also happy with quality and price. If you are getting £1000 for 6 days work then thats great. We all have our place in the market. I also agree that the wedding can be won or lost at the editing stage, but still say that you can only work with the material that has been captured on the day.

That`s where i`m lucky!

The Boss does most of the finer points of the wedding editing, she initially learnt from me but has then developed the skills much further!

If we both were to edit a particular piece with the same rushes, hers would be the better edit.

I consider myself a good all rounder, dealing with the business decisions, setting up & running the edit suites & probably slightly better on camera work but she`s the editor.

We work well together & we are about to celebrate 35 years of married bliss! BLISS, you`ve got to be kidding! no, only joking.

Dougy, have you any more work going ???

Only messin' !!!

It's good to see everyone has come off their high horses and 'calmed down'. Yes, maybe I was harsh in saying a 1 day edit would be an arse, this was an extreme statement, but, all the 'personal attacks' had been already been made by others.
Dougy obviously spends longer than the 1 day edit, so, proportionaly offered what he felt was a reasonable rate, much derided by anyone who only spends 1 day on a wedding edit.
The rate offered was dougys choice and anyone who accepted this was obviously happy with it.
I'm sure the only person offended by the 'banter' was the new visitor to the forum, who isn't familiar with the caustic comments generated by posters with passionate opinions. That's the trouble with opinions, - we've all got one!

Nice one Branny.

Can we all be friends now?

FYI

RoboTeacher is me with another hat on.

I've been following this thread and relieved by the outcome from what could have deteriorated into a slanging match, and subsequent punishment from "the boss". It would seem that good sense and respect for members views and opinions have largely been upheld. Good luck to you Dougy, I believe you have conducted yourself in a professional manner and kept your composure throughout, plus you have had the grace to acknowledge advice and act on it

We all have our own views Rick, but are always willing to help when we can.

This is the Cameraman which Dougy is using
on Saturday.
It was nice of him to descibe me as a Nice chap

I find Dougy to be a nice person an enthusiastic person that likes what he does.

His videos are of a high standard and he puts
a lot of time into his editing.

Although I have agreed to do this wedding for
£300 I must point out that this is my Minimum
rate it should be more like £400 for 10 hour day
including camera kit.

As a freelance cameraman for 6 years and having
worked in Television for 15 years my rates
very much depend on how much work I have
at any given time.
I freelance for Spanish News and I charge them
£550 for a 10 hour day including camera.

The summer months in TV tend to be quiet unless
you work in Sport.
Therefore an offer of £300 pounds to do a wedding
seems ok when you have not worked for two weeks.
I agree with the guy who said split the fee 50/50
to be fair.

It is in everyones interest to keep the rates
high because working in video requires continued
investment.
Dougy has been very clever by placing this add
at a low rate to get an idea of the going rate
for doing weddings.
Although it may have made
people annoyed it gives a true picture of costs.
I look forward to working for him in future.
David Hicks

Just what to add that John is one of the most helpful guys you could wish to meet. I have phoned him twice during the past year and he spent hours giving me valuable advice.
All for free. He was quite willing to give up his time to someone he has never met.
John is not one of the old die hards with a pole
up a certain part of his body. He is a down to earth guy willing to help anyone, and who really loves shooting Weddings.
Also you should take a look at his work.
Anyway £200 plus x's seems quite fair.
Keep up the good work John.

Kind Regards.

Gordon.

I am surpried that so many people place so much imposrtance on the edit. In the case of a wedding the footage can only be shot once. Without the footage there can be no edit.
On the other hand if you have the footage it can be edited and re-edited as many times as you like.

Hi,

It’s very important you shot to edit any project, but when things get out of sync, a cut-in or a cut-a way come in very handy.

Editing well shot footage is much easier than trying to fit together badly shot rushes.

Jim Bird.

John shoots and edits video for a living. The more time he spends on editing and re-editing the less his turnover of business. The skill to editing professionally isn't just producing the best edit you can from the footage available, but also to complete it in the least amount of time. By that I do not mean the quality of the edit suffers, but that the edit is done right first time, so quality and efficiency are maintained.

It therefore follows that the better the raw material, the better the final product via the editing will be!

And if that material is good, the less time will be spent in the edit resulting in less time & that equals a better profit ratio.

Yes Barry, I totally agree, and if the raw material and the edit are both done well, then quality and efficiency are upheld. My point is that a good editor will not only create a polished product, but they will manage their time well. An inexperienced and/or unimaginative editor COULD make a time consuming and poorer production from good footage than a good editor from techically bad footage.
As it turns out, John seems to have covered this wedding with someone who has an industry professional background, attracted at the price he originally advertised (but subsequently raised by 50%). Therefore it would seem that the footage will be of a very good standard, the edit will be clean and John has kept the contract with his customer. His profit will be reduced, but that will allow him time to work elsewhere (or take a holiday ?!)

ABSOLUTELY!!!

Those of you reading this thread who consider themselves needing to be paid thousands for their work, will be getting a wake up call sooner or later. The pressure will be on you in a couple of years time as a big influx of Art / Media degree level students will be hitting the employment trail and a large portion of those will be willing to take on work below the market rate in order to gain access and build reputation. I feel that we as established camera & edit people are in for a rocky time for a few years while this adjustment takes place.
PS. I regularly have 1/2 days work in Central London for which I charge an all in fee of £200.00
including editing (another 1/2 days work) and 4 distributable copies. Have I undersold myself ?. The answer is No because I have an extra £2,000 income per annum that I wouldn`t have had.Plus opportunities. A competitor who also bid thought that he was worth £995.00 a go (Soho prices). He is obliged to charge that for various business reasons not least the high overheads he faces of having a W1 address.
I still think though that when they pounced on my quote "Oh poop" as I could have upped it just a little bit. The point I`m making is that we are facing an ever increasing competitive market that will need a re-alignment of thinking and this story illustrates it well.

WOW! That's the first time i've been quoted! Thanks Jimmy :)

Judging by the last 7 posts, it looks like people are now agreeing with my views on this subject.

I shoot all my own work.
I know what's on the tape and in what order.
All the shots are there for my style of edit. Establishing shots, cutaways etc.
Therefore i can edit the weddings whithin one day as i have all the rushes i need, and my titles are created by photoshop actions.
I know my system - and it works for me.

Gordon Wrote

John who?

Mike,

If you read the last post made by "Dougy" in this thread, you will find that he signs himself John Bennett!

Congratulations!

Oop! There's the second

Twice in 1 topic in 1 week! That's made my year! I think i'm going to go out and celebrate and buy myself a "treat!"