Shocked by the Price Difference? Here’s Why Video Production Quotes Can Vary So Much
The featured image above may look like a regular wide shot, but what we’re going to pay attention to in this job is the complexities provided. Where we’ll start is what the client wants. Sandra Scott Consulting wanted 10 mics for a roundtable discussion. She provided us pictures of the room it would be in with the concern of how dark it is. She said it would be able 4 hours of filming with 1.5 hours away from Austin. Her concern was the lighting, my concern was the cameras and audio. In this blog post we’ll show you the finished export, and agree there are many different ways to quote this project. We think our quote was fair and foreseen many of the issues.
What is a Free Quote?
Our video production service quote is easy, we provide the equipment and preform the service. Most of our clients do not know the intricacies of production because maybe their job is to know something completely different, they just have been tasked with finding video services. Our pricing is modeled after listening to what the client wants and matching the equipment with their needs. A free quote should not waste any time and should be accurate to what the final project is.
What are the Biggest Factors In Quoting A Project?
Equipment and crew costs are going to be the biggest outlier for why a quote is low compared to a quote that shocks you. Video production equipment is not a high commodity so many of the things needed have outrageous prices. So combining equipment with the crew time it just isn’t cheap. And the crew isn’t some sort of person off the street, they need to have training and be well equipped to solve problems. Most google searches for a videographer you’ll find a one-man-band that does it all, and that’s great we have videographers that do that too, but when a video production job is provided a videography quote they might not have the equipment needed for specific instances.
The project we are detailing is just that. It is possible to have done this for under $1,500, but it would look bad and sound bad, which at that point, why are you spending money? Our quote had 10 timecode mics that internally record, we had 2 backup mics on standby if something went wrong, 3 cameras with two extra that were provided no additional cost, room lighting, and a two man crew. The only way I was able to provide all this equipment at a reasonable price was because over the years I’ve bought all the equipment I use AND I train my crew on how to use it.
The Project
Sandra Scott Consulting had a passion project of showing the beauty of aging rather than the pitfalls. Sandra wanted to have a discussion that provided insights on values and perspectives from older folks in Marble Falls. This is the start of a long term project and we wanted to make sure we set the tone.
Sandra only knew what she wanted to do, but not how. I asked for stills of the room so I can plan how I would light and plan the tripods. What I was given is right alongside this text.
Here is what I see in these pictures, dimly lit room, small area for cameras. What a videographer might see in this is…holy $h*t. The client house is 1.5 hours away and I’ll have one hour before people show up to setup. A videographer could quote this project with one camera on a gimbal, but this is intended to be a discussion and it’s a tight space to maneuver. 1 camera could technically work, but would the client watch it? Would anyone else watch it? So I knew we’d need multiple cameras. But when I got back the room, I placed an order to rent an owl camera. An owl camera is a 360 camera used in corporate settings for zoom meetings. I knew having that would be something beneficial for the client to immediately view/transcribe the conversation.
Experience Talking
The owl camera of this job is just a benefit to the client. The benefit is next day she could place in an audio to text generator to start analyzing the conversations. And she could place into an ai tool Opus to create short form content with two hour talking videos. The only reason why I know about these cameras is because I did a job with Mastercard and afterwards they mentioned this camera to me. That is experience talking. We do not specialize in roundtable discussions, but because of our wide spectrum of job requirements we know of obscure equipment.
Having an owl camera on it’s own would’ve been great for a $900 job. But the client still wanted 10 microphones and multiple cameras for filming. And filming more than one mic for multiple people may sound like a solution just get 10 mics. But! With audio there is such a thing as drift, so if your cameras are running for long periods of time the audio and visual could misalign. Now imagine that issue with 10 speakers and 4 cameras. The job could be filmed, but how long would it stay on the computer waiting to be completed?
When I quoted this job, I knew the horrors a client would face when opening a 638GB folder. How do you piece that together if you’re not an editor? So I told them with my quote I would put together the discussion for them to view and further digest. All our microphones and cameras were on timecode, which is not cheap, this is why you don’t see a lot of videographers able to offer the same service although it may sound easier than an event recap.
Then while people think cameras are the most important. I say this every time I get on the phone with a job inquiry, “Sound is the most important aspect to a job.” People can forgive bad video but they will never watch something with terrible audio. So we had 10 microphones, with two backups, but we also had 4 pancake mics on the table as backups. I promise you a videographer would not have that because they are expensive and the client didn’t say it, so they wouldn’t quote it. Our pricing is reflective of our experience and knowledge. We listen to what the job is and prepare for what is needed.
You might see Kailey in the background and wonder what is the point of two people. During this 4 hour round table discussion she is providing timestamped notes so that any editor/person can have context of the full video.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a one-stop-shop of someone to handle the filming, the audio, the lighting. I know my competitors charge 300% of what our costs are. We want to be affordable video production service for the central Texas Area. We do travel, but if you are outside our service area we charge a travel fee.
To answer the question, “why are you shocked by the price difference when getting video production quotes.?” You have to review the experience, crew, and equipment. Sometimes a job seems like a race to the bottom who can offer the cheapest price, but if you’re hiring the cheapest person you’re not going to find someone who make video production look easy.
Interested in booking a one-on-one with me? We’d love to hear about your project schedule today and we’d love to hear how we can be involved.
Have specific questions about what we can do for you? Call or Text 512-893-2709
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