Ok, TWW, help me out.

I have a client that needs to produce a video for use on the Internet. He's an incumbent state representative.

My question is this: how much would I expect to pay a firm to take raw footage (given I can get a digital video camera good enough for production) to give it the production value of that of a decent TV commercial?

Secondly, does anyone have experience doing this and would work for money? I know the latter half of this thread is an ad, but the first part isn't and they go hand-in-hand.

9/10/2007 8:30:30 PM

'real' production houses run in the neighborhood of $1000/minute for regular video work, but that comes with a group of professionals with pro equipment. rates are very likely higher for commercials, since there's generally more work put into less actual time (30 seconds right-- so you wont get a commercial made for $500)

you'll need pro equipment to put footage on a tv network. Most networks have a specific format for commercials, and you purchase time based on times of day and number of times it will air. Specific format entails bars & tone for the first 15 seconds and 30 seconds of black following your footage. (or something close) Formats accepted are most likely BetaSP or DVCPro-- but could be DVCAM, or even MiniDV (most likely NOT DVD or anything else).

So, you write the script. You hire the talent to act it (or voice it). You rent the production crew (they film it/direct it). You have your footage edited. You have the edited footage outputted to a format accepted by the network you're trying to air it on. You submit it to the network and purchase the timeslots. Profit.

Good luck with that. It's a long process and that's why there are people who do this for a living and they can charge so much for it.

---

I didnt read what you said:

so if you're shooting for the internet, you can go a lot cheaper, just find a freelancer who's good and will take your project on. (I have a good bit of freelance work of this nature under my belt, but I just dont have TIME for another project right now, sry)

[Edited on September 10, 2007 at 10:16 PM. Reason : .,.]

9/10/2007 10:11:56 PM

First, you need to create the video before you send someone raw footage.

if you have a storyboard for an editor then things will go more the way you want.


Price wise, I'd charge someone 350-750 for a commercial for the web (depending on the length)

9/10/2007 10:50:09 PM

bttt

9/11/2007 12:04:15 PM

You can get the whole thing done locally for a grand. Footage, editing, compositing and mastering.

Roll over to the CoD and talk to Pat Fitzgerald, or put a post up on Craigslist. You don't want to try shooting your own footage and turning it over to an editor. It's going to end up as a back and forth with re-shoots and re-edits that will cost you more money and more time.

9/11/2007 12:19:30 PM

You could also probably talk to Jim Alchediak in Communication (he teaches the Digital Video Production classesand could probably hook you up with someone).

Also, I'm pretty sure DamnStraight has done some freelance stuff before and does quality work.

[Edited on September 11, 2007 at 6:26 PM. Reason : .]

9/11/2007 6:20:28 PM

^Also a very good call

9/11/2007 6:36:37 PM