Rate Overview

Our prices are based on the amount of work, equipment and specialized training required to perform a service.  The prices listed are basic rates.  More demanding projects may require highly-skilled individuals or more expensive equipment, which would require additional costs.

Pre-Production

We do not charge for the initial meeting to understand and plan a project.  For simple projects, this single meeting is all that is needed.  However, larger projects may require a script, location scouting, permits, budgeting, hiring of specialized crew, etc.  Below are common pre-production expenses.

  • Producer:  $300/half day
  • Scriptwriting:  $75/hour
  • Casting:  $500 & up

Production

Production is the actual shooting of the video.  Simple projects often require only a videographer, camera and basic microphone equipment.  For this type of project, our rates are:

  • Videographer:  $250/half day
  • Camera (DV or HDV):  $150/half day or $200/full day

For more important video or more challenging shooting situations, common additions are:

  • Lighting - basic 3-point lighting kit:  $50/day
  • Audio recordist:  $250/half day
  • Audio mobile package (high-end microphones, mixer, and recorder):  $150/half day or $200/full day
  • High-definition camera (Sony PMW-EX1 or comparable):  $200/half day or $250/full day
  • Production assistant:  $200/half day
  • Chromakey/greenscreen set-up (ReflecMedia lite ring and screen):  $100/day
  • Travel:  $1/mile outside the Baltimore/Washington metro area plus out-of-pocket food and lodging expenses.

For projects requiring actors and/or voice talent, commercial rates for area professionals are available on the AFTRA/SAG web page (aftrasagdcbalt.com/rates).  Even if you prefer to work with non-union talent, these rates are a helpful guide to pricing for area professionals.

The rates for an audio recordist and audio mobile package above also apply to location audio recordings done without accompanying video.

Post-Production

For many of our projects, at least 1/2 to 2/3 of the total budget goes into post-production.  Editing of any kind is time-consuming, and the more editing, the more polished the finished piece.  The following rates cover most of our services:

  • Basic video editing:  $50/hour
  • Specialized or more demanding editing, e.g., animation, motion graphics, audio, color correction, DVD menu design:  $75/hour
  • Original music:  $500 & up
  • Voice-over talent:  see aftrasagdcbalt.com or producershandydandy.com
  • DVD compression & simple menu (1-2 hours of video): $150
  • DVD duplication
    • 1-10 DVDs in cases with graphic inserts and labels printed on DVD:  $10 each plus tax & shipping
    • Single DVDs charged and mailed directly to recipient:  $20 each, includes sales tax & mailing
    • 10+ DVDs in cases with graphic inserts and labels printed on DVD:  $5 each; shipping is free