TVC Question: fee for small budget client?

[vanderlae]

Hi guys,

A question specifically for anyone who does TVC work and the like.

I have a post co who I've been engaging lately about composing, and they are asking me for an idea of what I would normally charge. Their client has a tiny budget. Don't they all?!

Email is: "I am getting a little sound produced for a client at the moment on a very tight budget. As a basic indicator what would you charger for a fairly simple 30 second spot."

I read that to mean that they are already getting sound done cheaply but out of interest, what could he expect to be charged on average. Before we get in a tirade over the "tiny budget" sentiment, the reality is I need to get my foot in the door with these guys, and this means pricing myself to achieve this but also attract repeat business. I can stand on higher grounds later, but I need ground to stand on first.

I could always turn it around and ask what his budget is, i.e. what could I normally expect, but I'd prefer to be better armed than this.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Cheers,
Dave

[musikwerks]

My audio post guy charges $1k a day for himself and his room.

You can pay between $400 and $600 an hour at places like Stellar Sound or Song Zu but I don't think your client is in that league.

[Drumstruck]

A good question Dave - one that I often ponder.....

I suggest starting with a "sustainable" price - i.e. if you do get the foot in the door you need to be working from a price point that lets you continue to survive if the business is ongoing.


not even 2c for that ....

[vanderlae]

My audio post guy charges $1k a day for himself and his room.

You can pay between $400 and $600 an hour at places like Stellar Sound or Song Zu but I don't think your client is in that league.

Hey Kris, good to hear from you mate. Hope things are travelling well.

Thanks for the ad-vuss. It seems to me that the post company is at that standard, though their client is pulling the cheapskate line with them which is why they've palmed this off to someone who will do it for a a tin of biscuits and a faint mirage of a lifeline.

Had no idea the likes of song zu charged that much. Wow.

Cheers,
Dave

[musikwerks]

Thanks. I'm doing well. Getting there, thats for sure.

When I worked at a big post-production house years ago the audio suite was billed one of two ways... a "radio hour" which was audio only and ran about $400/hour and a "video hour" which had the addition of Digital Betacam video decks. This ran at $600/hour. Mind you, this was for a session in a very well appointed, hotel-like building with a Fairlight system and runners popping in every 20 minutes to bring you food and drink... pretty much whatever you wanted. Ad agencies were the main clients.

My guy now is an owner-operator like me and has to run lean to keep going. There's a definite market for guys like us. Good quality work without the overheads or opulence of the big boys. I mean, really, can't you get your own lunch?

[Chinagraf]

No.