Crystal Kelley's Lounge Discussions

Hello Stage 32'ers, I have put the final touches on my website www.CrystallizedCinema.com, and wanted to officially send it out to all those in my network. I am a DP base in LA and looking forward to working on some exciting projects this year. Please inbox me if you want to connect!

I am amazed at what people are trying to pay for video production work. I work freelance so when I see a job on craigslist I will usually apply. I will paraphrase a recent conversation I had with a potential client: it was a mechanic factory looking to make videos to post on youtube demonstrating how their machines work. They said the videos they had currently were of poor quality that were no longer acceptable. They said they wanted to make videos for most of their current machines, as well as all the new ones that would be coming in the future, so they were looking to make an ongoing connection with a videographer. They wanted someone with an HD camera, lighting, and microphones. Also, they wanted this person to edit the videos and add graphics. They asked for a price quote. I replied, "you would be looking at around $50-$60/hr for the shoot with all my gear. And the editing I will do for $30/hr." Please, tell me if I am charging too much (though I feel this is relatively cheap compared to what I've seen others charge) Anyway, I never heard back from them. I was going to just let it go, but it seemed like it could be continuous work and I didn't want to just let it slip away. I emailed them, asking them if they had received my email? They politely replied that my price range was out of their budget. I am flexible, so I asked what their budget was. "$75 per video," they replied. $75!!!! are they serious?! I wouldn't take my camera out of the bag for $75. I told them that it would be very hard to find someone to do this for such a low amount. A lot of people charge more than that an hour, and they want an entire video produced for it (filming, editing, encoding) there is just no way! When will people learn that a 1 minute youtube video does not take 1 minute to create?! I ended up telling them that they should spend the money and get their own camera and lights. That they would have a better chance of getting a Videographer to work with them for that amount if he/she didn't have to use their own equipment. I told them, if they got the footage themselves that I could edit the videos for them for $75 each, and even that would be at a discount. Am i wrong here? Or does this sort of thing happen WAY too often in this business?