Edit Times vs Cameras

[Superfly]

We use 3 cameras ceremony and 2 for everything else.

Shooting time and prep average 10 hours x 2 = 20 hours
Editing =20-40 hours depending
Post with all label design, cover design, printing, duplicating, setting up mailers, picture for leather cases, we also provide standard movie cases, packaging, shipping....another 10 hours.

Don't forget all those hidden costs!     How much marketing time did it take to get the job?  How much are supplies, ink, disks, covers, disks, leather cases, tapes, movie cases, etc., etc.....

So, if we're really honest with ourselves we've got 40-60 hours in even without marketing.  Still $37.5 - $25 an hour.  ***That said, Jen and I have found better margin business in performing arts because if 1/4-1/3 of your budget goes to marketing it starts to get lower than we want to work for.

Jen and I are planning to offer 3 packages this year and possibly even just one.  $3000, $4000, $5000.  There are people doing it in town.  This way we can offer the best only and we're just not hungry for weddings right now so the timing is perfect.

Cheers,

Todd

[DavidPartington]

Thanks Todd.  I'm starting to get a little less paranoid about how much time we spend on it relative to the cheaper competitors in town.   We just raised prices and we really need to dramatically raise them again in another year or so.  We'll see how it goes.

Trying to figure out how to get in to the Drama stuff.....

[HankCastello]

I keep the third camera going during the reception.  Up on a jib, overlooking the dance floor.  Gives me a constant timeline to follow and always a good shot to go to when I want to continue a scene but a manned camera was temporarily blocked, or moved, etc.  I've found it helps in editing and actually saves me editing time.