Posted by Steve King on 12/23/42 11:28

"P.C. Ford" <meoh@mouse-potato.com> wrote in message
news:jvb9k19q5qc3hnioj3lpv7nagiuktt5f61@4ax.com...
> On Wed, 5 Oct 2005 23:31:45 -0500, "Steve King"
> <steveSPAMBLOCK@stevekingSPAMBLOCK.net> wrote:
>
>>"P.C. Ford" <meoh@mouse-potato.com> wrote in message
>>news:6tk8k1diof77d98g1utt4op4p3nlsftiib@4ax.com...
>>> On Wed, 5 Oct 2005 15:14:43 -0500, "Steve King"
>>> <steveSPAMBLOCK@stevekingSPAMBLOCK.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>>"P.C. Ford" <meoh@mouse-potato.com> wrote in message
>>>>news:2h88k1dbni9dt7thgqfv07bqkp1f2jhphi@4ax.com...
>>>>> On Wed, 05 Oct 2005 11:37:44 -0700, P.C. Ford <meoh@mouse-potato.com>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>We did a 10 minute
>>>>>>video (was supposed to be 5-7 minutes) for well under 5 figures.
>>>>>
>>>>> Should have said well under _4_ figures. Can't count this morning.
>>>>>
>>>>> Oh, should have added, there was happiness all 'round with the
>>>>> project.
>>>>>
>>>>> thanks!
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>You need a video budget form. Otherwise you will forget to charge for a
>>>>lot
>>>>of materials, services, and time. Here are a couple to look at:
>>>>
>>>>http://www.jimzura.com/OtherBudgetSample3.htm
>>>>
>>>>http://raven.ubalt.edu/departments/corpcom/courses/simon/projmgmtII/forms/videoBudget.pdf
>>>>
>>>>And, neither of these is as comprehensive as the one I use.
>>>>
>>>>Selling that 10 minute video for less than a $100 per minute sure left
>>>>you
>>>>in bind as far as charging anything like a fair price.
>>>>
>>>
>>> thanks, good, useable info on both urls.
>>
>>What a relief!! That you didn't bill the $1K that I thought you meant.
>>You
>>may find an even better budget form. I use a budget form to help me think
>>through a project in the proposal preparation stage. Then I go back to it
>>frequently as the project becomes better defined. It is still a good tool
>>to make sure I am taking into consideration all of the ways the project
>>will
>>be affected in pre-production, production, and post. It is too easy to
>>forget stuff and incur costs of time, goods, and services that nickle and
>>dime your reasonable and legitimate profits away.
>
> Thanks Steve. I do appreciate it. Unfortunately, due to my mistake in
> the price of the first project, I find myself where I was this
> morning.
>
> Here's the deal: I repeatedly here the cliche that industrial
> corporate stuff should cost at least 1k a minute. Many say this is far
> too low. Now I have to do 60 minutes worth of video. So, if I use the
> rule of thumb that's 60k. Yet I don't see how the project could
> legitimately cost the client even half of that. (See my first post to
> see a description of project.) I did a run-through on the budget work
> sheets and 30k would be very generous indeed.
>
> I want to charge a fair price, of course. But I certainly want to
> myself as good a job as possible.

$30K may be a good figure. A word of caution. Don't base your estimates on
everything going smoothly. It so rarely does. Build in a cushion. Then
strive to come in under the top number. Your client will remember it if you
do.

Steve King

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