I have a question regarding when you started out in editing. What did you charge and how did you come to that number. Did you charge daily, weekly or hourly and why? I’m just trying to figure out what I should charge. Don’t want to charge too much or too little. Thanks everyone!

Steve Pomerantz: My first editing job paid $10 per hour. But that was 36 years ago. Its gone down slightly since then. 🙁

Nigel G Honey: Daily rate £250 twenty years ago

Nigel G Honey: approx 335 dollars

Theo Maximilian Goble: I was a staff editor for 10 years so didnt have to worry about rates when I was starting out.

Christa Collins: I charged fair market price as a newb, I just wanted a fair rate until I could angle for more w/o being met with laughter – all depends on what you’re cutting & where you’re cutting it.I fully realize I haven’t answered your question 😂 & yet, that is my answer 🤓

Chris Zayachkowski: Thanks for chiming in.

Patrick Hooley: Christa Collins as though you arent still a newb…But yes, it depends on the type of work and location. Id probably charge 80% of regular rate just starting out

Christa Collins: I’mma strangle you when I see you, Patricio 😂

Patrick Hooley: Please don’t choke me. As though I’m a Chris Weber.

Christa Collins: Patrick Hooley ?? Are you thinking of Sprewell?? When did Webb get choked?!! 😮

Patrick Hooley: Christa Collins every big game in his career

Christa Collins: Typical selective memory from a Faker fan! But let’s not sully this thread any further w/ unrelated talk/LIES 🤐

Patrick Hooley: Christa Collins I’m only talking championship games. And yes, we should not sully this thread. My only further advice would be to understand the rate in the location you are looking for work. It varies a lot from region to region

Shane Ross: I didnt start out editing right away…I crawled up the ladder. Apprentice editor, tape vault manager, post coordinator, assistant editor…then editor. And then I charged the median going rate for the area cutting broadcast TV, non-union…at the time. When I worked in Corporate, I was a shooter, but there was a going rate for that work…and it was arrived upon by asking many people their median rate and going from that.

Kyle Koch: I started at $15 an hour in the early 90s. Moved to $25 in the late 90s. $50 per hour in 2000s. Currently $150 per hour with gear.

Theo Maximilian Goble: Christmas beers on Kyle!!

Kyle Koch: if you have the Edit Suite Stories Christmas party on Vancouver, let’s hit the Flying Beaver (just down the road from our Studio). Mjg.ca

Flying Beaver – MJG
mjg.ca

Kyle Koch:

Kyle Koch: View from the Beaver at sunset.

Kyle Koch: Ya’ll have to wait for trains crossing. We have to wait for Seaplanes crossing! 😉

Alex Perrault: Honestly, a lot of it is what the market will bear. Much of the early editing I did was for free, but I was gaining experience I needed. Many people start around $15/hr or $150/day and it (hopefully) goes up from there.

Brendan Thompson: One thing to keep in mind is that when someone pays a lot of money for a service they become invested in believing that they got their moneys worth. No one wants to think they were a fool. If you dont know what your doing at any given moment fake it, act totally confident, and charge 100% of the market value or even more.If you charge less they wont take you serious and will begin to pick apart everything you do. And definitely push for a day rate with time and a half overtime. If you book a half day you arent going to make up that lost time on another half day gig that same day.

Chris Zayachkowski: Okay great advice!

John N. Miller: Back in the 90s my rate was $50/he. That was on top of what the client paid for the facility. These days, with desktop editing, it varies wildly. You skill and reputation will drive your rate more than anything.

Douglas Lyons: And quite often (for us modest folks) you actually are worth more than you think. Your skills really are more advanced than many others. Dont sell yourself short.

Brendan Thompson: Heres an interesting POV. Youtube.com

Mike Monteiro: F*ck You, Pay Me
youtube.com

Tom Gould: I charged $200/day when I started. I figured I could make that PA-ing on commercials, so that was my minimum for getting out of bed. I sometimes worked for less for friends or projects I believed in. But that usually was a bad idea.

Arthur Bell: I was happy to edit. Probably did 2 years for just about free.

Chris Zayachkowski: Unfortunately I am in no position to work for free.

Adrian Smith: Wait… you mean you guys get paid for doing this shit?

Sney Nidoran: I charged low or nothing for the first couple of years, but I was a rank novice. I worked side jobs to support my post production habit

Mark Aarons: I started as in-house commercials Editors Assistant on film. I think I was on something like £14k a year. That was 20 years ago.After a year or so I was editing on my own and had some clients. Pop video Directors mostly. One guy would never pay me but I thought his ideas were the best and the songs/artistes we worked on were good… I always thought he would make it big so I did about 20 videos for him for free or for very little money, £500 or something.Then there was another Director I worked with and his stuff was bad songs and artistes but he always made sure I got paid. I always thought he wouldnt really make it.Turns out the first Director didnt make it and the second one did!When I went freelance 20 years ago I started off on £250-£275 a day cutting feature film trailers… James Bond, Reservoir Dogs etc.Thats because the editing house I was working for cut those trailers but when I went freelance Avid had taken over and the film trailer house installed 4 Avids and then just used freelancers.Anyway, nowadays I cut commercials. Rates can vary widely from £1K for a job that takes 5 days or more. To £20K for a job that takes 5 days or more!But if Im asked for a day rate then I quote £650 plus £350 for my edit suite. And I havent put my prices up for like 10 years!

Chris Zayachkowski: Okay do you charge for your editing suite?

Mark Aarons: Yeah definitely, £350 a day if I can. Depends on the budget. Plus Ill also put in stuff for Loading the rushes in (for instance Im doing a job right now where theyre shooting in Poland and FTPing the rushes every few hours so it takes up my time, EDLS, OMFs, assistant, and even for posting QTs.Like I said, its commercials so if youre gonna sell your soul you should be rewarded for it! 🙂

Mark Aarons: But it is a proper edit suite where clients can come and take over the space. Theres some photos on my website. markaarons.co.uk

MARK AARONS EDITOR
markaarons.co.uk

Theo Maximilian Goble: Mark! I started out on around £15 a week as an assistant. The facility I wanted to work at had no places so I said Id do it for free.They paid my travel expenses and that was that….See more

Mark Aarons: Man, I didnt even want to be an Editor. At least you knew what you wanted to do. 😉

Theo Maximilian Goble: Mark AaronsI had no idea about that world mate. Back then people got into the cutting rooms because of family connections….See more

Christopher Darlington: Started in 94. Used to go hourly until a couple years ago. $43-$57/hr depending on gig. I now try to price out the job for one fee. After so many years I’m pretty good as sussing the job out. Plus I’m down to a 6hr day on most jobs. 3hrs, 2hr lunch, 3hrs. It’s amazing what you can get done when you put your mind to it.

Chris Zayachkowski: Okay so do you charge by the hour now?

Christopher Darlington: Not anymore. I work out how many hours I figure it’ll take and then just quote one amount. Clients like it better. I also work a clause in that says basically “if this goes crazy we’ll re-negotiate”.

Chris Zayachkowski: Christopher Darlington Okay so you charge a flat rate?

Christopher Darlington: Yes.

Chris Zayachkowski: Christopher Darlington I was told never to do this.

Christopher Darlington: With a few riders.

Christopher Darlington: I was as well for years but I know my clients well so I’m usually on the mark.

Alex Perrault: I do this a lot too now – tends to make clients happy

Bryan Colvin: exposure per hour

Chris Zayachkowski: Funny but exposure per hour is not a rate.

Bryan Colvin: some producers think it is…

Chris Zayachkowski: Quite true. I have never figured out how to pay my mortgage with that great exposure!

Jonah Oskow: I started stocking toilet paper in the bathrooms….