FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
I generally charge $250-$300 per day of shooting and $200-$250 per day of editing, depending on the timeline and project requirements. Let me put those prices in context: Let's say you need a 60-70 second video with one interview and b-roll at 3 locations that are within a 20 minute drive from one another. If we move quickly, I can shoot that in half a day and edit in about two and a half days. That means the total for the project will come to around $700-900. Or, let's say you need a wedding video that covers the preparations, ceremony, and reception. You would like a 30 minute edit of the day and a shorter, 3-4 minute highlight video. That will take one full day of shooting and five days of editing. That will come to around $1,300-1,600. Or say you don't need any filming done, just editing--you have a short film and need a solid editor with an eye for good performances. You have 1.5 hours of footage and need a 10 minute film. That might take me 7 days to edit (including color grading and sound mixing, if you need that), bringing the total to around $1,400-$1,600.
- What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
The most important ability in filmmaking is the ability to look with an inquisitive eye and to see the world as it truly is. Naturally, my first step with a client is simply to have a conversation and to learn as much as I can about the project or brand--to look and to see the people and the vision that I will be representing. Not only will this give me a solid foundation to begin creating, but it will also let us establish a friendly relationship. Together, we begin brainstorming for the project--images, ideas, characters, narratives--that will best express the client's vision. I will then take those ideas, prepare any necessary storyboards or scripts, and then make the logistical arrangements to put our plans into action. When the day of shooting arrives, the client can be as involved or as removed as he/she wishes. I will then edit the project and deliver the video in a quick timeline.
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
The best way to learn filmmaking is to practice it. I have been telling stories for seven years--first as a writer and three years as a filmmaker. I have worked on productions solo and on a crew, hands-on experience that has given me the technical know-how to create productions from start to finish. To speak of more formal education, I have a background in literature and the classical liberal arts, equipping me with the ability to look and to see the world for what it truly is--the most important ability in the craft of filmmaking. I have studied the best narratives ever created by human minds. One cannot come into contact with such brilliance and not leave a wiser storyteller.