How much does a videographer cost in the UK?
The way that videographers price their work can often be confusing. Here is a basic overview and some things to look out for when getting quotes and planning your next video project.
How do videographers charge?
Per hour, per day, per project
Different videographers charge for their work in different ways. Some will offer an hourly rate, but most will offer half-day and full-day rates for both filming and post-production work, as well as some basic packages for video production to cover jobs they frequently work on like promotional videos and events.
The location of your videographer may also affect how much they charge: a videographer in London will often cost more than one based somewhere else, but it is worth weighing up that extra cost against travel and accommodation expenses, depending on where filming is taking place.
If you are working on a more complex project that requires additional camera operators then they will usually come at an extra cost. The same goes for motion graphics: if your projects requires sophisticated motion graphics and animation then a specialist may need to be brought in.
How I do it: I’m a videographer based in London. My rate card is available upon request and covers half-day and full-day rates, but most projects are quoted for with a fixed fee for peace of mind. When quoting for larger jobs and multi-day shoots, I estimate how much of my time the production will need and work it out from there, with a slight discount for larger projects.
Equipment
Is it included or will it cost extra?
Another thing to consider when you are looking to hire a videographer is the equipment they will need to make your film. Most videographers will own a good selection of professional gear for video and audio recording which should be enough to cover the needs of most projects. But sometimes a videographer will charge an additional rental fee for the use of their equipment on a shoot.
This might seem like an unusual way of doing things, but it is actually quite common across the creative industries. As an example, when hiring a photography studio there are sometimes additional rental costs for the use of their lighting equipment to cover general wear and tear.
How I do it: I include the use of all owned equipment in my pricing, and if additional rental equipment is needed then this would be agreed in advance and charged for at cost.
Post-production
As a general rule of thumb, editing is always more time-consuming than filming a project. The amount of post-production time your film will require naturally depends on the specifics of the project and deliverables. But as a very rough guide, you should expect editing and post-production to take at least 1.5x the time that was spent filming. So a one-day shoot would usually require at least one-and-a-half days of post-production work.
How I do it: All post-production work is included in the fixed fee quoted for a project. I work out those costs based on how much time I think post-production work will take for your project.
Pre-production
Good planning is a really important part of a successful project, and the more efficiently you use your filming time, the better your end results are likely to be. Pre-production covers anything that takes place before filming begins, and can include scripting, storyboarding, location scouting and talent booking. Most videographers will offer an hourly rate for this work, if it is not included in their headline fees.
Other costs to look out for
Locations
Some locations will require permission and the payment of a fee in order for them to allow filming for commercial purposes. You should make sure either you or your videographer have cleared any permissions before filming takes place, as it can be both difficult and costly to do this afterwards.
Music
Most films will use music in post-production, and this will need to be licensed. Websites like Epidemic Sound and Premium Beat offer a wide range of Royalty Free music.
Stock footage
If there is a need for stock footage in your production – perhaps of a location you weren't able to travel to – then this will need to be licensed.
Travel time and expenses
Most videographers will pass on the cost of their travel expenses. It is also common for videographers to charge for any travel days around a shoot, where the location is a long distance from where they are based (in another country, for example), at 50% of the videographer's usual day rate.
Is it worth it?
Ultimately only you can decide whether the cost of hiring a professional videographer is worth it. When weighing things up, my advice would be to focus less on the cost of production and more on the potential value of a well-made film to you and your brand. Video is an incredibly powerful medium, but viewers are growing ever-more discerning, and poorly-produced video sticks out like a sore thumb. If it is worth doing then it is worth doing well.
