Thanks for both these substantive and open replies. Rates in my area are in the same neighborhood, and it seems the comparisons are relevant, as in each case we're talking about pretty expensive metropolitan areas.
Shirley
-----Original Message-----
From: Rick <a_pmb_fan@yahoo.com>
To: Avid-L2@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Fri, Oct 16, 2009 6:48 pm
Subject: Re: [Avid-L2] OT: Rates?
The last time I worked in NYC I got $650 a day, plus hotel, travel and per diem
for 5 weeks, 7 days a week. I didn't mind that rate at all, but the other guy on
the gig with me kept saying I was getting screwed.
DC rates are 400-500 a day using the clients system, but those rates are getting
harder to come by. I don't base my rate on different projects. I'll drop it some
if they ask and it's more than a week of work.
Rick Emery
www.rickemery.com
________________________________
From: Steve Hullfish <steve4lists@veralith.com>
To: Avid-L2@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Fri, October 16, 2009 7:38:19 PM
Subject: Re: [Avid-L2] OT: Rates?
I think the Chicago rate for a decent, experienced editor is about
$500 a day.
I've heard that freelancers in NYC with regular gigs make about the
same, which shocks and dismays me. I don't know how you live in NYC
making $500 a day.
My rate is above this, but at least one broadcaster in town won't even
pay $500 a day.
I've visited one of the "cable factories" here in Chicago that does
all the History Channel, Weather Channel, A&E work and they are around
that price, but prefer to pay less experienced editors below that
rate. But they do also pay $500 a day and up for on-line guys and
higher-end editors for important projects.
One of the major international corporations in town regularly hires
freelance Avid editors and pay slightly better than $500, but I think
they go about $100 either way, depending on the skill and experience
of the editor.
There are chuches that do broadcasts that are willing to pay more than
this.
Post houses in town are at this rate or slightly higher.
I know the post supervisor at one of the biggest ad agencies and
they're around $500 for an FCP editor, tops.
I would think that the "name" guys cutting spots are easily getting
twice or triple that at the good boutiques. I was never one of those
guys, so I don't know how much they get paid. On some jobs I get close
to that and I'm just a schmuck. My freelance editing rate varies by
almost $400 a day, depending on what people need, who needs it and how
badly - or how badly I need the work or how much I don't want the
hassle.
One of the big national broadcast shows in Chicago has lowered what
they're willing to pay significantly but I am pretty sure that they're
still in that basic range, with some people getting significantly
more. I haven't worked there in years and I can't say what I earned or
what they last offered me.
Some of the "lesser" national broadcast shows out of Chicago (with a
name that includes the book in the Bible after Joshua and before Ruth)
was paying slightly less than that, but they weren't making art, if
you know what I mean.
I was up for a large FCP editing documentary and they wanted me to
come in at $350 a day.
I hire freelance editors when I'm overbooked on other projects and I
get very competent editors - better than me actually - for $500 a day.
So, at least in a big market, I'd say $500 is the jumping off point.
You can still lose business at that rate because it's too high, but
you can also demand significantly more than that if you're good and
they know you'll save their butt and make them look good. My guess is
that smaller markets are down in the $350 a day range.
On Oct 16, 2009, at 6:02 PM, guanacaa@aol. com wrote:
> Once again, I would never ask about your personal rates. I was
> hoping to get actual numbers for what's common in your markets.
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