how much to charge for aerial videos?

[Jacobrichards91]

the small town that i live in wants me to do a video highlighting the town. what is a good price to charge.
should i charge per minute? per half minute?

here is a link to some of my work


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABXdHMIctxA

 

[OI Photography]

Are you providing full production services, or just the footage? If it's just footage, charge by the time. If it's for full services, I would charge a flat rate for everything. But, there's no universal standard for that, it really depends on the client (and your relationship with them) and the local market.

 

[FASTFJR]

For the real-estate company I do work for I get $250 per home. I can do 2-3 homes on a Saturday morning. They get 3-4 minutes of raw video, they have an in house person who edits it. However, I don't charge them for the video, flying etc… I charge them for my travel time

 

[FangsCPO]

For the real-estate company I do work for I get $250 per home. I can do 2-3 homes on a Saturday morning. They get 3-4 minutes of raw video, they have an in house person who edits it. However, I don't charge them for the video, flying etc… I charge them for my travel time

$250 per house............so if you fly around 4 houses, you make $1000?? If that's the case......that is awesome!!! That would be a great steady gig...if that were possibe.

 

[OI Photography]

For the real-estate company I do work for I get $250 per home. I can do 2-3 homes on a Saturday morning. They get 3-4 minutes of raw video, they have an in house person who edits it. However, I don't charge them for the video, flying etc… I charge them for my travel time

That's a great rate if you can get them to pay it Do you adjust at all for larger properties (in terms of size or market value), including commercial?

 

[Meluk]

How much?? and you actually get that?

I was going to go in at about £20 per house... lol. Although I don't really see it as a money making business. Well the real estate market I mean.

 

[FASTFJR]

For the real-estate company I do work for I get $250 per home. I can do 2-3 homes on a Saturday morning. They get 3-4 minutes of raw video, they have an in house person who edits it. However, I don't charge them for the video, flying etc… I charge them for my travel time

That's a great rate if you can get them to pay it Do you adjust at all for larger properties (in terms of size or market value), including commercial?

Considering most of the homes I do are sell for over 1M, thats cheap. Throwing another $250 into that sale in nothing. I still can't believe the agents don't do this themselves…….I'm not saying a word :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[OI Photography]

For the real-estate company I do work for I get $250 per home. I can do 2-3 homes on a Saturday morning. They get 3-4 minutes of raw video, they have an in house person who edits it. However, I don't charge them for the video, flying etc… I charge them for my travel time

That's a great rate if you can get them to pay it Do you adjust at all for larger properties (in terms of size or market value), including commercial?

Considering most of the homes I do are sell for over 1M, thats cheap. Throwing another $250 into that sale in nothing. I still can't believe the agents don't do this themselves…….I'm not saying a word :lol: :lol: :lol:

Pffft real estate agents are notoriously cheap, regardless of property value. I had one who wanted a dozen or so external shots of a 5M+ commercial property, but only wanted to pay if/when the property sold. Seriously.

 

[Schenso]

Your url is not correct. Change the http -s

 

[lgeist]

If you're doing this as a business in the U.S., you might also want to talk to a tax adviser or CPA. Every state is different, but how you charge and word the invoice may determine how much of the work is subject to sales tax. For instance, the post production part may not be subject to sales tax but the aerial part of the work might be. Also, how you deliver the photos, digitally over the internet or printed, may also determine if taxable.

 

[OI Photography]

If you're doing this as a business in the U.S., you might also want to talk to a tax adviser or CPA. Every state is different, but how you charge and word the invoice may determine how much of the work is subject to sales tax. For instance, the post production part may not be subject to sales tax but the aerial part of the work might be. Also, how you deliver the photos, digitally over the internet or printed, may also determine if taxable.

+1

Good advice for any small business, and this type in particular.

 

[FourWheelers]

Thank you for all your post. I, too, am starting a small business in this field and appreciate your honesty and information.

 

[Boozshey]

Another thing you will want to do is invest in a Vimeo account, screw the crap compressed youtube 1080/720 stuff. Vimeo is where the high end video is stored and should be viewed.

 

[Submariner]

Interesting topic ...

Do you think there is much demand for these services here in the US? In other words, can an amateur pilot, after gaining enough flying experience and is comfortable shooting arial videos, make cold canvas calls to Real estate companies offering their spiffy new service?

Just curious..

 

[Submariner]

For the real-estate company I do work for I get $250 per home. I can do 2-3 homes on a Saturday morning. They get 3-4 minutes of raw video, they have an in house person who edits it. However, I don't charge them for the video, flying etc… I charge them for my travel time

Any chance we could see one of your videos ? Thx

 

[havasuphoto]

I'm expensive
Also-you might wanna figure out a "daily rate", for your service

 

[RedRyderMedia]

Besides real estate, the other hot market is wedding videos. Everyone now wants a video along with their still photos. Not every wedding videographer has aerial capability, BUT THEY ALL WOULD WANT SOME! Wedding photographers are busy and always looking for ways to differentiate themselves. Aerial is the answer!

 

[havasuphoto]

Besides real estate, the other hot market is wedding videos. Everyone now wants a video along with their still photos. Not every wedding videographer has aerial capability, BUT THEY ALL WOULD WANT SOME! Wedding photographers are busy and always looking for ways to differentiate themselves. Aerial is the answer!

The 1 thing you have to remember is; the Quad is just a piece of equipment. Like a camera or special lens......if a Producer needs one, they buy one. If a wedding photographer needs one, they buy one. It's not like they're terribly expensive, and, in the long run-it's cheaper for them to purchase their own.
That's just reality. These things have gotten so easy to use(you can even program the ground station and it will fly itself), that those that need, buy.
I've seen several Realtors, on Youtube, that have bought their own Phantoms.

Whatever you do-don't quit your "day" job.
You charge whatever you think your "service" worth. That's your 1+grand up in the air....if it crashes, it comes out of your pocket. So, chose your jobs wisely.

 

[Jabtyler]

I have been on sets where a guy showed up with an octo and an assistant to fly a 5D. their day rate was $2500 up to 10 hours. that seems to be a common price for TV.

sometimes I work for a company that bought 4 (I think) phantom 1s and sends them out with crews, they finally broke down and asked me to teach people how to fly because they were spending too much money repairing them and getting crap footage.
I explained that I can teach basics but experience is more important.

 

[havasuphoto]

I have been on sets where a guy showed up with an octo and an assistant to fly a 5D. their day rate was $2500 up to 10 hours. that seems to be a common price for TV.

sometimes I work for a company that bought 4 (I think) phantom 1s and sends them out with crews, they finally broke down and asked me to teach people how to fly because they were spending too much money repairing them and getting crap footage.
I explained that I can teach basics but experience is more important.

I've seen rates here around $7000/day(L.A. area too)...that's flying a Red camera, 2 guys, with spares, for the day. That means 2 of everything-at least. But, that is probably the top of the mark for the best guys in the industry with the best equipment.
And, they know it. There works speaks for itself...and word spreads, and they get more, and more work.

A lot will depend on your "neck of the woods" so too speak. Generally, in the film industry, Phantoms are "disposable". Like Go Pro's, some will go through several during a shoot-crashing them, to get the shot. Those same people buy Go Pro's, a dozen at a time, with the expectation that they will also possibly be destroyed on a shoot-that's OK, they only need the memory card.

But-you have to start somewhere. It's all about getting "noticed", networking, and getting more referrals.

EDIT: here's a link to an interesting article-and why the film industry is looking very seriously at using Drones; http://www.deadline.com/2014/04/helicopter-crash-deaths-hollywood-safety-history/