Money is what keeps a business alive. The best idea in the world can fail to find its place and improve the world because the money isn’t there to let it happen. And no one can work for free forever. Your skills and talent deserve to be paid for. But how much should you get paid? If you ask a client, they’ll give you a low answer. If you refer to an established professional, you may wonder how they get away with charging that much for work you know you can do yourself, but you’re still earning just a fraction of what they get. How do you charge higher prices for your work fairly to stay in business?

Show The Value

Clients aren’t just paying for a man with a camera that can press a button a couple of times over the course of a day. There is a need for high-quality production and expert techniques on the scene that has to happen at the perfect time, in a perfect place. Client want the same, consistent high-quality performance that you can offer at the top of your game every single time. You can show them that’s what you are capable of with a stellar portfolio, a dope demo reel, and some meaningful behind-the-scenes footage that shows off how well you know the tech you’re working with.

Who Films the Filmmaker?

Behind the scenes is the most appreciated piece of value you can add for high-end clients. A lot of people might skip over it, people with less complex needs don’t need to know about light diffusion or lighting rigs or camera placement. Those are skills you’ll bring to use on them regardless, even for simple jobs, because they are effective. Clients with higher quality demands will be looking for people who are well equipped and well versed. Part of your demo reel for them should include footage of you working. Mount a GoPro or your own phone and take video of yourself setting up equipment, running a camera, composing a scene - even just a time-lapse of how you set up a static product photo shows what words aren’t enough to say. It’s proof that you’re the expert they need.

Never Underprice

One tactic a lot of start-ups use is they sell themselves as the “cheap guy”, the budget option so they can get their own grounding and build up from there. However, if you’re not charging the rate that relates to the work you put in, you won’t get the high-paying audience you want, you’ll only get the people who have no other options. Cheap prices come with cheap clients. It’s better to start up higher and be open to negotiate a lower, fair cost than it is to decide one day that the prices your clients were depending on just aren’t enough. If you start cheap, you’ll end cheap, too.