ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

10 years, 4 months ago - Marlom Tander

"Worth" isn't really a question you can answer, not unless you have a history of making viral videos and can reasonably promise them x tens millions hits :-)

Your best bet is to try and get them to scope the project - the story they want to tell, and what content they need to tell it - and then quote for the project.

If you can be involved from early on, guide them so that instead of having that 300/3000 disconnect, they decide on a project that is 1000/1000 :-)

10 years, 3 months ago - Jonathan Webb

Brands are slowly coming round to the idea that "content" is valuable. They are just not sure how valuable. The old media rules don't apply to social: media used to buy an audience and you paid for what was delivered. Now there are fewer certainties. if' you're having a conversation with brands directly rather than through their advertising agency then my advice is make the most of that opportunity, if you've got ownership of the relationship you're in a strong place. Go in low on the basis that they commit to take you on for 12 months, 6 months.
Let them see the value. be part of the planning in of the content and make yourself part of that creative process. the worst thing is to say £3K and they say £300, be honest with them say you need to make some cash but don't know how to charge it. you'd normally charge £xxxx/ day, how can you work together to get to that point.

10 years, 3 months ago - Lynwood Shiva Sawyer

Just stayed with an L.A. composer who lives in New York.

He was telling me about the current state of music content commpensation.

30,000,000 to 40,000,000 Spotify streams = USD3,000 in royalties.

As detective Max Royster's mentor, Skip Cossee, is always telling him, "Do the math, Maxie. Do the math."

10 years, 4 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin

I can't help with what something is 'worth' to your clients - it's impossible to answer, only they can negotiate that with you. If they're thinking £300 and you're thinking £3000 there's a tough conversation ahead, but an essential one.

Budget-wise - this is the cost to you of making a film. You know the day rate you want (or would pay suncons), you know the kit hire prices, you know what flights cost, you know how much meals overseas cost, you know how long you'll spend on post, you can work out how long you'll spend on planning, you can get insurance quotes. That's the hard cost to you.

Now you have creative costs - how much of the creativity comes from the client, how much from you? You'll have to add on a 'creative fee' to cover the creative elements for the concepts. Now overhead and contingency, and you come up with a total cost.

Now, how much profit do you want to make? Do you want to make a low percentage and hope to do volume? Or profit on fewer jobs? Add this on, and that's what you charge - and more importantly you can justify all the charge elements.

The client will want to pay less for more, so maybe you'll agree what compromises you can make to get a deal (this is why you need to know your costs).

If it helps, some big companies use a cost-plus basis - they make sure everything is budgeted and accounted including fees, then add on a fixed percentage profit - and every cost out in the open for the client. If the client decides they want to add or remove something, they can see how it affects the bottom line, and they don't get an all-you-can-eat film buffet.