Whenever we start discussing a new project with a client, cost is always one of the first things they ask about. Which is understandable. Unfortunately, price is also a pretty complex topic. In an attempt to demystify the strange world of video editing rates, however, we want to clearly explain our rate structure here, including everything we consider when deciding on our bid for a project.

The Basics on Editing Rates

In the interests of transparency, our editing rate is $30 per hour. So, with that as our starting point, we will consider the complexity of the project, estimate how quickly we believe we can get the job done and do some basic math to arrive at our estimate. Of course, at this stage we also need to think about any additional costs that might pop up like buying rights to music or stock footage.

Of course, editing projects are rarely predictable or uniform. So, clients often bring up a number of questions regarding our editing rates.

Video Editing Rates and Duration

Often, clients feel like a shorter final video should be faster to make and therefore cost less. And, we will admit, this does seem logical. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. In fact, the final duration of the video has very little bearing on how long the editing process will take. To illustrate why, let’s compare two different videos that we’ve worked on in the past.

Each of these videos came out to be about five minutes long when all was said and cut. However, if we look at the two timelines side by side, you can see a stark difference in the complexity of these edits. 

As you can see, there are a lot more elements involved in the second example. For more context, the timeline on top represents a video of two people talking in one location, filmed through two cameras. The raw footage totaled up to about 15 minutes. The end product is a pretty straightforward talking-head video with some simple graphics. All told, this video took about 5 hours of editing to complete.

The video on the bottom, though, was very different. This was a highlight film for a wedding which was shot over 9 hours on four different cameras. The final video includes some pretty complex effects and detailed color grading. This timeline represents about 30 hours of work. 

So, the final duration of a video doesn’t really tell us much about what is needed to complete the edit or how much the project might cost. A much more important indicator is the complexity of the project and what your goals are for the final video.

Editing Rates Put Simply

Attempting to create pricing packages that fit every project is not only difficult, but it can also result in inaccurate estimates and dissatisfied clients. That’s why we take the time to carefully consider each project and provide customized estimates based on the specific needs and goals of the client and standard editing rates. We believe that this approach leads to more accurate estimates and, ultimately, more successful video editing projects.

If you have any questions or would like to get an estimate on your project, please contact us.