Video editing is one of the most important aspects for any video project. The quality of the editor will determine how well your video looks and sounds, which in turn determines how successful it can be. But can you put a price on something so subjective? We’ve created this article to help give you an idea for what to expect at different prices.
How much does a video editor cost for YouTube? – Building a channel for your company
Building a B2B YouTube strategy for your brand can be a great way to get your products or services out there. YouTube is one of the most popular video sharing websites, which means it’s an ideal place for new brands and companies to build their following. If you are interested in starting up a YouTube channel, how much will hired help cost? Well this depends on what kind of help you need.
How do you calculate video editing costs?
There’s several variables which can change how much video editing costs, such as:
- Do you want to work with a freelance video editor or a company that provides post production services?
- Type – There’s several different types of videos you can choose from when making a video which will alter how long they take to create.
- Is animation or motion graphics required?
- How long does the video need to be?
- Is it a single shot, or will multiple angles/shots be needed?
- How much raw footage will they need to work with?
- Do you want them to source music and stock footage for you, or do you already have some in mind?
- Do you want them to create an intro, outro or logo for you?
- How about subtitles in different languages?
- How much creative input are you expecting from them – are you looking for them to help create a compelling story from source material, or go through a standard process to create the finished product?
- How many rounds of changes do you anticipate? If there’s lots of people in your company who need to ‘sign off’ on the video, budget for more editing time to get to the final product
All this can sometimes seem a bit overwhelming, so let me break it down into simple steps…
Video Length
How much does it cost to edit a 10 minute video?
If you want to make a simple video which will be uploaded and shared on the web, then you can hire someone for as little as $30 per hour. However at this level, expect to be working with a student or someone who is not a very experienced editor.
If your project is more complicated than that – such as live streaming or high end effects like slow motion footage or animation – how much does it cost?
Professional video editing rates are often in the $50-150 per hour range, or $400-800 per day on a daily rate.
Motion Graphics
How much does it cost to hire a motion graphics artist?
Motion Graphics is an incredibly popular aspect of the video editing process, and one that many people are opting for in their projects. It can also be very expensive if you need lots of high end animation done.
Some companies offer this as part of their standard video production service, but it can also be purchased separately.
This is worth doing some research on if you are planning to include this in your project, because the costs can vary dramatically depending on how long and complex they need to be.
Animation or Motion Graphics?
How much does animation cost per minute?
The costs associated with motion graphics animations vary depending on how complex they are and whether they’re being created from scratch by a professional animator or using stock footage instead. If its high end / highly detailed products which will require multiple angles/shots in order to create them, then expect your budget needs looking at! 🙂
If you’re developing a video that will require lots of animations (such as an explainer video), then hiring professional animators could end up costing more than $100/minute – which quickly adds up when there’s only 30 seconds of footage!
A quick way to estimate what kind of budget needs looking at is based purely off length: If your finished product comes out longer than 60 seconds, I would recommend adding ‘animation’ to your list of things to look into.
How much do you need to pay for a logo intro?
Logo intros are a great way to add an extra bit of impact and branding to your video, but they can also be expensive.
Logos can be as simple as adding text and applying basic effects such as color correction – but if you want something more advanced like animation, it’s going to cost you.
If all you need is a simple logo reveal with an overlay, this can be done for as little as $20-30 per video – but expect the price to go up if there are lots of effects or color corrections needed too.
How much does stock footage cost?
Stock footage is often used for background shots or establishing scenes which will come before any dialogue starts taking place in the video. However if you’re looking for specific types (such as nature or aerial), then this will become even more costly than hiring out professional editors!
Do I have any rights issues that might affect my video editing budget?
If there’s music or other types of footage involved in the project, it may be worth getting legal advice before going ahead – especially if you want these elements included at no extra cost. This will prevent unnecessary surprises and costs further down the line. If they are not willing to make changes based on a suggestion from a third party, then this should also give you an indication about their ability as a creative professional.
A good way to get around some potential pitfalls is through using royalty free stock footage or images instead of original content wherever possible – which won’t cost the earth.
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