That's a good question. You'd think somewhere between $75 to $150 per hour. I know several independent filmmakers and they charge around $1,200 per day. At $150 per hour, you'd be in the same range. I wouldn't think a professional editor wouldn't make less than the cinematographer.

. It's been a thrilling experience, and now the lady is talking about a movie from the scans with narration, bkgd music, and Burns-style zooms. I'm eager to do it, but it's not a charity gig.

Do you mean the 2d to 3d layering & using pan/zoom camera to show parallax ?

Is that achievable on VegasPro. Only really seen it done in after effects & hitfilm

Since you don't do this as a regular gig, you ask the person if they have a budget in mind, then you try to imagine yourself working toward an outcome that would satisfy the client (and yourself) and make a determination how many hours that may take. If the guy says he has a twelve hundred dollar max, can you do that in three days (at maybe $400/day) with the sort of understanding that if you're only halfway through, you may be able to up the pay. I would make this an "all in."

You need to get up to working speed, IOW, like someone who does this every day. Since you don't, don't charge what the big boys charge. Don't count the hours, do the job to your best ability, and try to make that work with his budget. If this is something you really are adept at and want to do more of, the jobs will flow from this "well crafted" project, and you will also have a better understanding of what you should charge moving forward.

You need to get up to working speed, IOW, like someone who does this every day. Since you don't, don't charge what the big boys charge. Don't count the hours, do the job to your best ability, and try to make that work with his budget.

Agreed. You are not a professional, you will not be working efficiently and fast. Charge for the job. If you love the project and want to see it come to completion and be a part of it, that pays for it'self when finished. Don't consider yourself being ripped off if you work out hours you worked for the amount paid.

It is different if they see a commercial return due to what you make for them. Even so I was making YT videos for $100, which is really low considering total time consumed per video, but I was a viewer and a fan of the streamer so happy to help. Because I wasn't being paid what would be considered a reasonable amount per video when it was requested I make 3 videos a week I politely said no thankyou as that would have felt more like work & $300 a week for the amount of hours required to produce those videos no longer made sensee

If it was fiverr they want to pay you $5. I've never been paid hourly for editing or VFX work. But unless they want something extremely specific when it comes to creative work It's hard to force it so I don't know what would qualify and hours worth of work.

@zdogg

This isn't my first rodeo (click the avatar <--).

@Former user

You are not a professional, you will not be working efficiently and fast

Just gotta let that one go, graciously if possible. Production is my strong suit, but archiving is anything but "fast." Wanna vet my CV?

Done millions of these commercially, but inhouse.

et tu?

My scanner / screen / printer ICC matching is better than commercial houses just ten years ago.

I have endured a lot of presumptions during three careers, but inexperience is not one of them, thanks guys.

@Former user

Best response yet. It's set at my first thought, which is $55.

@Musicvid For all our commercial and corporate gigs we generally charge day rates instead of hourly (unless it's a just literally less than a half day, then we charge hourly - but seldom the case unless we're just updating a project). Typically hourly is $125 day is $1000. But for documentary work, often it's a flat fee for the whole project if we're in control of the project. If it's literally editing for hire and you're going to have a director over your shoulder, hourly is the way to go unless you have an existing relationship with them and know how they work. I wouldn't go lower than $75/hr with your gear though - $55/hr feels like 2010 rates. :)

 $55/hr feels like 2010 rates. 

Yes that's the right decade. Probably why I feel comfortable with it in retirement. But there's always the enticement of repeat business and overhead is minimal.

@Musicvid Your insights on this forum point to the idea that indeed you are a "pro" - sorry if I appeared to you to suggest otherwise, not my intent, at all ---

Your post seemed to signal that this particular task was - while not foreign to you - but maybe something you don't do all the time, (and I think I'm right, reading you further) and as one who switches hats myself, this idea does factor in when deciding how much you can produce in a given amount of time. Isn't that right?

@Mikelinton talks about the same thing I'm suggesting, an "all in" price for the project, (he mentions for "documentaries") and YOU seem to come back with the same thing I suggest, i.e.: other projects ensuing from a job 'well done.' (IOW, current "rates" not primary consideration). I don't think any of those ideas suggest that this would be your "first rodeo."

We charge $80 -$100 per hour, never by the job. I find there are too many variables in any project to predict how much time it will involve.

The layering process is 'hands and feet' labour. Time consuming, mind numbing and requiring little artistic input. A robot could do it. It can be cheaply outsourced to Philippine professionals who will be much more efficient. Paying an American to do a low skilled repetitive task at U.S. rates on an hourly scale makes no sense to me.

They should be paying for what a machine/factory can't do. You can do it all yourself but how do you factor the same hourly rate for both menial labour and creative production. Hourly rate does not work for you. Can not be competitive

I would start by figuring out what is the competition for similar services in your area asking for hourly rates. Then ask what type of budget they're hoping to get this done at. Then start the negotiations from there. I worked in an Audio Post house doing advertising work. We had a joint facility with multiple video editing houses. The starting rate for any type of video editing was $400/hr but then we were working with advertising firms who had deeper pockets and larger budgets to work with then some guy off the street looking to do his 1st personal project. But that's the type of things you need to check into, are what are the going rates for similar services for similar types of clients in your area.

From personal experience, working with amateurs just getting into things tend to be more difficult to work with because they don't know what they want, don't know what can and can't be accomplished in a reasonable time limit, but expect the best in return for the least amount of $. Honestly, I'ld likely tell them to go somewhere else, no matter how interested I was in wanting to work on the project. :D

I now have a working agreement for private publication, and I won't be hurting. Thanks to all who replied.

From personal experience, working with amateurs just getting into things tend to be more difficult to work with because they don't know what they want, don't know what can and can't be accomplished in a reasonable time limit, but expect the best in return for the least amount of $. Honestly, I'ld likely tell them to go somewhere else, no matter how interested I was in wanting to work on the project. :D

Yes, but unfortunately, theyre the ones who put the bread and butter on the table. Aren't we all just hoes in the marketplace?