I want to make sure that I estimate correctly for travel days. How do you figure out what to allow in the estimate for a travel day. Is it a percentage of or a flat fee? The shoot will be one day and we will arrive the day prior and leave the day after. So one shoot day and two travel days. It's a small advertising job.
Thanks in advance.
Posts: 6 | Location: Cleveland | Registered: 24 February 2007
I usually charge 50% of what I charge for the shooting day, whether you call it day rate or creative fee. So 1 + 2 x 1/2 = 2 days It's basically up to you what to charge, but don't give your time away for free!
Peter
Posts: 209 | Location: Moscow, Russia | Registered: 06 April 2001
I'm with Peter and Dan on this but for very long trips (one trip to Moscow from Chicago years ago) a 14-hour trip was billed a full day (each way). Seven hours (one-half of 14 hours) is enough to bill a full day.
Posts: 124 | Location: Chicago area | Registered: 11 September 2006
Your travel day fees should cover your cost of doing business just like any other working/billable day needs to. If you set your base Creative Fee to $2500 and your CODB for a billable day is $1500, then billing 1/2 of $2500 means you WILL LOSE MONEY on that day...$250 in fact.
So, set your Travel Day fee at something above your CODB--don't base it on your Creative Fee at all.
Best-- Leslie
Posts: 743 | Location: San Diego, CA | Registered: 23 January 2005
Leslie, All these whens and ifs are nice and they work nicely in your scenario, but it could well be that a photographers' Creative Fee is more than double his CODB and then it does work. Anyway, for me the 50% scheme works and I'm not losing money. But you made a good point ( as usual )and I agree that it's something every photographer should work out for himself (or herself, to be PC )
Peter
Posts: 209 | Location: Moscow, Russia | Registered: 06 April 2001
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