Posted by Bryan Maltais on January 17, 2009 at 1:33 AM
Today the most unexpected thing happened; I was contacted by a production company for the History Channel to use one of my photos for a documentary, which will be aired prime-time, internationally, multiple times. You know how they air the same program 80 times per week right?
They've ask me to calculate my price. They've indicated that such documentaries are made on a shoe string budget so not to expect to get rich. Well here's my problem, I have absolutely no clue where to even begin, or where to even go to do research for such a thing.
Sounds like a long shot, but has this ever happened to any of you?? Any informed advice on what to charge??
Thanks, Bryan
Posted by Don Kates on January 17, 2009 at 9:23 AM
Bryan,
If you go to the photo marketing forum, I started a thread on this. I haven't checked in a while so I'm not sure how many responses there are.
If you don't want to buy a pricing program like fotoQuote, you might go here and use their price caclulator. But I bet the production company has already been to such sources and didn't like the prices, instead reaching out to individuals and hoping to get a better deal from the uninformed.
Posted by Toni Lankerd on January 17, 2009 at 10:49 AM
Hank..that's the same link I left in my comment in reply to Don's question in the Photo Marketing forum. I would think that beginning with the quoted price at Acclaim, at least it's a starting point and possibly negotiable from there.
Hey! I was trying to remember where I recently came up with Acclaim, Toni. Guess I needed to backtrack a little further. It's a useful strategy, and I'll thank you for it before Bryan gets the chance!
And you're right about the negotiation part. Prices are really variable depending on the client's budget, the availability of alternate images from cheap sources, and frankly, an individual's negotiating skills. A whole lot depends on the details of your rapport with a client. Bottom line, high prices come out of the client's takehome pay and low prices come out of yours, so there should be room for give and take with gain and sacrifice by both parties. No sense leaving money on the table by coming in with too low a price, any more than driving away business by being too rigid in demanding the top prices. You should get a much as you can for an image, but you'll get none if you drive away the client.
Posted by Toni Lankerd on January 17, 2009 at 12:49 PM
My thoughts exactly, Hank!
If the price hinges on whether or not you get a sale, sometimes it's better to go along with a lower price, which in turn might lead to future sales!
Posted by Bryan Maltais on January 17, 2009 at 2:09 PM
Pretty interesting that somebody else is in the same situation right now.
Looks like the answer is between $400-600.
Posted by Don Kates on January 17, 2009 at 4:33 PM
"But I bet the production company has already been to such sources and didn't like the prices, instead reaching out to individuals and hoping to get a better deal from the uninformed."
Uninformed or not, maybe we just happened to have some shots they wanted. . .
Posted by Toni Lankerd on January 17, 2009 at 5:05 PM
That could very well be, Don. Good luck to both of you!
Absolutely Don! And congrats. I'm not impuning you, but the attitude of many buyers today. My point is that the bigger the market, the better acquainted they are with stock houses and stock pricing. They're not going to turn down cheaper prices if they can get them outside the stock houses, so all of us stand a very good chance of leaving money on the table if we aren't acquainted with current pricing.
I'm reminded of a magazine editor that contacted me in the last year offering $250 for one time use of three of my photos. I told him I'd get back to him, then researched his magazine, including circulation and the prices he charged for ads. I countered at $1200, more or less an average of the going rate for similar uses around the country. He squacked like hell and basically hung up on me. Two days later he called back and countered at $800 and we settled on $900. I'd have left $650 on the table if I had accepted his opening offer.
Once the dust settled he confessed that the price was as much as he paid his "premium" photographers, and he was really surprised to have to pay it to a first timer, and that there was no way I would have received that if he could have found the photos anywhere else. I could only respond that I was a "premium" photographer myself, and it was a pleasure doing business with him. Keep me in mind next time he needed "premium" photos. Then he laughed and said he wanted to have a beer with me next time I was in his town, "but gosh darned it all, you're going to have to buy the first beer!" He finished by saying I would hear from him again because we seemed to get along just fine. It's all a game, and it's your money on the table.
Discussion
9 repliesThey've ask me to calculate my price. They've indicated that such documentaries are made on a shoe string budget so not to expect to get rich. Well here's my problem, I have absolutely no clue where to even begin, or where to even go to do research for such a thing.
Sounds like a long shot, but has this ever happened to any of you?? Any informed advice on what to charge??
Thanks, Bryan
If you go to the photo marketing forum, I started a thread on this. I haven't checked in a while so I'm not sure how many responses there are.
And you're right about the negotiation part. Prices are really variable depending on the client's budget, the availability of alternate images from cheap sources, and frankly, an individual's negotiating skills. A whole lot depends on the details of your rapport with a client. Bottom line, high prices come out of the client's takehome pay and low prices come out of yours, so there should be room for give and take with gain and sacrifice by both parties. No sense leaving money on the table by coming in with too low a price, any more than driving away business by being too rigid in demanding the top prices. You should get a much as you can for an image, but you'll get none if you drive away the client.
If the price hinges on whether or not you get a sale, sometimes it's better to go along with a lower price, which in turn might lead to future sales!
Looks like the answer is between $400-600.
Uninformed or not, maybe we just happened to have some shots they wanted. . .
I'm reminded of a magazine editor that contacted me in the last year offering $250 for one time use of three of my photos. I told him I'd get back to him, then researched his magazine, including circulation and the prices he charged for ads. I countered at $1200, more or less an average of the going rate for similar uses around the country. He squacked like hell and basically hung up on me. Two days later he called back and countered at $800 and we settled on $900. I'd have left $650 on the table if I had accepted his opening offer.
Once the dust settled he confessed that the price was as much as he paid his "premium" photographers, and he was really surprised to have to pay it to a first timer, and that there was no way I would have received that if he could have found the photos anywhere else. I could only respond that I was a "premium" photographer myself, and it was a pleasure doing business with him. Keep me in mind next time he needed "premium" photos. Then he laughed and said he wanted to have a beer with me next time I was in his town, "but gosh darned it all, you're going to have to buy the first beer!" He finished by saying I would hear from him again because we seemed to get along just fine. It's all a game, and it's your money on the table.