So you need a corporate video edited here in Australia. What's that cost, I hear you say. Well, usually somewhere between $1,500 and $2,000, and that's after you've shot the footage. If you can find a decent freelance editor, they charge about $65 to $120 an hour. Production companies, $150 to $250.
A typical video takes a day or so to cut. Then there's a round of changes, then your boss sees it and there's another round. You've eaten two days at a minimum, and there's been a negotiation about how much it costs in the first place and what's included.
At Lumberjack it's all listed on the site. How much footage have you got, how long do you want the finished video, and there's your price. Simple.
What does Lumberjack charge for video editing?
Lumberjack publishes every price on the site. No quote (I'll write you one if you need it). No scoping call. No “it depends” email three days later. You pick the service, say how much footage you've got and how long you want the finished video, and the cost is right there on the screen.
You don't need to wonder if you can afford it, or whether the fee changes depending on how much the editor thinks they can charge a top 500 company. You just see the number. Make a decision. Edit with us or don't.
Our prices look like this, inc GST:
- Social Edit: $330 flat for up to five 30-second clips
- Voice-Over: $660 to $1,470
- Highlight Reel: $660 to $1,470
- Presentation: $660 to $1,650
- Interview / B-Roll: $770 to $1,650
- Conference: $770 to $1,650
- Custom Cut: quoted before any work starts
Every job includes a dedicated Australian editor working to your brand guide, two rounds of revisions and a first cut in three days.
If you've left it to the last minute, I'll bump you to the top of the pile and have the first cut to you the next day. That comes with a cost, but hey, you did leave it until Thursday afternoon and you've got to show the ELT on Friday. What's 25% to keep that end of year bonus ;)
Everything we do comes with the First Cut Guarantee. Hate the first cut and I'll refund you. Won't even ask why.
What about subscription video editing services?
We don't do subscriptions, because you just don't need one. Pay for what you need, when you need it.
Subscription video services sell plans, not projects. One of the big ones has its head office in Sydney and lists its prices in US dollars. From US$1,000 a month, plus taxes. Annual subscriptions only. No month-to-month. Its own calculator puts 10 to 25 videos a month at $5,000 to $10,000.
A Sydney company. Quoting in US dollars. Weird. Have a squiz at the exchange rate before you sign up for twelve months of it.
Then what happens? You forget about the service and stop using it. The comms people leave, and no one knows it's on a recurring billing cycle. Not here. We're just not interested in sticking the knife in each month and not delivering you anything.
If you're shipping ten videos a month, every month, do the sums. It might stack up. If you need four this year, you're paying for a gym membership you'll use twice.
What makes video editing cost more?
Five things move the price of an edit, wherever you take it.
- How much footage you send. Someone has to watch all of it. Two hours of interviews takes longer to get through than twenty minutes. Pretty easy to understand, right?
- How long the finished video is. A 30-second social clip is quicker to cut than a three-minute story.
- How many versions you need. Anglo American turned one hour of GoPro footage into three videos: a LinkedIn cut, a frontline worker's story and an award entry. Say so up front and the edit gets planned around it.
- Extras. A professional voice-over, captions, versions for different platforms. At Lumberjack they're add-ons, priced before you pay.
- Speed. Next-day costs more everywhere. At Lumberjack it's 25% of the base price.
What doesn't move the price: what it was shot on. Phone footage is fine. It's half of what we get. More on that in can you edit footage shot on a phone.
What should you ask before you pay anyone to edit?
- Is the price fixed, or an estimate that can move?
- How many rounds of changes are included, and what does the next one cost?
- When will I see a first cut?
- Who's actually editing it, and where are they?
- Where is my footage stored, and when is it deleted?
- Is there a contract, a minimum spend or a subscription?
Lumberjack's answers, for the record: fixed, two rounds, three days, a dedicated Australian editor, Australian servers with footage deleted 30 days after delivery, and no contract.
Is an edit worth paying for if the footage isn't great?
I'll tell you a story. Cause hey, we're in the business of making those. Teach Queensland had an interview with a teacher in Cooktown, shot on a camera propped on paint cans with no microphone. It sat on a drive for a month waiting for budget. The edit cost circa $1,000 and it's one of the best videos they've made in years. It was less than the flights. The full story is here.
The expensive part is getting someone there with a camera. If that's already happened, the edit is the cheap bit.
Common questions
- Are Lumberjack's prices GST inclusive?
- Yes. Every price on lumberjack.au includes GST. What you see is what you pay.
- Does phone footage cost more to edit?
- No. Phone footage costs the same as anything else. So is half of what we get.
- How much does a rush video edit cost?
- At Lumberjack, next-day is 25% on top of the base service price, never on add-ons. Send it before 5pm AEST and the first cut arrives the next day. It's always available, with no blackout days.
- Do government agencies and big companies pay more?
- No. Corporate, government or small business, Lumberjack charges the same published price through the same process. No purchase order needed.
- What if my video doesn't fit a standard service?
- That's a Custom Cut. Tell Jason what you've got and what you need, and you get a fixed price before any work starts.