Why Videography is Expensive

Why Videography is Expensive

Since going mainstream, videography has slowly but surely become a staple in documenting important events. However, as desirable as these services are, many people find them quite expensive with many wondering why something that seems relatively simple can be that pricy. This article will try to look into the reasons that lead to such unfriendly prices, trying to understand the process and therefore the costs.

• Equipment

One of the reasons for the high costs is of course the state-of-the-art equipment that the videographer has to procure. Professional videographers are not like your friend taking clips with their camcorder, as such the sophistication of the equipment reflects this. The camera itself is usually expensive, in addition the tripod, lighting and other gear are not cheap either. For a high-quality product, the videographer has to invest significantly in the latest equipment and technology and therefore as a consequence the service becomes quite expensive. It should also be added that such expensive equipment has to be insured which also adds to the expenses and helps explain the pricing.

• Labor

Videography is not just about the video shooting aspect, it also involves some pre-production planning and research and thereafter the post-production activities which include things like video editing, addition of video effects and music among others. All these will eat up time and energy and the videographer will therefore have to be well compensated for work put in. The videographer may even sometime have to hire additional staff depending on the size of the event adding to the overall expense and helping explain why videography is expensive.

• Skill levels

Videography is not all about the equipment, but also about those handling them and in order for you as a client to get a high-quality product, you have to get the most skillful and talented videographer you can find. As can be expected, hiring a highly-recommended videographer with good work experience is not cheap but if you want a high-quality product it is a price you will have to pay, literally. Having state-of-the-art equipment is nothing if the person operating them lacks the requisite skill and talent to come up with a quality production.

• Licensing

Another aspect that makes videography expensive is the licensing that come with it. In order to avoid falling foul of the law, production companies have to purchase licenses for the music that they intend to use in their videos. You wouldn’t want to end up with a product that has unlicensed copyright material in it as that would be opening yourself up to legal challenges. Licensing partly explains why videography is expensive as a service.

• Cost of advertising

For consistent visibility to clients, videographers have to invest in advertising. Those that advertise their services are also more desirable as putting your services visibly out there shows prospective clients that you believe in yourself and your abilities. Purchasing ad space on blogs, websites and social media platforms adds to the expenses partly explaining why videography ends up being a bit pricy.

• Editing software

Editing is just as important if not more than the more visible aspects of editing, and it usually requires the latest editing software. It enables the videography to not only cut and splice video clips but also to enhance picture quality, adjust sound, create stunning video effects among other things. For professional production companies, they usually acquire editing suites that come inclusive of premium editing software and a computer or laptop. This package is expensive and it is no wonder videography services end up being quite expensive.

• Economies of scale

Demand and supply for any product or service always dictates its price. Videography unfortunately is a niche market with not that many purchases which means there isn’t enough consumer demand to consistently drive prices down. The fact that events mostly always take place during weekends, means that a videographer can only get a limited number of events per year and therefore to cover for the costs the prices have to be high. Most production companies prefer to charge more for every client and take fewer clients than to take a large number of clients and charge less for each of the clients.

• Nature of the event

Some events are day specific and can’t be shot again outside the set date. These include birthdays, weddings, live sporting events among others. Such events are expensive as the client has to pay for the guarantee that the videographer will get it right the first time of asking. In such situations clients have to go for the best available service providers they can get, who are no doubt expensive but worth it.

From this article, it is clear that there is more to photography than initially meets the eye. It requires expensive equipment plus all the other aspects discussed that make the service as expensive as it is. Remember, as always you can learn a lot more on the same by visiting authoritative sites such as bitgale.com