color grading vs color correction<\/strong><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\nMotion Graphics<\/h3>\n
Priced per element or per package. A title and lower third set for a corporate library runs a few thousand dollars once and serves for years. A 60-second high-end motion graphics explainer sits around $10,000 as a standalone production. Graphics added to existing footage cost considerably less, since there is no script or storyboard to fund.<\/span><\/p>\nThe cost curve matters more than the rate here. Motion graphics editing built as a documented template system makes the ninth chart cost animation time alone, while bespoke-per-project work charges design time every time. The build economics are covered in the guide to motion graphics video editing.<\/span><\/p>\nVisual Effects and Compositing<\/h3>\n
VFX cost is quoted per shot, because difficulty varies enormously between shots.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n| Complexity<\/b><\/td>\n | Per shot<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n| Simple: clean-up, object removal, screen replacement<\/span><\/td>\n | $100 to $1,000<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n| Intermediate: set extension, particles, moderate CG<\/span><\/td>\n | $500 to $5,000<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n| Advanced: photorealistic CG, destruction, fluid, crowds<\/span><\/td>\n | $2,000 to $50,000+<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n VFX services should always arrive as a line-by-line shot list rather than a single figure. A vendor quoting effects from a runtime has either not read the brief or is pricing defensively, since thirty seconds could hold one easy shot or fifteen hard ones. Video compositing cost in particular depends on what the shoot provided: markers, clean plates, lens data, and lighting reference turn a week-long shot into a day-long one, and their absence is the most common cause of a VFX cost overrun. The technical reasons sit in the guide to video compositing, and the boundary between effects and graphics work in the comparison of VFX vs motion graphics.<\/span><\/p>\nSound<\/h3>\nFrequently underestimated and highly visible when skipped. Audiences forgive a soft image and not muddy dialogue. Budget three days to two weeks on short-form work, more with original music. Dialogue clean-up, atmospheres, effects, and a final mix are separate tasks, and a quote listing \u201caudio\u201d as one line is hiding detail.<\/span><\/p>\nVersioning and Delivery<\/h3>\nThe line buyers most often treat as free. A campaign delivering four lengths across two ratios on four platforms produces twenty-four files before localization, and each needs graphics rebuilt, captions repositioned, and a color trim for its viewing conditions. This is production work rather than an export queue. The repurposing economics behind it are covered in the guide to video repurposing services.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” text_align=”left” row_position=”default” row_position_tablet=”inherit” row_position_phone=”inherit” overflow=”visible” pointer_events=”all” el_id=”row_06″][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” flex_gap_desktop=”10px” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” overflow=”visible” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeInUp” css=”” text_direction=”default”]\nA Worked Budget<\/h2>\nA 3-minute corporate brand film, two shoot days, multi-camera, moderate graphics, delivered in four ratios:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n| Line<\/b><\/td>\n | Range<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n| Ingest, organisation, proxies<\/span><\/td>\n | $300 to $800<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n| Editorial to picture lock<\/span><\/td>\n | $3,000 to $8,000<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n| Colour correction and grade<\/span><\/td>\n | $1,200 to $3,000<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n| Motion graphics, template-based<\/span><\/td>\n | $1,500 to $4,000<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n| Sound: clean-up, atmospheres, mix<\/span><\/td>\n | $1,200 to $3,500<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n| Light compositing, screen replacement<\/span><\/td>\n | $500 to $2,500<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n| Finishing, QC, masters<\/span><\/td>\n | $600 to $1,500<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n| Versioning across four ratios<\/span><\/td>\n | $800 to $2,500<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n| Total<\/b><\/td>\n | $9,100 to $25,800<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n That total is a realistic video editing cost for the scope described. The spread is driven mostly by shooting ratio, the number of revision rounds, and how much of the graphics work draws on an existing template system. A brand with templates already built lands near the bottom of the range. One commissioning a visual system from scratch lands near the top and owns an asset that lowers every subsequent project.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” text_align=”left” row_position=”default” row_position_tablet=”inherit” row_position_phone=”inherit” overflow=”visible” pointer_events=”all” el_id=”row_06″][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” flex_gap_desktop=”10px” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” overflow=”visible” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeInUp” css=”” text_direction=”default”]\nWhat Moves the Number Most?<\/h2>\nShooting ratio.<\/b> Twelve hours of footage for a 90-second piece costs more in editorial than thirty minutes for a 5-minute piece. Always disclose it when requesting a quote.<\/span><\/p>\nRevision rounds.<\/b> Two rounds at rough cut and two at fine cut are a reasonable baseline. A quote offering one round total is pricing an outcome that rarely survives real stakeholder review, and overage usually bills at a rate well above the blended project rate.<\/span><\/p>\nTemplate availability.<\/b> An existing graphics system can remove thousands from a quote.<\/span><\/p>\nSource organization.<\/b> Unlabeled footage with no shot logs adds hours of assistant work before editing starts.<\/span><\/p>\nDeliverable count.<\/b> The version matrix is often the second-largest line after editorial.<\/span><\/p>\nTurnaround.<\/b> Rush work commonly carries a 20 to 50% surcharge, since it means parallel stages or pulling artists from other projects.<\/span><\/p>\nLicensing scope.<\/b> A music buyout for web use costs a fraction of one covering broadcast across multiple territories for three years.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” text_align=”left” row_position=”default” row_position_tablet=”inherit” row_position_phone=”inherit” overflow=”visible” pointer_events=”all” el_id=”row_06″][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” flex_gap_desktop=”10px” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” overflow=”visible” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeInUp” css=”” text_direction=”default”]\nWhat a Transparent Quote Separates<\/h2>\n\n- Ingest and media management.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Editorial, with the assumed shooting ratio stated<\/span><\/li>\n
- Colour correction, priced apart from grading<\/span><\/li>\n
- Motion graphics, by element or package<\/span><\/li>\n
- Compositing and effects, from a shot list with difficulty noted<\/span><\/li>\n
- Sound: clean-up, design, and mix as distinct items<\/span><\/li>\n
- Finishing, quality control, and master creation<\/span><\/li>\n
- Each delivery version, priced individually<\/span><\/li>\n
- Revision rounds included at each stage<\/span><\/li>\n
- Handover: project files, template sets, grade data, textless master<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
That final line is the one buyers forget and the one that determines long-term cost. A client who receives a flattened master cannot re-version a piece a year later without a rebuild. A client who receives project files, templates, and grade data can. Asking for it before signing costs nothing; asking afterwards is a negotiation.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” text_align=”left” row_position=”default” row_position_tablet=”inherit” row_position_phone=”inherit” overflow=”visible” pointer_events=”all” el_id=”row_06″][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” flex_gap_desktop=”10px” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” overflow=”visible” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeInUp” css=”” text_direction=”default”]\nIn-House, Freelance, Studio, or Retainer<\/h2>\nIn-house<\/b> suits continuous, template-driven output. The real cost is salary plus software plus hardware plus the management overhead, and it only beats outsourcing above a sustained volume threshold. Below that, an underused finishing suite is expensive idle capacity.<\/span><\/p>\nFreelance<\/b> suits defined projects and specialist passes. A senior freelance editor at $75 to $150 an hour is often the best value on a single complex piece, and the main risks are availability and single-point dependency.<\/span><\/p>\nA studio or post-production company<\/b> suits work needing several disciplines integrated. A post-production company carrying editorial, colour, graphics, and sound internally absorbs the handover risk that split arrangements create. The premium over freelance buys coordination: one timeline, one colour space, one point of accountability for integration. Most failures in split-vendor arrangements are coordination failures rather than craft failures.<\/span><\/p>\nRetainer<\/b> suits continuous volume. Rates fall as templates accumulate and familiarity builds, and the predictability helps annual planning. The main requirement is a numerically stated volume floor, so the arrangement does not drift into paying for availability.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” text_align=”left” row_position=”default” row_position_tablet=”inherit” row_position_phone=”inherit” overflow=”visible” pointer_events=”all” el_id=”row_06″][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” flex_gap_desktop=”10px” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” overflow=”visible” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeInUp” css=”” text_direction=”default”]\nComparing Quotes Without Getting Misled<\/h2>\nTwo suppliers can quote the same brief at very different numbers while both being fair, because they have read different scopes into the same words. A structured comparison removes most of that ambiguity.<\/span><\/p>\nNormalize every quote against the same six questions before comparing totals:<\/span><\/p>\n\n- What shooting ratio does the editorial figure assume?<\/span><\/li>\n
- How many revision rounds are included, at which stages?<\/span><\/li>\n
- Is color correction included, and is grading separate?<\/span><\/li>\n
- Are graphics bespoke or drawn from an existing template set?<\/span><\/li>\n
- How many delivery versions are included, and what does an extra one cost?<\/span><\/li>\n
- What is handed over at the end?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
A quote that answers all six is comparable. One that does not is a number without a scope attached. Where two bids differ sharply, the gap almost always sits in revisions, versioning, or graphics origination rather than in the headline editorial rate.<\/span><\/p>\nReading Video Editor Rates in Context<\/h3>\nVideo editor rates are the most visible figure in any quote and rarely the one that decides the total. A senior editor at $120 an hour who finds the structure in three days costs less than a mid-level editor at $55 who takes nine and still needs supervision. When comparing video editor rates across suppliers, ask for an estimated hour count alongside the rate, since the product of the two is the only figure that matters.<\/span><\/p>\nThe same applies to specialists. A colorist at a specialist rate working for four hours is cheaper than a generalist spending two days reaching a worse result on an uncalibrated display.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” text_align=”left” row_position=”default” row_position_tablet=”inherit” row_position_phone=”inherit” overflow=”visible” pointer_events=”all” el_id=”row_06″][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” flex_gap_desktop=”10px” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” overflow=”visible” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeInUp” css=”” text_direction=”default”]\nWhere Post-Production Pricing Falls Over Time?<\/h2>\nPost-production pricing is not static per project, and buyers who plan annually pay noticeably less per deliverable than those who commission piece by piece.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n| Project in the year<\/b><\/td>\n | What it funds<\/b><\/td>\n | Relative post cost<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n| First<\/span><\/td>\n | Graphics system, caption styling, LUTs, naming conventions, workflow setup<\/span><\/td>\n | 100%<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n| Second<\/span><\/td>\n | New edit against an existing system<\/span><\/td>\n | 65 to 80%<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n| Third<\/span><\/td>\n | New edit, minor system additions<\/span><\/td>\n | 55 to 70%<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n| Fourth onward<\/span><\/td>\n | Edit and versioning only<\/span><\/td>\n | 45 to 60%<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |