Advertising Still Shoot In Tandem with Video Shoot

An inquiry came in from a good friend of mine looking for insights on this:

“special” photography (i.e. it’s not unit photography) to take place during and around a video production of a national fitness expert working on endorsement of multinational health-related product.

Shoot to include:
- 16 scenes of her performing various fitness maneuvers, which includes 2-4 of her using the health-related product
- Single image on seamless for use as cut-out of expert in various (see below) electronic media.

Experience tells this photographer that is is highly likely that the set will be lit well enough that s/he can use the lighting set up for the video portion of the assignment.

Shoot occurs over two days, to commence in the next two to three weeks in the local area, i.e. no traveling.

Client Requested:

Product-related/tied fitness program website.
Web Banner ads - 170MM impressions
Email blast to 7 million users
PR -Photos of her in their initiatives

The following information should give you a clear indication of the rights granted (and not granted) for this use. Note, this uses the PLUS description, with the License Parameters integrated into the Description for this specific use, and is based upon my interpretation of the rights package requested, and the language I used to respond to the client, based upon the USEPLUS.com website:

PLUS Pack:Web and Electronic Advertising (PAWE)

Description (for this use)
Use in any website, web banner ad, or promotional email for advertising and promotional purposes. Applies to {multinational company’s} health-related product. Duration is whichever is shorter: 1) termination of endorsement contract with talent; 2) three years, or 3) fulfillment of requested 170MM impressions for Web Banner ads; and promotional e-mail to 7 million users.

Licensing Parameters
Any number of images from each of the scenes, English Only, worldwide. It is expected that only one image from each scene will be deemed “the best”, however the end client wants the flexibility to change the image that represents each scene, at their discretion without additional licensing fees.

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Note: Client did not stipulate the size it would run. It is expected that these sizes will vary from heroic to small.

PLUS Term: Public Relations (PGID: 17840000 0100)

Description (for this use)
Organized efforts to establish or maintain a media presence and public awareness of multinational client’s product amd services. License for such use would include gratis editorial insertions but would exclude paid advertising insertions. Duration is whichever is shorter: 1) termination of endorsement contract with talent; 2) three years, or 3) fulfillment of requested 170MM impressions for Web Banner ads; and promotional e-mail to 7 million users.

Licensing Parameters
Any number of images from each of the scenes, English Only, worldwide. It is expected that only one image from each scene will be deemed “the best”, however the end client wants the flexibility to change the image that represents each scene, at their discretion without additional licensing fees.

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Note: Client did not stipulate the size it would run. It is expected that these sizes will vary from heroic to small.

Your Turn:

So, how would you estimate this assignment? Do you have all the answers/information, either from the client, or me, to provide an estimate? Please give it some thought, and post your estimate details. As you learned in math class - 'show your work'. In other words, don't just present a single dollar figure. Break it out, creative/usage together (or separate, your call), and outline expenses, both probable and possible.

Setting aside how your estimate would be nicely and neatly laid out, put the crux of the estimate in your entry.

All entries are moderated. Your entry must be thoughtful, (and considerate of others when you're making a response) for it to be approved.

Posted by John Harrington on 01/08
Advertising •Brochures/ Marketing Materials •Commercial •Corporate •Online •People •
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Please post your questions/comments/responses via the form below.

For starters I would want a little more info.

Specifically, you mention that existing video lighting would be sufficient, but that the shoot would require about two days (which seems reasonable give the number of scenes). This means the lighting would be needed for two days MORE than the video unit itself requires. Would you be paying for this time? If so, you’d need to charge for equipment rental of their lighting gear. The amount of gear (and power) needed for video might be overkill and cost more than supplying your own lighting gear.

Creative: $1400 / day
Assistant: $250 / day
Lighting: lesser of $300 or cost of video lighting
Seamless: $75
Processing / Production: $600
CD-ROM: $25
Proofbook: $65 (printed book of all usable images from shoot to facilitate client selection)

Web/Elec Usage: $735
PR Usage: $3215

Usage includes any 16+1 images resulting from shoot. Usage duration as listed above, shorter of 3 years or duration of talent contract or fulfillment of intended distribution. Usage is exclusive.

TOTAL: $8315

Usage Options:
Exclusive Ad Usage, same duration limits:
$6430 (in addition to above)

Exclusive Web, PR and Ad, same duration limits:
$9000 (instead of above, includes package discount)

Buy-out (permanent, exclusive): $10,300 (instead of above)

Have to say this one is a stretch for me as a deal this large is outside my current experience, but based on my current rates I think I’d offer the following estimate:

Production fee: $1,200

Assistant fee: $500

Usage fees
Internet usage: $1,125
PR usage: $8,500

plus expenses with 10% mnrkup and sales tax.

Approximate total: $12,000

I’ve been on many film / video shoots and shooting stills in tandem with a production of this size means the lighting will be sufficient, and though I would carry along a strobe or two I do not feel an assistant is necessary in this environment. If I were to use an assistant on a set like this it would be purely psychological for the benefit of the client. A stylist would already be on set so that expense is tossed out. And to address the above response from Chris Ravoczy. I believe the Client, video Producer, and video Crew would be expecting our stills to be shot in the time between each of the video setups so all production efforts (video & still) would be completed in two days. Any extra days would mean paying the talent more, paying the stylist two more days, additional location fees, and now requires a full compliment of strobes and an assistant. So here’s my estimate, and my thought process behind it.

Creative (Overhead) - $1339 x 2 days = $2678

Usage (itemized):
Web banner (170MM) - $7,600: I’ve based this figure on the only variable that is certain (the possibility that the image will run for 3 years) and as a fitness product will most likely appear on aprox. 50 fitness sites. The use of the photos on the product’s own website is included in this figure.

E-mail blast (7million) - $4,625: 7 million people is a lot, and even if a small fraction of these people buy the product this company is doing pretty well for themselves. I feel this figure is a “steal” because even if I were to charge 2 cents per e-mail instance the total would be $140,000.

PR - $1,920: I have committed a number here, but if I were to ask the client a further question it would be this: “What do you call PR?” “Do you find PR to be only non-paid editorial instances or do you include paid editorial mentions as PR?”
The client’s answer could significantly raise this figure.

Prep Days: 3 days x $500 = $1500: Three days because of sketching out and faxing 16 scene ideas to client as well as meetings/phone conferences. It may not take 3 days to do this, but if they’re trusting me with their stills I want them to know I am dedicating substantial time to plan/communicate the details and deliver on their expectations.

Travel Days - $800(60 percent of dayrate) x 2 = $1600
A gig like this sure isn’t happening around where I live so two travel days are required (to and from)

One prep / scout day (day prior to 1st shoot day) $1000

The Grand Creative/Usage Total: $20,563
(excluding expenses, airfare, accomodations)

I hope that I have adequately shown my work and defended my reasoning. Now show me the errors of my ways.

I can see Rick’s point about shooting in between the scenes. I’ve done some video productions, too (as video crew, camera, directors, etc) and could see being able to do the still as he suggests - in between video setups.

I’m not sure where the specific details for usage came from however. Did I miss the clients request for an email “blast” or was that a recommendation from Rick?

I think we agree that MUCH more information from the client would benefit everyone.

I’ve assisted on shoots like this, one reason the photographer had assistants was to have us be aware of the video crew’s tendency to move things when he was about to shoot.

Be very clear about schedule arrangements, or you may have to shoot in 10 seconds…

There may be some situations where the video crew takes more time to setup than the schedule assumed, and then the still photographer has to be in a terrible hurry, so any photographer shooting in tandem with a video crew should make very sure she/he’s got great communication with the art director/producers.  Just make sure you’re not on the bottom of the totem pole…

also, I may add that, if I was bidding this, I’d have to check on the proposed layouts for the seemless background shots, as clients in the past have assumed they could take a seemless background shot and put it into “any” layout, if the layouts may look like a night scene, then I’d have to light it very differently than if it’s something more generically, flat lit.  Multiple lighting setups for a seemless background are not something that comes to mind immediately, but may be needed to add to the bid if there are vastly different images that the seemless shots may be composited into… I’ve worked with art directors who cursed the flat lit photos they were supposed to composite into dark, dreamy landscapes, communication would have solved that problem…