Every itemized video proposal we send has the same four sections doing the heavy lifting. If you understand them, you can read any quote from any production company and know where the money went.
1. Shoot days
A production day is the single biggest line on almost every quote. It covers a cinematographer, a cinema camera package, lighting, audio, and the hours on location. At AmeriFilms a full day runs about ten hours and a half day about five.
What most clients do not expect is how much the day count is decided by geography, not by ambition. One founder interview and b-roll in one building is a day. The same interview plus two other locations across town is two days, because moving a crew, relighting, and resetting audio eats hours that never appear on screen.
The question to ask yourself: how many distinct places does this film need to visit, and could any of them be combined?
2. Crew
A brand film usually needs a lead cinematographer and a second camera on the interviews. Two angles on a person talking is what makes a documentary edit feel alive; you can cut on a thought instead of a sentence.
A documentary adds a dedicated sound recordist, a drone pilot, and sometimes a director who is not also operating a camera. Each role is a line. Each one is there for a reason you can see in the finished film. If a quote lists a crew member you cannot explain, ask what they do.
3. Post-production hours
This is where quotes diverge the most, and where the least honest ones hide the difference.
We bill editing on estimated hours per deliverable, not as a percentage of production. A three-minute brand film takes 12 to 20 hours to cut. A ten-minute documentary takes 50 to 80. Color grading, sound design, and motion graphics are separate lines because they are separate skills, and a film can need one without the others.
Watch for a quote that lists “post-production” as a single number with no hours behind it. It usually means the editor will be handed whatever time is left after everything else is paid for.
4. Extras
The lines that surprise people are almost always here, and they are the easiest to control.
- Travel. Beyond about 50 miles of our base in Dayton, mileage and lodging appear as their own lines. A shoot in Cincinnati or Columbus does not trigger this. Cleveland does.
- Rush delivery. Under five business days adds a surcharge on post-production, because it means somebody else’s film waits.
- Revision rounds. Two or three are included depending on the tier. Beyond that, each round is a line.
- Raw footage. Handing over the original files is a separate deliverable with a hard drive cost.
- Music licensing. Passed through with a small handling fee. A licensed track is not optional; an unlicensed one can get your film pulled from every platform.
How this plays out
Take two brand films at the same tier. Film A: one location, one interview, second camera, standard delivery. Film B: same interview, but the founder wants the warehouse and the retail store too, plus a drone establishing shot, plus delivery in four days for a trade show. Same tier, same story, and Film B lands 40 to 60 percent higher. Every one of those dollars is a line you can point to.
That is the standard we hold ourselves to: when you read our proposal, you should be able to explain every number to your CFO without calling us.
Questions
Can I reduce the quote by cutting the second camera?
You can, and we will tell you what it costs the edit. Single-camera interviews mean every cut is a jump cut or needs b-roll to hide it. For a short promo that is fine. For a six-minute documentary it shows.
Why is color grading a separate line from editing?
Because it is a separate craft, done in different software, often by a different person. Basic color correction is included in every edit. A cinema-grade look is a deliberate choice and is priced as one.
Is there a deposit?
Yes. Terms are in every proposal so there are no surprises at booking or delivery.
See where your project lands on the pricing page, or book a call and we will send an itemized quote within two business days.