We are often asked the question "How much does a video cost?" The short answer: It depends.

As a comparison you could ask "How much does a house cost?" and then point out the many factors that affect the cost of a house: location, size, materials, how quickly it needs to be built, etc.

You want to ask specifics from the client early on to determine what kind of video they are expecting to receive, but you also don't want to scare them off with an overwhelming inquisition. You want to ask the right questions to just get the information you need to produce an accurate quote or estimate. That way you ensure that you are giving an accurate number for your services and your client can rest easy that that number won't change (much) during production.

Some standard questions that you can ask a client are:

• Who is the audience?
• Will a script be provided?
• What materials are already produced and available (graphics, stock footage...)?
• Will we require actors or spokespersons from the company on-screen?
• Will their be voiceover or narration needed?
• Do we have to licence music?

In building your quote there are two ways to go about it: create a flat rate for the entire project or list off line items (similar to ordering off a menu). Each freelancer develops their own way of building a quote and you will have to, as well.

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After the briefest of hiatuses we are BACK! Did you miss us?

This episode Josh and Nick get into the topic of codecs:

• When to use which ones?
• How to optimize your encoding settings for faster exports/higher quality videos.
• How to establish delivery specs with clients early on
• And some other goodie topics for you

As well there a number of links you should click on this week.

• Nick is trying Audio Network's new plugin for Adobe Premiere CC that makes it incredibly easy and fast to find the right music for your edit. It includes a panel right in the Premiere interface so you can search, select and edit with stock music tracks without ever leaving Premiere. They are looking for Beta testers to sign up and try it out. (http://us.audionetwork.com/content/whats-new/adobe-premiere-pro-plugin?
• If you're looking for a basic tutorial on getting started in Premiere...this ain't it, but it'll give you a laugh. Some people are just not in the right emotional and mental state for making tutorials (https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=eIMwx56aJEo).
• Some Premiere editors complain about it's lack of native motion blur...but it's actually in there. Find out how to utilize motion blur for your project's titles and graphics (http://premierepro.net/editing/motion-blur/).
• Some additional reading on codecs including really tech-talk explanations on how they work over on Premium Beat (http://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-codecs/)
• As well as a slightly more condensed explanation if you're short on time (http://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/a-compressed-explanation-of-video-compression/)

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Join our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CommandEdit/

Get more of the podcast at http://www.CommandEditPodcast.com