Cost To Hire Someone To Film Us?

[DMDavid]

Just so you won't be able to say nobody warned you I'm posting this here so you can look back twenty years from now and say "That Florida Scuba Diver dude tried to warn me"…. DON'T DO IT!!!

There now that I have warned you like no one warned me I wish you the best of luck and many happy years together with your new dive buddy.

 

[SCRedWolf]

The reason for the question is that Aldora priced this at $200 which seems really expensive! Do I have much choice?

From my Caribbean experiences pricing is nearly always negotiable. Sometimes you can get the prices lower or the services increased. Just for reference I used video services from Pro-Dive Mexico. Perhaps you could check with them just for a price comparison.

 

[Scuba Scott]

The reason for the question is that Aldora priced this at $200 which seems really expensive! Do I have much choice?

That actually sounds like a good price. I am sure you expectations for the video will exceed what you should expect for $200.

 

[Scuba Scott]

It depends on what the $200 includes. For that much I would expect a dvd or flashdrive with the finished video AND all of the raw footage.

Wow.

As a professional photographer this kind of blows me away. You really think this is expensive? You expect raw footage and a finished product?

Just a tip. Asking for raw anything is a HUGE insult to any professional photographer. What you are actually saying is you feel the professional lacks the skill to produce a final product better than you could produce yourself. Either that or you don't want to pay for prints and need the raws to print your own huge prints on the cheap. (I know this is video but I work with stills and prints)

Would you go to a fancy restaurant and ask for the ingredients so you could cook at your table?

 

[WarrenZ]

I have only paid for a couple of photos in the past however both times I was so unimpressed at the final product that I would have rather gotten the raw images and finished them myself. I am picky I will admit to that my standards may be more than others.

 

[Scuba Scott]

I have only paid for a couple of photos in the past however both times I was so unimpressed at the final product that I would have rather gotten the raw images and finished them myself. I am picky I will admit to that my standards may be more than others.

These days everyone with a digital camera thinks they are a pro. They post a few pictures of their kids on Facebook, all their friends rave about how great the horrible pictures look and next thing you know another pro photographer is born. I am guessing you were another victim of the "zero to hero" momtographer.
If what you got was like what I have seen the raws wouldn't help.
Ask for samples of previous work before hiring and if your product doesn't measure up to the portfolio ask for a refund.

This is one of those areas where you get what you pay for and often times, less.
Be careful of anyone who is cheaper than the competition. There is a reason they can't charge the going rate.

 

[Cali_diver]

FYI my husband is a videographer. Mostly underwater critters and such. I want you to understand that it takes hours and hours (sometimes days and sometimes weeks) to produce a good 5 minute clip for public viewing. Most people have no idea what amount of time videographers have to put into video. It makes photography look like a walk in the park. Probably why so many people with go pros never even look at their footage again after a trip. Just keep this in mind if you are trying to negotiate a lower price. Maybe you should ask for sample work and then decide if you want to use them instead of just going off of price. cheap isn't always better... What kind of product do you want? If you are just looking for documentation of it then hand the go pro to your guide and have him film it.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Asking for raw anything is a HUGE insult to any professional photographer. What you are actually saying is you feel the professional lacks the skill to produce a final product better than you could produce yourself. . . .

I had a professional wedding videographer film my wedding, and while the footage itself looked great--all the right angles, all the right scenes, lighting, etc.--the greatness was overshadowed by horrible, amateur-ish-looking editing. We couldn't bring ourselves to watch it, and so we only watched it once. If I had had the raw footage I might have been able to have someone else re-do it more to our liking. Just because someone is skilled at filming doesn't mean he is skilled at editing. Sometimes a client wants more creative control. I may not be able to produce it myself, but if someone else has the necessary skills, then he can follow my direction.

You might respond by saying that the key is for the client to choose a videographer based on samples of his prior finished product, and so I should have taken more care in choosing my videographer. However, I didn't have all the time in the world to spend on that. From the few samples we saw, it looked like he knew what he was doing, and he got good reviews. But without owning the raw footage, you only get one shot to have a wedding video you will enjoy for years.

 

[SCRedWolf]

Be careful of anyone who is cheaper than the competition. There is a reason they can't charge the going rate.

I think right now the OP is trying to figure out what the going rate actually is . I last paid $100 for a single-tank dive video so the $200 mark sounds expensive. It's possible that it's $200 because he's scheduled to take a full day's dives and the video is for the whole day. If that's the case it's a really good deal. I'll admit I forgot to ask the details for what he's being quoted.

 

[KathyV]

When we have purchased dive videos in the past the videographer was also able to sell copies of the video and still photographs to others on the dive. If the OP is planning to hire a photographer to exclusively film the happy couple and the proposal then it may well be more expensive than usual.

BTW, your girlfriend may figure out that something is going on if the photographer is only filming the 2 of you and ignoring everyone else, or will this be a private dive without any other divers present?

I'm old-fashioned and a hopeless romantic and I am happily married to my dive buddy, but personally I would prefer a nice (dry) proposal during a private, moonlit walk on a beautiful beach!