Work out your hourly cost

Most people price emotionally: they guess a number that feels uncomfortable enough. There is a better way, and it takes fifteen minutes.

Count backwards

Decide what you want to earn in a year. Add what you need to cover: gear, software, insurance, pension, holiday, and the time you spend selling and invoicing. Divide the total by the number of hours you can actually bill.

That number is not your price. It is your floor, the level at which you break even.

Billable hours are fewer than you think

A full week is not forty billable hours. Expect a significant share to go to quotes, email, research and admin. Assume full occupancy and your floor will be too low.

The price is not hours

The client is buying a result, not your time. The hourly cost is your tool for knowing when to say no, not the thing you write in the quote.

A price you cannot explain

If you cannot say why a film costs what it costs, you will drop the price the moment anyone asks. The calculation above is the explanation.