Videographer on Reddit: What the Community Says About Rates, Gear & Finding Work
If you want to know what videographers really think about rates, gear, and clients, don’t read their websites. Read Reddit. It is where working videographers compare day rates, argue about whether owning a camera matters, complain about clients who demand raw footage, and admit what actually wins them work. Because many users are speaking to peers rather than pitching a client, these discussions can offer a candid view of how videographers think about the business.
It is also a mess to navigate. Most threads are gear talk, portfolio critiques, and beginners asking the same five questions. So we did the digging. Below are the discussions worth your time, whether you are hiring a videographer or trying to understand how this market works, with takes from our side of the camera after 30+ years in the film and video industry.
Last verified on July 21, 2026. Thread scores and comment counts reflect the time of writing and will change.
Table of Contents
The Communities Worth Knowing
These five communities offer useful perspectives on the business and craft of videography. Member counts at the time of writing:
Community | Members | What you’ll find |
|---|---|---|
r/Filmmakers | 3.1M | The broadest film and video community: crew roles, on-set practice, career paths |
r/videography | 450K | Working videographers on pricing, quoting, gear economics, and client relationships. The core community |
r/cinematography | 442K | Craft-level discussion of lighting and camera work. Useful for calibrating what “good” looks like |
r/editors | 192K | Professional editors on post-production timelines, revisions, and why editing takes as long as it does |
r/WeddingVideography | 19K | Niche community for wedding video rates, packages, and expectations |
A note on how to read these communities: Many posts come from people early in their careers, while the replies may include more experienced perspectives. Check each contributor’s context before treating the advice as broadly applicable. The value is in the replies, where 20-year veterans explain how the business actually works. Weight accordingly.
Discussion 1: What Videographers Say About Rates When Clients Aren't Looking
Thread: “I’m struggling with pricing and I need help” in r/videography (24 upvotes, 61 comments at the time of writing)
This thread offers a useful look at how videographers separate production and post-production pricing. An early-career Sydney videographer shared a complicated pricing calculator and asked for help. Rather than recommending one universal billing model, commenters emphasized pricing each stage according to the time, scope, and expertise involved, with clear terms for filming, editing, overtime, and revisions.
“also, no hourly. no half days. full days and overtime days only.”
“I do corporate editing only now and I simply just charge $100 an hour and usually estimate the minimum amount of time it will take me. If I think it will take me a minimum of 30 hours I charge $3000 and it comes with a cap on revisions up to the 30 hour minimum.”
Source: r/videography, “I’m struggling with pricing and I need help”, accessed July 21, 2026.
The Beverly Boy take: These replies address different stages of the work. The first recommends full-day rates for filming, where a booked production date cannot be sold to another client. The second describes hourly pricing for editing, with the estimated hours and revision limit defined in advance. For buyers, the lesson is to expect production and post-production to be priced differently and to confirm exactly what each part of the quote includes. We broke down the full quote structure from this thread and others in Lessons From Reddit About Corporate Video Pricing, and the broader rate data is available in our Videographer Statistics Report.
Discussion 2: "Did I Quote Too High?" (The Answer Was No)
Thread: “Did I quote too high?” in r/videography (68 comments at the time of writing)
A videographer quoted $3,500 for two produced videos, a sales video and an onboarding video of five to eight minutes each, for a property management company. The client replied that it was “significantly higher than I expected.” He asked Reddit if he blew it. Many commenters believed the quote was low for the requested scope, and it went the other way:
“My quote probably would have been between $7-10k. You didn’t quote too high, they’re too cheap. They want two fully produced videos to help them make money. And they will make way more than $3500 during the lifetime of those videos.”
“And there’s nothing more soul-destroying than lowering your rate just to get work. Charge an amount of money that will make you work hard and do a good job. Anything less will result in you cutting corners and producing poor work.”
Source: r/videography, “Did I quote too high?”, accessed July 21, 2026.
The Beverly Boy take: This is the most useful thread on the list if you are a buyer, because it shows how your quote reactions land on the other side. Sticker shock at a professional quote usually means the budget was set before anyone priced professional video, not that the quote is padded. Several experienced commenters said they would quote substantially more for two fully produced videos of that length. Before you react to a number, understand what sits behind it: our freelance videographer prices guide lays out the ranges.
Discussion 3: Gear vs. Skill: Does Owning Equipment Even Matter?
Thread: “Does not owning much gear make freelance videography much harder?” in r/videography (21 upvotes, 49 comments at the time of writing)
A UK freelancer who owns one cinema camera and one lens rents everything else per job. A recent two-camera corporate quote came out to £400 for his day rate plus £870 in rentals, travel, and parking, and he worried the rental line was costing him jobs. The community’s answer reframes how equipment works on a quote:
“You shouldn’t want to own gear to then throw it in for free. The whole idea is that the rental fee is instead an ‘equipement fee’. Where you get the equipment from shouldn’t really matter; the things cost money to the client either way. It’s just whether it lands in your pocket or in the rental place’s pocket.”
“In my experience renting equipment costs only makes a negative difference, in terms of winning a job, for the budget clients. For the higher end clients they don’t care. As long as their problem is solved.”
Source: r/videography, “Does not owning much gear make freelance videography much harder?”, accessed July 21, 2026.
The Beverly Boy take: Equipment is a real cost on every professional shoot whether the crew owns it or rents it, so a kit fee or rental line item on a quote is normal, not padding. What ownership actually buys is speed and reliability: crews with their own kit can respond faster and have backups on hand. That is one reason a staffed camera crew makes sense for time-critical corporate work. But when you are comparing vendors, judge the reel and the references, not the gear list.
Discussion 4: The Saturated End of the Market (And Who Actually Earns)
Thread: “UK/Scotland self-employed videographers: what do you realistically earn and what niche are you in?” in r/videography (22 comments at the time of writing)
The partner of an aspiring videographer asked what self-employed videographers really make and whether to invest in more gear. The replies are a candid map of the market. One working pro grossed £35k, mostly from an unusual niche: mining industry work plus weddings. The most quoted advice, though, was about what not to do:
“Facts are a gimbal and an entry-level camera is exactly the saturated end of the market. Unless he’s producing something incredible from that, it’s going to be a lot of door-to-door converting people or using his own network. This is a job where it actually isn’t about the equipment.”
“As a general tip you don’t want to be buying kit until you have a good idea of the work you’re doing and some regular clients under your belt. … Kit depreciates and there is a massive glut of kit available for rent from other people.”
Source: r/videography, “UK/Scotland self-employed videographers: what do you realistically earn and what niche are you in?”, accessed July 21, 2026.
The Beverly Boy take: The entry level of this market is crowded with a camera, a gimbal, and a dream. Several commenters emphasized that niche experience, relationships, and problem-solving matter more than simply purchasing additional equipment: a portfolio that proves they understand a specific kind of client and content. If you are hiring, that is your filter. Relevant industry experience can improve planning and decision-making, but buyers should still review the full portfolio, references, and production approach. Ask for relevant work samples, not a gear list. Our guide to hiring a videographer covers what to look for.
Discussion 5: Why Generic Cold Outreach Usually Fails
Thread: “Does cold approaching a business work nowadays?” in r/videography (16 upvotes, 27 comments at the time of writing)
A videographer serving private healthcare clinics asked whether walking in with a showreel works. The thread turned into an honest map of where video work really comes from:
“….rarely. a video project requires a lot of trust and it’s a long term relationship. Bulk of my business has been word of mouth and refferals”
And from an in-house video producer on the receiving end of cold pitches:
“As an in-house video guy, I get cold emails all the time to the point where it gets annoying. It’s not a threat to my job, it’s more often an issue of budget.”
The advice that survived the thread: research first, pitch something specific.
“Yes but you need to reach out with a strategy and not just cold call/reachout and ask ‘I’m a videographer and make videos. Do you need video?’ Do some research and give them some pointers like ‘hey I noticed that your company doesn’t have an About Us video, your company can greatly benefit from a video because……'”
Source: r/videography, “Does cold approaching a business work nowadays?”, accessed July 21, 2026.
The Beverly Boy take: Many established videographers rely heavily on referrals and repeat clients, so the strongest local options may not be the ones sending the most cold pitches. When outreach does work, it is usually because the videographer identifies a specific gap and explains how they can solve it. Buyers should expect that same level of detail in a proposal. Review the vendor’s relevant client history, portfolio, and understanding of your project rather than relying on follower count alone. That is why our city pages, including Atlanta and New York, highlight local experience and past production work.
Discussion 6: How the Other Side Pitches You
Thread: “How do you pitch your value as a videographer?” in r/videography (26 comments at the time of writing)
A student running a videography side hustle asked how to justify a £1,000 package to wealthy clients. The replies from experienced owners are a window into how good vendors think about selling, and they echo advice we give buyers in reverse:
“Leave the numbers out completely. Your pitch should be solely be about creating a library of content for the customer. $1k shoot by doing this this and that, you’ll have 3-4 pieces of content you can use on socials, web, marketing etc. Also, it’s easier said than done but start now.. raise your rates. Affordable is forgettable.”
“Don’t ever assume they need something unless you can prove it. … During your discovery meetings with them, it’s up to you to uncover what their end goal is. And what’s worked for them in the past.”
Source: r/videography, “How do you pitch your value as a videographer?”, accessed July 21, 2026.
The Beverly Boy take: Two things to steal from this thread as a buyer. First, “a library of content” is the right way to think about any shoot: one well-planned production day can yield a primary video plus cutdowns for social, web, and email, not a single file. Ask every vendor how many assets you will get from the day. Second, notice that the experienced pros teach discovery before pitching. A videographer who starts asking about your goals, audience, and past results before quoting is following the industry’s own best practice. A package-first pitch that does not account for your goals, audience, or deliverables deserves more questions.
Discussion 7: The Raw Footage Fight
Thread: “Being pressured to hand over raw files for free” in r/videography (36 upvotes, 118 comments at the time of writing)
The most heated recurring conflict between videographers and clients, in one thread: a client demanded raw files for free so other creators could repurpose them, and 118 comments argued about what the videographer owed. The practical consensus:
“Did you sign a contract granting them the rights to raw files? You likely didnt, only deliverables … you can offer them the raws at an additional cost, let them have them- unconverted, exactly as they asked.”
“Give them exactly what they’re asking for, bill them accordingly. An extra fee for the raw footage as it isn’t in your contract to turn over, plus the price of the drives or cloud storage you put them on.”
Source: r/videography, “Being pressured to hand over raw files for free”, accessed July 21, 2026.
The Beverly Boy take: Raw footage is a contract term, not a courtesy, and this fight is entirely avoidable. Decide before the shoot whether you want raw files, re-edit rights, or long-term footage storage, and put them in the agreement. Expect to pay for them; preparing, organizing, storing, and transferring large media files may require additional labor, storage, and delivery costs. The buyers who get burned here are the ones who assumed. The full contract conversation is in our corporate video pricing lessons from these same communities.
How We Reviewed These Threads
We reviewed seven public r/videography discussions published in 2026 covering rates, equipment, earnings, client acquisition, pitching, and raw footage. We selected comments that offered practical experience or reflected recurring themes within each discussion.
Reddit comments are anecdotal and should not be treated as representative market data. Contributors may work in different countries, production sectors, and experience levels, and the community is weighted toward freelancers and small operators. Thread scores, community sizes, and comment counts were last verified on July 21, 2026 and may change.
How to Use Reddit When Hiring (or Becoming) a Videographer
Five rules from 30+ years in this industry and a lot of hours in these threads:
- Read replies, not posts. The posts are beginners asking questions. The expertise is in the answers from working pros, especially the ones who push back.
- Treat repeated advice as a signal to investigate. When the same practices appear across several discussions, such as production day rates, separate equipment costs, editing charges, revision limits, and raw-footage fees, use them as questions to raise with your vendor. They are common approaches, not universal rules.
- Ignore the gear debates. The community itself keeps saying skill and niche experience beat equipment. Hire the portfolio, not the camera.
- Use it to calibrate, not to shop. Reddit tells you what fair looks like and what questions to ask. It cannot price your project, because nobody in the thread knows your scope.
- Remember who is talking. These are mostly freelancers and small operators. Staffed production companies solve a different problem: multi-city coverage, backup crews and gear, and accountability at scale. Know which one your project needs. Our videographer statistics report covers both markets.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What do videographers on Reddit say about rates?
Common themes in the selected r/videography discussions include production day rates, separate equipment costs, editing charges, and clearly defined revision limits: full-day minimums rather than hourly billing, editing charged by the hour with revision caps, equipment as a separate line item, and day rates that vary widely by experience and market. For actual dollar ranges, see our freelance videographer prices guide.
2. Which subreddits are best for videography advice?
r/videography for the business of videography (pricing, clients, quoting), r/Filmmakers for crew and career topics, r/cinematography for craft, r/editors for post-production, and r/WeddingVideography for wedding-specific rates and packages.
3. Does a videographer need to own their own equipment?
No. Several commenters explained that equipment costs are passed to the client whether the gear is owned or rented. Established clients often care more about whether the production need is solved. Owning equipment mainly improves familiarity, speed, and backup readiness.
4. Do clients get the raw footage from a video shoot?
Usually not by default. Raw files are typically a separate paid deliverable, and many commenters recommended defining raw-footage delivery, preparation, storage, and fees in the contract before filming.
5. Is Reddit a good place to find a videographer to hire?
Reddit is better for research than hiring. Use it to understand pricing structures and vetting questions, then evaluate vendors through relevant work samples, references, communication, and a clearly defined proposal.
Forbes Business Council Member | 30+ Years in the Film and Video Industry
