Rates
 

I have some video job possibilities coming up, and I have no idea what to charge. Is any sort of database of standard rates that would be available to for me to check out and get an idea of where to start?

Not really, although if you do a search here you will find some peoples rates.
The big problem is that rates differ greatly from one area/market to the other, and by level of your skill.
There are some people here charging $20 and hour, and some charging $300 an hour.
For my first video jobs, I charged $50 and hour for shooting and $30 for editing (Canadian $$). Now I'm a little more experienced and a little more skilled so I chage about an average of $100 an hour for shooting and $50 and hour for editing. I think I can charge more, and will probably up it to $150/$80 later this year.

Being new to video , I didn't know if there was something similar to the Graphic Artist Guild Handbook for videographers. I realize that different markets will have different rates and even differences within the markets, but I was just trying to get in the ballpark, or even figure out what size the ballpark is(T-ball or major league).

Your rates should be whatever the marketplace will support for your skill set.

Here are some of my basic rates:

Shooting (GL2, full audio, full lights, etc.)

Minimum: $250 (includes up to 2 hours)

Half Day: $450 (up to 4 hours)

Full Day: $750 (8 hours, with hour lunch)

I don't charge by the hour, but in these blocks. And never less than the 2 hour minimum. Even if they only use 30 minutes of it. The set up time and effort is just to great to do for $50.


Editing:

$115/hr.


One thing you've got to do if you're running a one man business is to charge what it would cost you to hire someone else to do the work, plus a markup for you company.