What I Learned Taking a $50K Shoot to Amsterdam
Last week, my team and I flew to Amsterdam to produce a project for a global brand.
They paid us $50,000 to do the same thing we normally do here in the States just overseas.
International projects are exciting whenever a client first asks…
But when you get into the details of everything you have to coordinate and execute, it can get daunting quick.
And the budget can get out of hand fast, and you start to wonder, “are we going to make any money doing this?”
Here’s what I learned from this experience that every freelance creative should know:
1. Brands pay for smooth execution, not just content
They hired us because they trust us to make the process easy. That’s the value we bring, and it’s why we got the gig.
That’s truly a mindset shift when it comes to creative business.
It’s easy to think it’s all about the content. And while the content is important…
The experience is almost always more important.
Our client mentioned on several occasions— “thank you for making this so smooth.”
They didn’t say, “thank you for making this content.”
Yes, of course, they need the content to look good. They need their brand to look good.
But in the moment, our client was most stressed about the process and making that process smooth was the most relieving thing to them.
Your experience puts the client at ease, and that’s worth every dollar to them.
2. People will pay more for consistency
My client didn’t want to roll the dice on a new team in Europe. They wanted the same experience and results they’ve seen from us before.
Consistency is a huge factor in production.
And you build consistency by having a consistent client experience and a consistent level of quality.
The client isn’t left wondering ‘what could happen?’
No. They know who they’re hiring and what they’re going to get from you since you’ve proven it.
And clients will pay a higher price for the peace of mind that consistency brings.
3. Build in buffer. Build in backup.
Flying overseas, working with different electrical systems, and renting 80% of our gear locally can present challenges that we don’t face at home.
That’s why we built in a day to test. That’s why I ask my vendors if we can add things last minute if needed.
It’s called ‘contingency planning.’
You plan and prepare for failures.
I’ve interviewed top tier military personnel before and this always comes up:
“Always have a contingency plan.”
And it’s absolutely true in our industry as well. Have backups. Have backup plans. Build in redundancy.
Don’t get caught without a plan, especially on such a large job with such a large client.
You’ll look like an amateur if you don’t have a plan.
The reality is… we can’t prevent every issue.
But we can have a contingency plan in place, which makes us look like total pros in front of our clients … when we know exactly what to do when something fails.
4. Price for the margin you want.
We spent $18K on travel and rentals alone. If I had priced this like a standard job, I would’ve eaten the margin. You have to price like a producer, not just a camera op.
Build in all of your hard costs—the costs it’s going to require to get the right people in the room with the right gear.
Then build in your rates and margins.
Again, have a contingency budget built in as well. If things come up, don’t dip into your margins because you didn’t plan for it.
As a business owner, I constantly think about how I can protect my margins because that’s how my business makes money and sustains longevity.
I would be doing my team and myself a disservice if I didn’t protect margin.
There’s no point in breaking even.
If you’re trying to grow your creative business, land bigger clients, and confidently price projects like this, I teach my full process in my Retainer Clients course.
I cover everything from pricing and pitching to delivery and contracts.
Cheers,
-Trent
The Retainer Clients Course
The Course will give you immediate insight and downloads:
Learn how to get clients & download my acquisition guide
See the tiers I pitch & download my proposal template
See how I price & download my pricing calculator
Get insight into my financials as a video business
See how I frame a contract & download my template
Start growing your business and stabilizing your revenue with recurring retainers
