In short
- Filming hours are the time the cameras cover your event. Crew hours count each person's time, including setup and travel.
- Editing is often quoted as finished films, not as hours. We state which one your quote uses.
- Two quotes can both say four hours and describe very different work.
- We write each type of hour separately on the quotation.
A quotation can mention three different kinds of hours: filming hours, crew hours and editing hours. They measure different things and should not be added together or compared one for one. We write each of them separately, with a short note on what is counted.
What each kind of hour means
| Kind of hour | What it counts | Example question |
|---|---|---|
| Filming hours | The time cameras cover your event, from the agreed start to the agreed end | When exactly does coverage begin and end? |
| Crew hours | The working time of each person, which can include travel, setup and packing up | How many people, and for how long each? |
| Editing hours | The time spent in post-production, or the number of finished films | Is editing priced by film or by hour? |
Filming hours are the ones you notice because they match your programme. Crew hours and editing hours sit behind them and often explain why one quote is higher than another.
How the numbers multiply
Crew hours come from people multiplied by time. As an illustration only, take an evening dinner with a programme from 7 pm to 10 pm.
- Filming hours: three hours of coverage.
- One operator would be three crew hours of filming. Two operators would be six.
- If each person arrives an hour early and stays half an hour after, each adds one and a half hours, so the same dinner can show nine crew hours across two people.
The event is the same. The count depends on how many people are needed and what is counted. That is why a quote that says “four hours” tells you very little until you know whether it means filming hours or crew hours.
Why editing is usually priced differently
Editing time is hard to estimate from the length of a finished film. The editor reviews the footage, chooses moments, shapes the story, adds audio and prepares files. A three-minute highlight and a three-hour recording are different jobs, and a cut with captions or several versions is different again.
For this reason many suppliers state editing by what you receive, for example one highlight film and one full recording, and not by hours. Check that the deliverables are named. Our guide on how extra finished videos affect editing scope explains what happens when you ask for more.
What belongs outside the three
Some work sits outside these hours and should appear as its own line:
- Setup and rehearsal access, covered in when setup and rehearsal time is billed separately.
- Time after the agreed end, explained in how overtime is defined.
- Travel and accommodation for outstation jobs.
- Storage and delivery of large files.
If these are not mentioned, ask whether they are included.
How to use this when comparing quotes
Put each quote into three rows: filming hours, crew (people and hours) and editing (films delivered). If one quote leaves a row blank, ask the supplier to fill it. Our event video budget worksheet has a place for each so an unpriced item stays visible.
Then compare like with like. Four filming hours with one operator and two edited films is a different job from four filming hours with two operators and three. The comparing quotations guide shows how to line them up.
What we confirm for your event
- Filming window: when the clock starts and stops on the day.
- People on site: how many, and what each one films.
- Arrival, setup and packing up: inside or outside the filming hours.
- Editing: priced by finished film or by hour, with the films named.
- A longer programme: how extra time is handled, as set out in how overtime is defined.
Hours in your quote
When you message us about event videography, we will write the filming hours, the crew and the finished films as separate lines so you can see what each number covers.
Tell us your start and end time, how many rooms or areas are involved and the films you want. We will write the filming hours, crew and editing scope into your quote so each number has a clear meaning.
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