VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

Dayo · Cinquecento Joined: 10 Jan 2008 Posts: 544 Location: UK

Help!

This client/prospect from is driving me nuts.

They are a new cable/satellite channel in India. It's a large scale enterprise, with a potential audience in the gazillions.

They want us to do some 30 second programme promos and have sent scripts asking for a quote. Trouble is I have no idea of local rates in that market. They refuse to make an offer or discuss their "usual rates". My gut tells me they are trying to get the work on the cheap.

Any clues anyone? Half a dozen promos for US shows airing in India. Please..........

Philip Banks · Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 7:31 am Post subject:

I charge(d) the old ITV promo session rate of £210. That's a round figure obviously.

Dayo · Cinquecento Joined: 10 Jan 2008 Posts: 544 Location: UK

Seems fair. Thanks Philip.

They're also hawking around a page or two of generic lines; "Tonight on Channel xyz"; "Friday on Channel XYZ" etc. What do you think?

Philip Banks · Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2011 8:38 am Post subject:

Same fee as they tend to use and use again...and again. Somewhere in Mumbai I'm still announcing, with head bowed, the funeral of Meg Mortimer.

johnmilesprod · Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 10:20 am Post subject:

Having dealt with a number of Indian clients over the years, your gut is probably right. And get ready for lots of haggling back and forth. I have some wonderful e learning clients there, and some I chose to take a pass on because of the
"How low can we get you to go?" mentality. Tread cautiously-IMHO.

bobbinbeamo · Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 12:20 pm Post subject:

And also, the ridiculous deadlines for assignments that ALWAYS arrive on the weekends.
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Dayo · Cinquecento Joined: 10 Jan 2008 Posts: 544 Location: UK

I know it doesn't sound exactly PC, but I REALLY dislike the Indian way of doing business; how much lower can you go? They almost never disclose anything and you'll never get "our usual rate in such and such".

Why on earth would you want to hammer down fees on services? Products, yes, services, never.

Having said all that we actually got a halfway decent fee on this one and more to come. What a faff though!

Jacob Ekstroem · Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2011 5:43 am Post subject:

What Dayo said. My experiences with Indian (and Spanish too, actually) clients have all been time consuming and down right frustrating. They are NEVER satisfied untill you agree to take the job at the rate THEY want. Which they never tell you what is, obviously!
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Matto · Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2011 2:21 pm Post subject:

Eddie Eagle · M&M Joined: 23 Apr 2008 Posts: 2393

I just don't do Indian work. There's too much sim sim sala bim to go through and the producers want the world for a penny.

It isn't worth it unless approached by a recognizable network worldwide (CNN, MSNBC)...that pays national US network rates. (we're talkin CNN, MSNBC, NBC, CBS, ABC, etc)

Lee Gordon · Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2011 2:38 pm Post subject:

I'll have to remember, if I'm ever contacted to do work for a client in India, to quote double my normal rate. Then, if they want to negotiate me down by half, we'll all be happy.
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Eddie Eagle · M&M Joined: 23 Apr 2008 Posts: 2393