Becoming a Commercial Makeup Artist: Part 1 Your Pricing Strategies!
|PART ONE: PRICING STRATEGIES
One of the most powerful steps you can take right now to make a smooth transition into becoming a commercial makeup artist is to put these 4 Key Transition Strategies to work! This 4-Part Series builds a bridge from your current makeup career into commercial opportunities. It covers 4 key strategies: pricing, timeline priorities, communication and marketing.
No matter where you are right now, these strategies will not only help you define your makeup career approach but also your mindset to take those vital steps into the fascinating and lucrative world of commercial makeup artistry working on TV commercials, advertising campaigns, corporate communications, TV and live events.
If your current pricing strategies include any of the following listed below (in the left column), you will maintain those for your bridal and personal clients. However, you will develop and streamline your new pricing strategies for commercial clients. (listed in the right column).
Going from . . . current pricing strategies | To . . . commercial pricing strategies |
Price-per-face | Full Day Rates |
Hourly rates | Half Day Rates |
Trial Run Throughs | Travel Day Rates |
Lash charges | Overtime |
Add-ons | Ala Carte listings | Kit Fees | Box Rental Fees |
Deposits | |
So what do these new pricing strategies mean? Let's Break Them Down:
Day Rate-A day rate is the billing cost for an individual's services for a single day. For commercial shoots, 10 hours in considered a typical shoot day. So your day rate will be one rate for 10 hours. (The time you are actually on a shoot can vary but this is how jobs are booked and billed).
Overtime-A calculation of hours worked by a freelancer that exceed those hours defined for a standard work day. Overtime is billed at 1.5 x hourly rate for 2 hours then 2.0 x hourly rate past the initial 2 hours of overtime.
Half Day Rate-A half day rate is the billing cost for an individual's services for half of a day of work. In this case, a half day rate would be up to 5 hours.
Travel Day Rate-A travel day rate is billed at a "half day" rate. This day is only for traveling. If travel and work are scheduled then it becomes a full day rate charge.
Kit Fee | Box Rental Fee-is a payment that a production company or client pays a crew member for the approved and authorized use of their own “kit,” which may include reusable equipment, and expendables. The kit fee covers the costs of the products you used on a shoot which includes lashes, disposables and any products. The kit fee is charged for each shoot day.
As you develop and set your new pricing strategies, consider these factors that will influence your "standard" day rates and kit fees; 1-the geographical area you are working, 2-what the local market will bear and 3-what competitors of equal skill level are charging for their services. And always remember everything is negotiable. Let's say you have your standard day rate, you've been called to work on a shoot which will involve a large amount of people. It is straight forward simple makeup however very fast paced . . . this means you'll be using a lot of product and disposables so this would be a case you want to negotiate for a higher day rate and/or kit fee. Another example is when a celebrity is involved, this is a good time to also ask for more than your standard day rate.
PRO TIP: I encourage you to NOT nickel and dime on any job but in particularly commercial jobs. The booking process for commercial work is much different than booking a personal makeup session or bride. The commercial industry moves fast in all aspects from booking to shooting to wrapping a job. Your "clients" will be other businesses not personal consumers. Always respond with urgency, be professional, know the language of production and be easy to work with. Settle on rates that you are comfortable working with and then show up on set prepared, ready to hustle and add as much production value to the shoot as you can. And enjoy, you've worked hard to get to this place!
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• "So, You Want to Be a Commercial, TV or Film Makeup Artist?"
• "A Day in the Life of a Commercial, TV and Film Makeup Artist"
If you are ready to jump in & get started with the help of an authentic makeup artist (me) who still works daily in the biz guiding you step-by -step. . .
"YOU'RE BOOKED! THE BLUEPRINT TO BOOKING
COMMERCIAL WORK AS A MAKEUP ARTIST"
