Sample Pricing

Audio and video interviews, transcriptions and scanned memorabilia are the basic building blocks for many personal and business history projects. The Simply Audio and Simply Video projects (see below) may be all that you want, or they can be the basis for more comprehensive projects such as a book or a video documentary that includes photos and memorabilia.
                 
Simply Audio. $500. One-hour audio interview transferred to CD. Includes pre-interview questions and preparation, set-up of professional sound equipment, track divisions and one copy of the completed interview on a CD in a customized storage case.
        
Simply Video. $700. One-hour video interview transferred to videotape or DVD. Includes pre-interview questions and preparation, set-up of professional video, sound and lighting equipment, opening and closing title screens and one copy of the completed interview on a DVD or videocassette in a customized storage case.

Transcript. Starting at $200. A printed transcript of an audio or video interview. Includes a CD containing the Word document of the transcription. Cost depends on the length of the audio or video recording.

Books. Costs vary widely, from a simple booklet at about $300 to a hardbound volume with many photos and pages at $3,000 or more. If you already have a manuscript in a Word document, the cost will be lower—it might include page design, printing and binding. If you don’t have a manuscript, the cost will include audio or video interviews and transcripts as well as scanning, page design, printing and binding. I’ve listed some of the book publication variables near the bottom of this page.

Photograph and Document Scans. $5 each. Scanned at the resolution(s) of your choice and archived on a CD that you can use in your computer or take to a photo service bureau for prints. We do the scans in your home so your memorabilia never leaves your possession.

Photography Montage on DVD. $500. Includes up to 50 photographs, music background, opening and closing title screens, motion effects and one copy of the completed DVD in a customized storage case.

Editing Old Tapes and Movies for DVD. The cost depends on how many hours of original footage you have, how easily it can be converted to an editable format, and the time required to edit out unusable portions, organize into segments and add titles and music. The total cost to convert two hours of original footage might be as little as $500 or as much as $2,000.

Life Story DVD Package. $1,850. Includes project planning, a morning or afternoon of video taping an interview at your home, up to 20 photographs or documents scanned and added to the program, approximately 30 hours of video editing, addition of music, transitions, titles and chapters, and a personalized case for your DVD. Finished DVD is 60 minutes or less. (This package can be modified to meet your needs.)

Other Pricing: I offer writing, editing and book design services, video editing, consultation on archival storage and several other services. I am happy to meet with you to discuss your project. When I know more about what you hope to achieve, I can show you some options and give you an estimate of the total cost. There is no charge for the initial one-hour consultation.

Be sure to visit the Ideas section of this site to see many other ways to capture elements of your history. Once we’ve discussed the scope of your project, I can give you an estimate of the total cost.

Book Publication Variables

DVD Publication Variables