What's your revision policy?
Do you include revisions for free? Do you charge a percentage of the original price of the project? How do you decide? Your opinion matters! Your answers will help us improve the revision process for everyone. Thanks for your help!
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Assuming it's not my mistake in the first place, I usually decide based on how much of the original I need to redo. For example, if I'm just changing the emphasis on a few words in a 100 word read that was worth 10 bucks, I'll charge a dollar. If i have to do the whole thing over at a faster pace, I might charge 7 or 8 bucks. On rare occasions, when I've redone the entire read, I have charged the full price again.
Truly, it depends on the nature of the revision request, how much work it will take to revise, and if any of the original can be salvaged or reused. Also, repeat clients get a discount :)
Side note: If we are given the opportunity to speak with clients, ask questions, make suggestions, etc many revisions might never be necessary at all. I understand the VB premise of quick, no muss no fuss recordings for clients that want to toss a job over the fence and get a read back asap. But if i see a potential problem with a script ( ambiguity, multiple interpretations, etc), I can guess and hope I'm right (which is how we do it today) or I can ask, get an answer, and KNOW I'm right. Which would you, as a client, prefer?
Complex subject with a number of factors.
I screwed up, missed a word or sentence, butchered an easy word, No Charge.
I follow directions and they decide to go a different direction with the tone/pacing etc. 25-50%
They have a major script change. 50-100%
Some of these are per revision. Some clients can't make up their minds. And the jobs where the client and I just aren't seeing eye to eye are usually the ones that get rejected.
Had a couple of clients who wrote in the notes that they usually either have the talent in studio or talking via phone/Skype and they haven't figured out how to do this multi-step process. It takes too long and introduces errors and miscommunication.
Bottom line: I screw up, no charge. They initiate revisions with a change, I charge. Amount depends on extent of the changes.
If it's my fault, definitely no charge.
If it's a minor revision, probably no charge as well.
From there it just depends on how big the revision is and why it's needed. For example I had a complete reread once based on what the client said they were looking for, but when I looked at the original instructions, they went an entirely different route from what they asked for. That was a higher percentage revision rate.
I had another client that was very particular, but for a good reason (in my mind). So it was a combo of free revisions and low percentage revisions.
Obviously, like everyone else, my mistake: no charge.
Outside of that, yes I do, and should, charge.
It's not just about the number of words or the stylistic change. It's also about the time. Any time I'm working on a revision because the client couldn't explain their wants/needs the first time, is time I can't spend working on another paying project. Ot, at very least, it's time I can't be working on driving future business. My time is valuable. Time is money. Insert your own age-old business credo here...
However, the majority of revision requests I get could be avoided by improving VB's API/New Project form. I get too many " Wow! Fantastic read. You really nailed it! BUT, we kind of needed it to fit into 4 minutes instead of 5." If they had a field that said "required length" I wouldn't have to waste my time doing the project twice.
Worse, having to do the revision reduces my per hour rate, perhaps to an unacceptable level. So, say I do a job that I make $60 on that takes me an hour. A little low, but acceptable. Then I have to do a reread that takes me another hour, and gets charged at $30. Now that's $90 for 2 hours or $45/hour. That IS WAY TOO LOW, and is not really acceptable.
The point being, it's not fair to Talent to NOT charge for revisions. For the 60% rates that VB charges the client on top of the actor's fee, they should be happy to pay heavily for revisions. It's the least they can do for us making them look, ans Sound, so damn good!
My mistake: no charge
Minor changes: no charge or a token charge
Full reread as the brief was ambiguous: up to 50% based on complexity
Loads of client changes to the script: up to 100% based on salvage from first submission
SUGGESTION >> Encourage the clients to give clearer direction, being really specific, especially for tone, pacing, attitude, mood, pace, accent, style ETC... as my revisions tend to come from my interpreting it one way and the client having a different idea in their head. I relish a detailed brief with clear direction so I can 'get into character'.