How video editing pricing, uploads and turnaround work
Hiring a video editor is usually a slow back-and-forth of sample links, quote emails and file transfers. This guide explains exactly how a job runs at Mezo Productions, so you can decide what to send and what it will cost before you start.
Pricing by finished minute
The price is set by how long the completed video is, not by how much raw footage you have. A five-minute YouTube video costs less than a fifteen-minute one, even if the fifteen-minute edit needed more trimming. The standard rate is $3 per finished minute. Projects of 35 minutes or longer drop to $2.25 per minute, and anything under five minutes is a flat $15 — which covers most reels, TikToks and Shorts. If you would rather not guess, choose the "you decide" option at booking and a price is emailed back after your footage is reviewed.
Uploading your footage
Footage is uploaded during booking through a private transfer, so your files are not publicly listed. Send the highest-quality originals you have: camera files, phone clips, screen recordings, voiceovers and any music or references you want used. Folders do not survive the upload, so rename clips in the order you want them considered if that matters. Very large projects can be split across several uploads.
Turnaround and payment
First cuts are typically delivered within 48 hours. A $15 deposit confirms your booking and reserves the slot; the remainder follows once the edit is delivered. You are emailed when your project moves forward, and again when the finished video is ready to review.
Common questions
How is a video edit priced?
Pricing is based on the finished length, not the length of footage you send. The standard rate is $3 per finished minute, drops to $2.25 per minute once a project runs 35 minutes or longer, and any finished video under five minutes costs a flat $15.
What format should I send footage in?
Any common camera, phone or screen-recording format works — MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI and audio files are all accepted. Send the original files rather than a compressed export from social media, because re-compressing twice visibly softens detail in the final cut.
How long does an edit take?
A first cut usually lands within 48 hours of receiving your footage, and short-form edits are often faster. If you have a hard deadline, add it at booking and it becomes part of the plan for the project.
What is included in the price?
Cutting and pacing, color correction, audio cleanup and leveling, licensed stock music, basic titles and captions, and one round of revisions. Heavier motion graphics or animation is quoted separately before any work starts.