What Remote Interview Packages cost and what moves the price

A remote interview package looks small from the outside: one guest, one question line, a few minutes of usable material. The cost sits in everything around those minutes. Someone has to plan the recording, set up lighting and sound, run the session, check the files and hand over something a bulletin can use without further repair. Even a ten-minute conversation tends to occupy a person for the better part of a morning once preparation and delivery are counted.

I am Tom Fletcher, the studio director, and I look after lighting, sound and presenter support on these jobs. When a producer asks what a package costs, I try to explain it in terms of time and equipment rather than a single mysterious figure. That way you can see which parts are fixed and which parts you control. Our current figures are on the Prices page; this note explains what stands behind them.

The honest starting point is that interview work is priced by the effort needed to make a recording broadcast-ready, not by the length of the finished clip. A short clip can take longer than a long one if the location is awkward or the connection is poor.

The largest single driver is where the guest sits. A recording on location means a crew travels, carries lights and a proper microphone, and controls the room. A remote link means the guest uses their own equipment, and we work with what arrives. Neither is better in every case, and they are priced differently because the work differs.

On location, travel time and the number of crew members matter most. A guest within easy reach of Chichester is cheaper to reach than one across the county, and a single operator costs less than an operator plus a producer. We tell you the crew size when we quote, so there are no surprises in the invoice.

By remote link, the cost shifts towards preparation. We usually spend time checking the guest's camera position, light and sound before recording starts, because a poor picture is hard to fix afterwards. That check is part of the package, but a guest who needs a lot of coaching takes longer, and that can change the quote.

• Travel distance and crew size drive on-location cost
• Remote work shifts effort into guest set-up and checks
• The quote states crew size and set-up time in writing

Picture and sound quality are where a package can be kept lean or built up. A simple, flattering key light and a clean lavalier microphone cover most bulletin needs. Adding a second light, a backdrop or a more controlled room adds set-up time, and that time appears in the price.

I would rather match the kit to the destination. A clip for a quick online update does not need the polish of a feature opener, and paying for the second is wasteful if you only need the first. Tell us where the interview will run and we will propose the lightest setup that holds up there.

Sound deserves particular attention, because viewers forgive a plain background far sooner than a muffled voice. A quiet room, a close microphone and a short test recording before we begin often save more money than any other step, since they prevent a retake.

• Single key light and lavalier suit most bulletin clips
• Extra lights and backdrops add set-up time
• A short sound test early prevents costly retakes

Speed is a real cost. If you need the finished interview within a couple of hours of recording, an editor has to be free and ready, and that availability is priced in. A more relaxed turnaround lets us fit the work around other jobs and keeps the figure lower.

Captions and formatting are the other common additions. Open captions, a version cut for a vertical online format, or a particular broadcast file specification each take editing time. Priya Nair, our senior video editor, handles these, and she needs to know the formats at the start rather than at the end, because re-exporting later is slower than getting it right once.

We deliver by secure transfer and confirm the files have arrived and play correctly. If your newsroom has strict naming rules or metadata requirements, send them with the enquiry so they are built into the work and not added as a late correction.

• Tight turnarounds cost more than relaxed ones
• Captions and extra formats add editing time
• Share naming and file rules at the enquiry stage

Most of the saving comes from clear information given early. A confirmed guest, a fixed time slot and a short list of questions let us plan crew and kit properly. Changes made on the day, such as a moved start time or a different location, are what usually push a package above its quote.

Grouping interviews also helps. Three guests recorded in one session at one location cost far less per interview than three separate visits, because travel and set-up are shared. If you know several voices are coming up on a story, tell us and we will suggest a schedule.

Finally, tell us what you will not use. If a clip will only run with a lower-third and no captions, there is no reason to price captions. A short, honest brief produces a short, honest quote, and that is the outcome we both want.

• Confirm guest, time and questions before the day
• Group several interviews into one session where possible
• Say which extras you do not need

When you send an enquiry through the contact page, we read the details and reply with a written quotation or confirmation listing what is included: crew, set-up, recording, editing and delivery. It also states what would change the figure, such as extra formats or a rescheduled session. Nothing is bought on the website itself.

Once you accept, we issue an invoice, which is paid by bank transfer. Cancellations and refunds follow the payment and refund policy, which is published on the site so you can read it before you decide. We prefer that you know the terms in advance rather than discover them later.

If a figure seems high for what you need, ask us to walk through it line by line. We would rather adjust the scope than have you pay for work you will not use.