The number you remember is not the profit
A studio bills a client ₹60,000 and pays a freelance editor ₹40,000. The easy answer is ₹20,000 profit. It leaves out the hours your own team spent on revisions, calls and delivery, and everything it costs to keep the studio running. Add those back and the same job can earn almost nothing.
A worked example (sample project, illustrative numbers)
| Line | Amount | Share of billed |
|---|---|---|
| Billed to client (excluding GST) | ₹60,000 | 100% |
| Freelancer cost | −₹40,000 | |
| What it looks like | ₹20,000 | 33% |
| Staff time: 22 hours at a cost of ₹500 per hour | −₹11,000 | |
| Direct profit | ₹9,000 | 15% |
| Overheads at 12% of billed | −₹7,200 | |
| Profit after overheads | ₹1,800 | 3% |
Nothing in the job was mispriced on the day. The studio just never saw the full cost. Tracking the three cost lines per project is what makes the real number visible while there is still time to change the next quote.
What to track for each project
- Revenue: what you billed or will bill, without GST. GST is collected for the government and is not earned.
- Freelancer and vendor costs: editors, voice artists, stock, hardware hire, each recorded against the project.
- Your own team's hours: logged on the project and valued at a cost rate per person.
- Overheads: a percentage or a monthly figure applied on top.
How Bridge X does it
- Timesheets feed the cost. Hours logged on a project are valued at each person's cost rate, or at monthly salary divided by standard monthly hours when no rate is set.
- Freelancer and vendor costs sit on the project. Add each payment with who it went to and, where relevant, the TDS deducted.
- Profit and margin per project. The profit report shows work delivered, cost, profit and margin percentage, plus profit on what has already been invoiced.
- Per finished minute, for minute-priced work. A rate card holds your price per finished minute for each kind of work, and the report shows cost, profit and margin per finished minute and the price needed for a target margin.
Overheads are the one step it does not allocate per project. The profit report shows direct profit, and you apply your overhead share as in the example above. The cash forecast uses a monthly overheads figure separately.
Which plan
The profit report is part of Business ($79/month) and Suite ($99/month). Team ($29/month) covers projects, tasks and timesheets, which is where the hours come from. See plans and pricing, or move your current tracker in first with the Excel import.
Who it suits
Studios, post-production houses and agencies that buy in freelancers, bill by the project or by the finished minute, and cannot currently say which jobs made money. For the general method, read how to calculate project profit.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate the profit on a video production project?
Start with what you billed the client (excluding GST), subtract freelancer and vendor costs, then subtract the cost of your own team's hours. That is direct profit. Subtract a share of overheads such as rent, software and admin salaries to get profit after overheads. A worked example with numbers is on the page how to calculate project profit.
What does Bridge X count as the cost of a project?
Staff hours logged against the project multiplied by each person's cost rate (or their monthly salary divided by standard monthly hours if no rate is set), plus the freelancer and vendor spend you record against the project. Profit is the work delivered minus that cost, shown with a margin percentage.
Does Bridge X include overheads in project profit?
Not per project. The profit report covers direct cost: staff time plus freelancer and vendor spend. Studio overheads are used in the cash forecast as a monthly figure. If you want profit after overheads, apply your overhead percentage to the direct profit, as the worked example on this page does.
Can it show profit per finished minute of video?
Yes, for work priced by the finished minute. You keep a rate card with a price per finished minute for each kind of work, record the minutes sold and delivered on a project, and the profit report shows cost and profit per finished minute and the price needed to reach a target margin.
Which plan includes the profit report?
The Business plan ($79/month) and the Suite plan ($99/month). The Team plan ($29/month) includes timesheets and project tracking but not the profit report.
Can I try it with my own numbers?
Yes. The free demo has sample projects, or you can start a real workspace on a plan. You can also email elevate@srcreativepro.com to ask for help setting up your first project.