The cost (rate) of a DP and Sound Recordist

[TiBi]

I've been putting a call out for a DP for a short film that I'm in pre-production on. For a indie short film, what is the going rate for a DP with his own crew and equipment? -16mm camera lighting, gaffer, etc.

I want to shot this film in Super 16mm.

Also, does anyone know the going rate for a Sound Recordist/Boom Operator. I would like some idea, so if a DP would drop a quote, I'll have some idea of what to look out for.

Any DP's and Sound Recordist (on this site) in the Seattle area.

Also, I had put a call out for a Producer. He resonded with: "What is your budget for a Producer." Excuse me, but: isn't it the Producers job to acquire the financing for a film, work out the budget to Produce a film, and kinda kick the production in gear. Does the filmmaker have to pay for a Producer?

Thanks guys

 

[directorik]

I've been putting a call out for a DP for a short film that I'm in pre-production on. For a indie short film, what is the going rate for a DP with his own crew and equipment? -16mm camera lighting, gaffer, etc.

You will get quotes from a hundred a day to several hundred a day.
Knowing ahead of time what you might get doesn't really help. The
person asking $500 per day isn't scamming you and the person
asking $100 per day isn't under bidding. Each DP with equipment
has different needs, has different experience and is in a different
place professionally. When you hire someone get a feel of the person
and if you can work out a fee you both are comfortable with, that's
the one you go with.

You will hire a gaffer separately from the DP - most DP's know gaffers.

Also, I had put a call out for a Producer. He resonded with: "What is your budget for a Producer." Excuse me, but: isn't it the Producers job to acquire the financing for a film, work out the budget to Produce a film, and kinda kick the production in gear.

No. The producer doesn't always acquire the financing. If that's what
you are looking for - a producer who will acquire the financing for your
movie - then you need to be specific upfront. You don't just put a call
out for a producer. As you have seen there are producers who get
hired to produce movies and these people, like DP's, gaffer's, grips,
makeup artists and sound recordists want to be paid. They work out the
budget, hire crew, supervise the hiring of cast and kick the production
into gear. And they get paid to do that.

Yes, the filmmaker has to pay the producer. Unless the producer is the
originator of the project, then the producer pays the director.

 

[Alcove Audio]

As Rik mentioned, the pricing will vary wildly. Just to expand a little, the $100 a day production sound mixer will have minimal experience and minimal equipment (probably a couple of mics, a mixer and a recorder). The $500 a day production sound mixer will have in depth experience and a very nice sound cart. You will have to pay for the rental of the his gear. Your first reaction will be "why do I have to pay for gear he owns?" but his rental rates will be much less and the equipment will be of much better quality than if you rented it yourself, and he will be intimately familiar with every single piece of gear since he owns it. Also keep in mind that he has to buy and maintain all of that very expensive gear. He will probably have a boom-op with whom he works on a regular basis and the boom-op will probably will cost another $150 to $300 per day. The combination of the production sound mixers familiarity with his gear and his close relationship with the boom-op will mean hours of saved time on the set. Oh, BTW, he will probably have a comm system included in the rental price, something else that will save you quite a bit of time.

If you read my blogs - which I suggest that you do - you will see that I (and a great many of my peers) maintain that every dollar you spend on production sound will save you ten dollars in audio post. You are planning on a decent budget for audio post, aren't you? Especially since you are working with film.

You should read this:

http://filmsound.org/production-sound/openletter.htm

In the indie world the producer is your alter ego. She/he is the manager of the project, running the logistical side of things allowing you to be the artist. This is going to be the most important relationship in the entire project. Good producer/director relationships are even harder to find than good marriages. You both must share the same vision. You must be able to thrash out your differences amicably, and there will be many conflicts, mostly about the budget. So you must find the money to retain a top notch producer, or find a compatible spirit to work for a piece of the pie equal to yours.