ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

11 years, 3 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin

By Negotiation is the answer. Years ago you could base figures on the BECTU PACT negotiated rates for features (indeed you can still find that PDF around and use it as an indicator) but these days it's all by negotiation by default. Frankly it'll depend on availability, how experienced they are, what kit they provide and what you provide. Allow maybe somewhere around £100-300ish per day as a budget placeholder or start phoning soundies and asking them what they'll do it for.

11 years, 3 months ago - Liza Bolton

Thanks Paddy. The £100 - £300 range is very useful actually - gives me a starting point. Your point on the DoP and PM are good too and I have put in some messages to them too. Really appreciate your response it has been a good help. Best regards.. LIza

11 years, 3 months ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin

PS your PM if you have one or DoP can usually suggest people they've worked with before and who they found reliable

11 years, 3 months ago - Andrew Rowe

BECTU still put out 'going rates' for different genres of TV, film and video productions, but 'microbudget' isn't one of their categories, so you would have to take the "Lower Budget Feature Film (<£10million)" category (currently £333 per day for a recordist) and adapt it to your budget if it is significantly lower than that.

The most important thing is that it is proportionate. Both the current BECTU rates and the current APA rates (for commercials) provide a good indication of where certain crew roles lie on the pay scale. In the professional world, the Sound Recordist (aka Production Sound Mixer) will have rough parity with the main Camera Operator or 1st AD, a Boom Op will have rough parity with the Focus Puller or 2nd AD, and a Sound Assistant will have rough parity with a video 2nd AC (film loaders traditionally get more) or 3rd AD. As negotiation is inevitable, this isn't of course set in stone.

Microbudget seems to be a term used for everything from £10k to £10million, so it's difficult to come up with hard figures but you need to budget for Location Sound as a whole - i.e. equipment, consumables, transport for the equipment, a recordist, other sound crew (for most features, you would want at least a boom op). Generally, the lower the total budget, the greater the percentage you should allocate to Location Sound (as the number of extras, stunts, period costumes, VFX, star actors and logistical costs diminish). The £100-£300 per day range that Paddy gives makes sense for a low budget shoot, but a boom op will also cost £100-250 and the equipment will cost another £100-£250 on top of that, depending on your requirements. If you hire kit yourself, it will generally cost more, and you will be hard pushed to find a competent recordist to operate it as kit hire is historically a significant element of a sound recordist's business, just as it is for Steadicam operators or grips.

11 years, 3 months ago - Liza Bolton

Andrew thanks for this information. def I am in the lower end of the micro budget bracket. You are right and sound is taking a high percentage of the budget. Really appreciate the advice from all. Best. Liza