Portable Location Recording Rates?

[sctt_stone]

So what should I be charging to go on location with my little portable rig and record an opera recital?
Two to three hours total with drive time set up and pack up.
This is my first paying job out side of my house and it has fallen into my lap because I recorded my opera buddy for free the other day.
Dont want to sell myself short or be greedy.
Thanks.

[joelpatterson]

That's probably something only you can answer... it would cost these people at least something like $400 if they sought out someone to do it who does it all the time... and then you're burning a CD for them? You doing any packaging, like scanning their program and turning it into a CD booklet? You offering to sell copies to anyone who's interested?

[NorseHorse]

$100 is a pretty good even number.

But tell us more...

What are you recording with?
Do you plan on editing the recording? Or going straight-to-tape?
Do you have any other location recording examples?

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by sctt_stone

So what should I be charging to go on location with my little portable rig and record an opera recital?
Two to three hours total with drive time set up and pack up.
This is my first paying job out side of my house and it has fallen into my lap because I recorded my opera buddy for free the other day.
Dont want to sell myself short or be greedy.
Thanks.

It also depends n the quality of your portable rig.

But don't forget to factor in your time from dood to door and the fact that you will have to work on the recording back at base; to top and tail, tidy up, maybe trim the applause to be CD acceptable and then burn CDs - so your 3 hours could turn into 6 or 7 at the end.

Don't sell yourself short (especially if your mate was very happy with what you did earlier).

[audio ergo sum]

very rough rule of thumb:

-expenses: 1:1 (extended driving, accomodation, tapes, CDs...)
-equipment: 1% of the purchase price per day
-your fee: hard to say, don't charge less than your local car dealer charges you per hour
(dealer of the model that your customer drives)
If you have a specific qualification and credits then it should be higher...
traveling time 50% of your hourly rate.
charge for all the time you were actually working on the job, not only on location.

[thenewyear]

audio ergo sum, thanks for that rule of thumb. I find it interesting. Two things on your list I don't currently do:-

-equipment: 1% of the purchase price per day
-traveling time 50% of your hourly rate.

Do you itemise these things on your invoices or just factor it in roughly to your hourly rate?

Occasionally I do remotes in another country or sufficiently far from base that I end up being on site for up to 4 days, obviously my accommodation/travel is covered but what about all those non-work hours? How do other remotesters handle that kind of thing? Often client good-will outstrips other considerations & I try to enjoy myself during time off on these little jaunts but that isn't always possible.

And for the record I charge £30GBP/hour for rigging/de-rig, session time and post. I don't bother too much with expenses (CDs etc) unless they are over £10 say. A simple concert archival usually comes in under £250 but I try to avoid that kind of stuff these days. For that the client gets: 1073DPD, 002R, matched 414s, matched km183s, matched 451s and various custom stuff: rigging hardware, cuelight, talkback, quality on-site monitoring. Oh and me, my (not-quite-golden-but-getting-there) ears, my editing to score abilities and my years of experience as well!

[audio ergo sum]

Originally Posted by thenewyear

audio ergo sum, thanks for that rule of thumb. I find it interesting. Two things on your list I don't currently do:-

-equipment: 1% of the purchase price per day
-traveling time 50% of your hourly rate.

Do you itemise these things on your invoices or just factor it in roughly to your hourly rate?

I use them as a calculation base for making an offer. How I bill it later depends on the customer and the business culture and tax regulations in that segment (institutional, big corporate, small business, personal) Sometimes it is a fixed sum for everything, sometimes it is itemized. Depends on the customer and the job. The 1% for equipment rule of thumb is also taking into account the average rental rates, since often equipment is rented additionally.

Occasionally I do remotes in another country or sufficiently far from base that I end up being on site for up to 4 days, obviously my accommodation/travel is covered but what about all those non-work hours? ...

I don't have that problem because I usually charge for the day, not the hour. Off-duty hours usually are not billable. Depending on your customer you might be able to charge daily allowances, but that's it. If the job is wasting a lot of time away from base while only working a few hours daily there should be some special agreement with the customer. Sometimes you can bring work on your laptop to fill the void. Sometimes I look at it as payed vacation and explore the cultural offerings of the region etc.

[sctt_stone]

Hi- I will be using an Apogee Ensemble into Logic Pro.
Havent decided on the mics yet but will pick up a pair prior to this job.
Either Peluso CMC6 or Shure SM81s.

The Recording I did for my freind is a mono recording done with a Pearlman TM-1 in omni into an API 7600 ito the Ensemble.
I am hoping to spot mic the singer with the Pearlman as well as stereo micing the preformance.
Other than waht I did for my freind I have no other examples.

I have this gear because I do the singer songwriter thing in my home studio.
I gotta say I am thinking at least 200.
I say this because my wife is a singer and when she sings at weddings she charges 200. When she sings at funerals she charges 150.
We are talking about 5 minutes of singing.

So any suggestions between the Pelusos and the Shure SM81s?
Also is the spot mickinga good idea?

Thanks.
Scott

Originally Posted by NorseHorse

$100 is a pretty good even number.

But tell us more...

What are you recording with?
Do you plan on editing the recording? Or going straight-to-tape?
Do you have any other location recording examples?

[joelpatterson]

Don't get the spot mic that close to an opera singer, I'm sure you know that, but yeah, spot the solist and stereo mic the whole ensemble.

Is the "5 minutes" your wife at a funeral or this performance? It's not a whole show, with an intermission?

[staudio]

Have a backup recorder or risk not getting paid and looking like an amateur.

Don't charge less than $100 per hour on location and some reduced rate for the editing/mix/CD burning which you can do at home.

[audio ergo sum]

Originally Posted by staudio

Have a backup recorder or risk not getting paid and looking like an amateur.

Don't charge less than $100 per hour on location and some reduced rate for the editing/mix/CD burning which you can do at home.

I think after reading his posts it is fair to say that he is an amateur if it comes to recording, there is nothing wrong with that.

[sctt_stone]

YEah I have heard this guy sing before and he is insanely loud.
The TM-1 is also sensitive.

The 5 minutes is my wife.

The show will be at least an hour.

Not sure about intermission.

Originally Posted by joelpatterson

Don't get the spot mic that close to an opera singer, I'm sure you know that, but yeah, spot the solist and stereo mic the whole ensemble.

Is the "5 minutes" your wife at a funeral or this performance? It's not a whole show, with an intermission?

[sctt_stone]

Why a backup recorder?

Originally Posted by staudio

Have a backup recorder or risk not getting paid and looking like an amateur.

Don't charge less than $100 per hour on location and some reduced rate for the editing/mix/CD burning which you can do at home.

[staudio]

Originally Posted by audio ergo sum

I think after reading his posts it is fair to say that he is an amateur if it comes to recording, there is nothing wrong with that.

I did not mean that being an amateur is a bad, only that losing a take can be uncomfortable. I apologize if my comment was taken the wrong way.

[audio ergo sum]

Originally Posted by staudio

I did not mean that being an amateur is a bad, only that losing a take can be uncomfortable. I apologize if my comment was taken the wrong way.

No need to apologize. I just think it wouldn't matter if the recording did not materialize in the end. If it would matter, they should have asked a specialist.

[staudio]

Originally Posted by sctt_stone

Why a backup recorder?

When on location, you only have one shot at getting the recording. If your computer crashes then you won't be able to deliver and probably wont get paid. Proper backup is one very important aspect of doing location sound, it is a pain because it requires more gear and a little thought, but it is essential if you want to be safe.

[staudio]

Originally Posted by audio ergo sum

If it would matter, they should have asked a specialist.

Good point.

[superburtm]

i charge around 400.00 but I have a pretty sweet involved porta rig. Its alot of work..and you have to factor gas to get there..packing,loading and unloading

[audio ergo sum]

Originally Posted by superburtm

i charge around 400.00 but I have a pretty sweet involved porta rig. Its alot of work..and you have to factor gas to get there..packing,loading and unloading

400.00 what for what
400.00 pesos for 1 week?

[superburtm]

Originally Posted by audio ergo sum

400.00 what for what
400.00 pesos for 1 week?

if I take a porta rig out of the studio to do location recording a charge 400.00 for a set of live music. I am not interested in the hassle for less than that. btw...I am talking about multitracking

[audio ergo sum]

I see. Pesos then.

[superburtm]

Originally Posted by audio ergo sum

I see. Pesos then.

no.... I LIVE IN USA

[staudio]

Originally Posted by superburtm

no.... I LIVE IN USA

What does this rig include? Track count? Mics? Splitter? Backup? Etc.

[audio ergo sum]

Originally Posted by sctt_stone

...my wife is a singer and when she sings at weddings she charges 200. When she sings at funerals she charges 150.
...

That's poetic. C'est la vie.

[sctt_stone]

Everyone is an amateur when they start out.

Even you were.

It does matter if the take materializes.

If not they would let the University tech guys do it but my gear is better and so they have assumed that I am more capable of doing a good job.

They at least know that I give a shit about weather or not it turns out well.

In my opinion that alone determines the outcome of most situations.

[Plush]

Charge them $350 and do a good job. This is less than a real pro and more than some beginner would have the guts to charge. You will be happy with that fee I believe and it is a fair one.

[audio ergo sum]

Originally Posted by sctt_stone

Everyone is an amateur when they start out.

Even you were.

It does matter if the take materializes.

If not they would let the University tech guys do it but my gear is better and so they have assumed that I am more capable of doing a good job.

They at least know that I give a shit about weather or not it turns out well.

In my opinion that alone determines the outcome of most situations.

Sorry, amateur is not meant in any degrading way. We all are amateurs in many fields except the core of our profession. The roman origin of the word implies someone who does it with love...

[joelpatterson]

If you're blessed with any kind of warm-up or ANY kind of soundcheck, that's a real blessing, but if that's not in the cards, your experience with your gear will clue you in where to set levels, at least in a rough way and then you can lunge for the dials when the music starts.

I like to get to these places way early to set up, so when the audience filters in, all mic stands are in place and if anyone thinks they're 'in the way,' well honey it's just part of the show... cables taped to the floor, no motion, all is calm, all is bright.

Not a horrible idea to swing by the place the day before, if it's convenient, check out the lay of the land and find power outlets, see what the whole feasibility of turning off the ventilation is, just kind of scope it all out.

Be sure that you accost the people hiring you and the talent right after the performance and tell them how good it was. They need to hear it! Lots of times they get so wrapped up in it, they have no clue. Also, send a comp to any of the players you sense any kind of rapport with. This is the sound of your foot in the door... make the most of it.

[NorseHorse]

Wise words from Joel.

...presuming of course that you are interested in doing more location recording! It's not for everyone, but I love it.

[videoteque]

If you're blessed with any kind of warm-up or ANY kind of soundcheck

It's the same here, it's like an effect of globalization???