Pay rate for doing sound for live theatre

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hiddendriveways
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Pay rate for doing sound for live theatre

Post by hiddendriveways » Thu Jun 28, 2007 8:08 am

Ok-

I've been offered a theatre sound gig. I don't have much experience in this department, but I've got lots of knowledge and I'm sure I can do a good job. It's for a play with a live rock band in a smallish theatre.

It's going to work out to be about 4 hours a night, five shows a week. Roughly around 20 hours a week. They are paying $350 a week. Is that close to the standard rate for a theatre sound person?

Just curious.

Thanks

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JGriffin
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Post by JGriffin » Thu Jun 28, 2007 8:23 am

Sounds like you're making more than the sound designer!

And that's more than twice what I was paid to do that job when I did it at a not-so-small theatre in Chicago...though that was 1994.
"Jeweller, you've failed. Jeweller."

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0-it-hz
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Post by 0-it-hz » Thu Jun 28, 2007 12:22 pm

Hmmm..... Sounds about right.

Get ready to reality check the director about volume levels and getting the dialog/voice loud enough. It's ALWAYS been an issue in my experience.

I work as a sound designer/operator in San Francisco. 15/hr. is about right for operators in small venues. 25/hr. and up for anything big/touring.

If more than half the cast is equity ask for 20/hr. on principal IMHO.

Also, how much load-in/load-out set-up/tear-down do you do? Do you get an assistant?

If I get to walk in every night and play faders I'll do gigs for next to nothing. The moment my hand touches something heavy my rate doubles.

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-B
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matyas
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Post by matyas » Thu Jun 28, 2007 1:25 pm

0-it-hz wrote:Hmmm..... Sounds about right.

I work as a sound designer/operator in San Francisco. 15/hr. is about right for operators in small venues. 25/hr. and up for anything big/touring.

If more than half the cast is equity ask for 20/hr. on principal IMHO.
$20/hour may be the going rate for an equity show in San Francisco, but definitely not in smaller cities. I certainly never made that much doing live theatre! Hell, I never even got paid by the hour!
I think $350 per week for the show he described is pretty good (unless your IATSE, which obviously he isn't, otherwise he wouldn't be asking.)
Sound for theatre is fun - I really miss doing it. It's very different from doing concerts or recording. Be prepared to learn a totally different vocabulary, and a different way of working. It's very educational.
"Music is an oversimplification of the situation we are in." - John Cage

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0-it-hz
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Post by 0-it-hz » Thu Jun 28, 2007 4:17 pm

It's expensive to live in SF...And the ticket prices reflect it.

I've always tried to make ticket price/hr. really. If it costs 25$ to see the show and I'm getting paid 15/hr. I fell cheated.

You see the math in my head goes 25$ x 380 = WTF!?

But I am definitely a jerk. I just happen to show up on time.

:P
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Post by matyas » Thu Jun 28, 2007 6:58 pm

Well, yeah cost of living is obviously a lot higher in SF. I've been there, and I have friends there. But around here at least, smaller companies simply don't have the budget to pay that kind of money. I've always been paid a flat fee for the run of the show, rather than charging an hourly rate, and anyone else I know in the theatre business around here does the same. (Again, IATSE guys are a different story.) There were a few shows where I probably wound up making minimum wage or less, if you were to take into account all the hours I spent working versus what I got paid in the end. Sucks, but I didn't do it for the money (although it did pay the rent and put food on the table - it was my major source of income at one point.)
Back to the original poster, I think he said he was in New Jersey. I'd imagine the cost of living there is probably a little higher than here in Pittsburgh, but nothing like SF.
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JGriffin
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Post by JGriffin » Thu Jun 28, 2007 9:35 pm

If you're talking about small theatre companies--hell, for storefront theatre in Chicago, you're lucky to make $50 for the whole run of the show.
"Jeweller, you've failed. Jeweller."

"Lots of people are nostalgic for analog. I suspect they're people who never had to work with it." ? Brian Eno

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hiddendriveways
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Post by hiddendriveways » Fri Jun 29, 2007 6:15 am

The show is in New York City. It's $45 a seat and it runs for two months.

I got a little clairification last night, it's $400 a week before taxes. I always prepare for the worst when I factor in what taxes are going to do to a number. I'll tell myself, okay, it's $225 a week then. If it works out to be a little more than that, cool.

I accepted the job, but a few more things need to happen before it's confirmed. I already work 40 hours a week, and this will put me up at 60 hours a week, but what the hell. It'll be solid audio experience. I'll get to slowly tweak a live mix for two months and maybe even work in some Ableton Live triggering and stuff like that.

Thanks for your input!

matyas
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Post by matyas » Sat Jun 30, 2007 2:49 pm

Not sure what the going rate for tech crew on a small show in NYC is (I only helped out on one show there, and although it was a big show at a major space, it was for some friends of mine so I did it for free), but that sounds decent to me.
"Music is an oversimplification of the situation we are in." - John Cage

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