Pay rate for doing sound for live theatre
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- pushin' record
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Pay rate for doing sound for live theatre
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
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
- JGriffin
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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.
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."
"Lots of people are nostalgic for analog. I suspect they're people who never had to work with it." ? Brian Eno
All the DWLB music is at http://dwlb.bandcamp.com/
"Lots of people are nostalgic for analog. I suspect they're people who never had to work with it." ? Brian Eno
All the DWLB music is at http://dwlb.bandcamp.com/
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.
Cheers,
-B
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.
Cheers,
-B
Everything louder than everything else.
$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!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.
I think $350 per week for the show he described is pretty good (unless your IATSE, which obviously he isn't, otherwise he wouldn't be asking.)
Sound for theatre is fun - I really miss doing it. It's very different from doing concerts or recording. Be prepared to learn a totally different vocabulary, and a different way of working. It's very educational.
"Music is an oversimplification of the situation we are in." - John Cage
It's expensive to live in SF...And the ticket prices reflect it.
I've always tried to make ticket price/hr. really. If it costs 25$ 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.
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.
Everything louder than everything else.
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.
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.
"Music is an oversimplification of the situation we are in." - John Cage
- JGriffin
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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
All the DWLB music is at http://dwlb.bandcamp.com/
"Lots of people are nostalgic for analog. I suspect they're people who never had to work with it." ? Brian Eno
All the DWLB music is at http://dwlb.bandcamp.com/
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- pushin' record
- Posts: 294
- Joined: Tue May 13, 2003 12:03 am
- Location: Hoboken
- Contact:
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!
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!
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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