Ball park rate in NYC

[David Roth weiss]

The lowest rate you can pay anyone in any major city is $350 a day. That’s no where near the cost of living in New York City however.

David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles

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[Walter Biscardi]

[David Roth Weiss] “The lowest rate you can pay anyone in any major city is $350 a day. That’s no where near the cost of living in New York City however.”

That’s the lowest rate for an Editor. As he’s asking about an Edit Assist, I would think $200 is actually the lowest day rate for that.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.

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[David Roth weiss]

Wally,

Possibly for an intern, but never for a trained assistant in the big city. The cost of living is so high in New York and L.A. that any real assistant editor would rather starve than collect less than $350 a day.

David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles

POST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™

A forum host of Creative COW’s Business & Marketing, and Indie Film & Documentary forums.

[Steven Gonzales]

To get a ballpark figure, you can look at the Editor’s Guild rates for different film budgets. Then you can decide how far under those rates you are willing to go if it’s non-union work.

https://www.editorsguild.com/v2/wages.htm

[Chris Borjis]

[David Roth Weiss] “he lowest rate you can pay anyone in any major city is $350 a day. That’s no where near the cost of living in New York City however.”

uh isn’t that about $ 672,000 a year?

Thats quite doable in New York City, if your talking
350 /day x 5 days a week x 4 weeks a month x all year.

right?

[Walter Biscardi]

[Chris Borjis] “uh isn’t that about $ 672,000 a year?

Thats quite doable in New York City, if your talking
350 /day x 5 days a week x 4 weeks a month x all year.”

You’re not going to earn $350/day for one year. That is a rate for short term work like several weeks or one month max. If you are signing a one year contract, then it will be based on a per year salary which won’t be anywhere close to 672,000 per year.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.

STOP STARING AND START GRADING WITH APPLE COLOR Apple Color Training DVD available now!
Read my Blog!

[David Roth weiss]

[Chris Borjis] “uh isn’t that about $ 672,000 a year?”

Chris,

Better keep your day job, cuz your accouting skills aren’t quite up to speed yet… $350 x 365 = $127,750, and of course that implies that the assistant would be working every single day of the year.

David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles

POST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™

A forum host of Creative COW’s Business & Marketing, and Indie Film & Documentary forums.

[Scott Davis]

Thanks guys, That is about what I was guessing. Now the question is whether I can survive financially in NYC on this.

Scott Davis

[Andrew Kimery]

Just going by my LA experiences 350 a day is a nice bit of change for an AE. PAs typically make a bit over $100/day and interns work for free or nearly free. If you’ll be the lead AE and/or bring a lot of experience w/you then obviously you can command more money.

Scott, one word, roommate. 😉 My first year or so in LA I made $25k before taxes and still had money at the end of each month to put away in a savings account. Find a roomie, be smart w/yer money and you’ll be good-to-go.

-A