Seth Bloombaum
Forum Replies Created
-
IMHO you establish a shop rate for editing, and that’s the rate whether you’re editing or a freelancer. In other words, the rate is market-based, not cost-based.
If the client is directing only provide estimates and charge actual hours. Make that clear in your agreements. In this situation the client is really responsible for hours worked.
If you are directing the edit, provide early estimates then quote only from scripts or not at all. (graphics are different and frequently require quotes, but you need specs to quote).
There really is no possibility of a quotation without sufficient specifications.
-
Greg wrote:
…Let’s say I send a freelance director out to do a shoot. What’s to stop him from chatting with the client and stealing that client from me?…****************
Well, having a written agreement with someone who is such a substantial contributor to the success of your project is probably a good idea, and could include a non-compete of some sort.
However, there is no substitute for you. I’ve had some hard lessons on that (lost a key client) when we hired a great freelance producer/director then sent him out of state with the client. At the end of the day the product wasn’t what the client needed, and we weren’t around to watch and apply some course corrections in the process. I’ll never do that again – If I’m ultimately responsible for the client’s satisfaction I will be there at every shoot.
Back to the topic, if you’re not there, the client may perceive that the director is creating the solution and you’re just a source of markups. If you were the client, wouldn’t you want to jump to another credible supplier?
-
If you are just a manager for hire, a good hourly rate for all hours worked is fair. If the artist offers you a percentage of gross or net, that’s icing on the cake. If you are supplying subcontracted services, I’d get 50% up front and 50% night of show, and don’t release tapes or recordings until you’re paid in full.
However, if you are covering the major and minor expenses, putting your money at risk, and responsible for the financial success of the show see below.
Note that in either case there is a substantial copyright issue, and many musicians to cover. If you are responsible for those agreements (and you did say you were hiring musicians) you will need an entertainment lawyer’s services early and often.
All expenses paid first at 5 to 15% markup. (just enough markup to cover your real cost of doing business). These might include all marketing, hall costs, ushers, security, your employees’ time, everything except your time.
Split of net revenue at 15-25% to producer.
DVD/Recording sales could follow the same percentage, or zero to the producer, or a completely separate agreement. If you are indeed managing all aspects of the recording but not any post-production it might be fair to pay recording expenses out of concert income (that is, pay those expenses like other concert expenses, before revenue split), then perhaps a 5% stake in the gross revenue less cost of goods sold (replication costs) on recording sales.
If you’re doing the post, the marketing, the distribution on the recordings then maybe 50% after expenses? Depending on the scale of the production and how much you’re putting in to it, maybe more.
In my humble opinion if you are taking this on, the money needs to come to you first for the expenses and the splits. If it doesn’t, walk away.
All artist agreements in iron-clad writing. All major expenses (hall) by written estimate. All expenses by invoice and check only – no cash!
A caution to you – lessons in the world of promoting can be very expensive. Lots of ways to lose money in this. Don’t forget to fill the seats, this is really the number one job.
-
This is only a hint which may or may not work… but I had some png saturation issues once which turned out to be luminance/setup related.
My graphics editing program turned out to have a gamma setting in its png export, when I set it to ??? (don’t remember… was it mid-scale, .5 or something?) everything was fixed. Apparently Vegas pays more attention than most programs to some gamma info in the file header or something? I don’t know.
HTH.
-
Peter, I think you’re right on the real question with digital recording – how do you get it out of the box and into the PC for post? If you’re trying to make money at this, workflow is everything.
The Alesis HD24 has a great optional interface that allows direct connection of their drive to PC or Mac, with awesome speed (you really need the speed with a 24 track 24/48 recording!) However, it’s a little bigger than most field recorders… 🙂
Marantz has the 660 and 670 flash recorders that offer near HD transfer speeds (flash memory is somewhat slower than an HD). However, you either need to buy lots of flash memory or dump off the recordings regularly. Same with the tiny M-Audio Microtrack 24/96 (user reports of some difficulties with long takes, it’s a pretty new product).
If you can afford the $1200-1400 USD, the HHB MDP-500 minidisc has USB and S/PDIF interfaces, but transfers in real time. Superb preamps and lots more, less expensive in Oz? HHB is a UK company.
There are a couple of new Sony MDs out, the MZ-M10 and MZ-M100 that do Hi-MD for uncompressed WAV as well as ATRAC compression and also have high speed (how high?) transfer back to PC.
-
I’ve done plenty of 1 hour takes with Alesis HD24 and HHB MDP-500 that sync perfectly from beginning to end.
Your mileage may vary, do test, but don’t assume that it will or won’t work until you test.
As Jim noted above, a mic on the camera is always helpful in establishing and checking sync.
-
Is it possible you’ve set your project up for 5.1 surround and your voice is going to a center channel? Set it up for stereo.
Is it possibly a mono-stereo compatibility issue? This usually occurs on playback when you have stereo music and mono voice playing back on a mono device where the channels are summed, if a wire is crossed or the two channels are out of phase with each other mono content will be inaudible or quite low, and stereo content will be less affected.
Clear as mud?
Also, if phase is reversed on one channel stereo playback can sound quite wierd as well.
How does it happen? Usually this is a hardware, not software issue, where the + and – wires on one channel are reversed. You’d check by taking an ohmmeter to each wire in use and seeing if each pin is wired to the correct pin on the other end.
It can also happen in software (uncommon) if any “phase” switches have been inadvertantly enabled. (right click on clip, switches, phase). Also, strange phasing problems may occur when the same content is on duplicate tracks and there is any time offset between them.
But this doesn’t exactly sound like what you’re experiencing… but it sure doesn’t have anything to do with compression, and I’m a little confused by your mention of WMV. If you’re preparing for DVD you would either output a DV-AVI for compression by DVDA, or an MPEG2 and separate audio track.
-
I like DRW’s model (paid every Friday). Who wouldn’t?
When I’m out as a production services provider I’m most often working for agencies that don’t get paid till the end. I don’t get paid until they get paid. But these are key client relationships all the way around, and no worries about actually getting paid in 20 – 45 days. Mostly corporate work.
I understand things are a little different in features and entertainment, and crews may evaporate if they’re not treated right (somehow there seem to be a lot more scummy practices in these markets).
When I’m producing it will be on the 1/3 – 1/3 – 1/3 plan if I’m developing the creative, or 50-50 plan if creative isn’t under my management.
1/3 or 50% on start of project, typically net 10.
1/3 on approval of script or other creative.
Last 1/3 or 50% on approval of final product.When I’m producing there will be a written agreement that includes payment terms – no signature from the prospect means no work. Miss the first payment – work stops. There will also be specs, a clear statement about elements the client is providing, and a very brief version of the schedule.
Sometimes there won’t be clarity about whether I’m providing services or producing. If I have any doubts about this, best to bring out the written agreement (and the higher dayrate!)
-
I’m going to have to sit in front of Vegas and work out the options that donatello outlines above – for some reason they’re very slippery and hard to hold in my head! I do recall that adamwilt.com has some discussion of this subject as well. There it is.
mikelinton – presumably you are using the decklink to output to betaSP for broadcast? If so, you really need to hit the spec, one way to get this done will be to strap a real waveform monitor across the decklink outputs. With that piece in place you’ll solve this puzzle in about 5 minutes and be able to stand up to a broadcast engineer with confidence.
-
Agreeing with Matte and Ty 100%…
I think the real question is whether this would be satisfying for you. You (probably) CAN become a post sound mixer and more of an audio engineer, but it will take time and devotion to develop your chops.
If it’s worth it to you, go for it. If it’s just a matter of “ought I do this” my advice would be to save your time for something that matters to you.
A single class is just the start of your investment. Do you have a potential mentor in this where you work? Other resources?
(the reason I said “probably” is that some find they never can develop their ears enough to mix for others)