Work hours

[LeighWanstead]

Hello everyone,

 

I just browse the following website.

 

http://www.steadicam-ops.com/database/soaL...rdID=New%20York

 

Can anyone tell me why rate is based on 10hr a day. I thought normal working hours is 8 hours a day, five days a week. Do you have to work 10 hour full? What about lunch time and coffe break etc? Will it cover balance the rig time and prepare the rig time? I think that I can't hold 20kg for 10 hours all the time. 8 (

 

Just curious.

 

Thank you for your time to read my message and I look forward to hearing from you.

 

TIA

Leigh

[Michael Stumpf]

Leigh,

 

It's a 10 hour day from the time you are called (minue meal breaks), not how many hours you are "carrying" the rig.

 

If your call time is 7 am you are on the clock at 7 am no matter if you don't do a single shot until 2 pm.

If you show up at 6:30 am and start building your rig, you are doing so on your own free will and are not getting paid for it.

 

Also, the 10 hour day is a "guarantee" meaning:

If your call is at 7 am and you do a few shots, go to lunch and come back and they decide at 2 pm there is no more steadicam needed for the day, so they wrap you...you still get paid for the full 10 hours (which would take you to 5:30 pm including the 1/2 lunch).

 

Why 10 hours? Who knows? Sometimes it's 12 hours and on lower budgeted jobs, even 14 hours.

But really, what that works out to is 8 hours of straight time and 2 hours of 1.5X

Sometimes people misconstrue the rate.

 

For example, if you given a rate of $825 for 10.

 

You are NOT making $82.50 an hour. Double time is NOT $165 per hour.

Your rate would be:

$75 per hour for the first 8 hours = $600

$112.5 per hour for hours 9 and 10 = $225

 

That totals the $825 for 10

 

By U.S. law any employer MUST give an employee a minimum of 1/2 hour meal break after 6 hours of work. (you are OFF the clock then).

Also by law, which never happens for us, an employer must give an employee a 15 minute "break" after 4 hours of work.

 

 

So don't be worried about holding the weight for 10 hours a day.

Rarely, if ever will you actually be WEARING the rig for that long.

I've had days were nearly every shot was Steadicam, but after each take you set it down, and after each scene there is usually a decent amount of time as well.

Sure there will be days were you get beat to all hell, but there will also be days were you show up and don't even work at all. You still get paid!

 

Hope that helps.

[LeighWanstead]

Dear Michael,

 

Thank you very much.

 

Regards

Leigh