Rates!!!

[S. Adelson]

Can anyone tell me what hourly rates are typically in the UK/Europe for good Steadicam guys. Also what are Steadicam equipment package rates as well.

 

Thanks

Steve

[Rich Steel]

It really depends on where your based in the UK and what kind of work your doing. I'm based in Scotland and find it very difficult to charge London rates unless its film of course. I charge more for film work than I do 'Live" Broadcast work and charge more for corporate shoots than I do Broadcast.

 

Oh! and I never really charge an hourly rate, I personally find it bad business. I charge per day basis (upto 10 hours) regardless if it's an hour long shoot. After 10 hours it's agreed what rate I'm working on before I even set foot on set. I'm now doing more quality rather than quantity work which suits me fine. But when I first got the rig I would work on anything and everything.

 

Finally, I will and do work on student films etc. for cost as long as I can bring something to the production, challenging steadicam shots, and the script/story floats my boat.

 

Rates for me & the gear range from £600 - £1100 (GBP).

 

Rates for equipment only can range from £125 - £500 (GBP) depending on what rig your looking to fly.

 

The above costings exclude VAT, SHIPPING, TRAVEL, EXPENSES & INSURANCE.

 

Regards

[RobVanGelder]

The rates that Richard mentioned are applicable to mor counties I think.

Although they tend to go down when more operators are available in a country.

In Holland, the "official" rate, quoted by a rental company that has a Pro-system is around ? 1.100 including operating for 8 hours and follow focus+video transmitter.

 

This price has not changed in 4 or 5 years and I also try to hold this as a standard.

But for television I have once lost a job where the director specifically asked for me but as the production company had a deal with one of the major ENG suppliers and they could get a cameraman "that could handle Steadicam" for NO extra cost!

So it´s hard to make a real balanced rate card here.

 

Also, there are more lower level stabilisers around now and most of the time the production doesn´t give a #$#$&% what you are using, as long as it is the cheapest.

:angry:

 

Rob van Gelder, Amsterdam, Holland

[Erwin Landau]

Determining your Rate (By Ted Churchill)

 

More often than not, the operator - after a particularly grueling day - will feel that he or she has not been adequately remunerated for the gross amount of effort spent. Therefore, it behooves the operator to establish a rate schedule which will accurately reflect the work done and with which there can be no disagreement and misunderstanding. For example:

$ 100.00 at the time of your appearance on the set

$ 2.00 per yard forward (walking)

$ 5.00 per yard forward (running)

$ 3.50 per yard backward (walking)

$ 7.00 per yard backward (running)

$ 10.00 actor in the shot

$ 15.00 actor not in the shot

$ 20.00 per flight of stairs (up)

$ 15.00 per flight of stairs (down)

$ 10.00 each additional consecutive flight

$ 25.00 to put the camera in the Low-Mode

$ 15.00 to put it back

$ 35.00 to change sides with the Arm

$ 25.00 to put it back

$ 5.00 per rehearsal minute, 16mm & Arri 2C

$ 10.00 per rehearsal minute, Arri 35BL

$ 15.00 per rehearsal minute, Panaflex on Steadicam

$ 35.00 per rehearsal minute, Panaglide

$ 3.50 per focus change

$ 2.50 per iris change

$ 8.50 both focus & iris at the same time

Remind the producer that the above costs are on a per take basis and not on a per shot basis. Further more the above costs vary according to the length of the lens used. Additional cost for the16 or 18mm is negligible but repeated takes with the 50 or 85mm can become prohibitively expensive.

[Mitch Gross]

Erwin, you better pack smiley faces all over a post like that or some lunkhead producer will surely print it out and use it for a rate sheet. "What, you mean you didn't keep track of how many steps you took? How am I going to write up the invoice?" :)

[Erwin Landau]

...some lunkhead producer will surely print it out and use it for a rate sheet...

 

 

Would that be so bad???? (put that darn smiley face here)

[guillermo nespolo]

i also gonna ask for 100$ per time that the self call director puts his hans on the rig to "show" u what type of framing hi wants....

 

 

:angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry:

[Charles Papert]

Ah, see, there's some great opportunities when this happens (director grabs post to demonstrate framing). This frees up your operating hand, which can then sneak around his back and lift his wallet.

 

 

Seriously, I've had some fun with this preposterous occurrence. When some amped-up little freak once said "let me show you the framing I want" and took the post, I put my hand over his and started moving his fingers around, saying "let me show you how to operate this thing. You see, you want to keep your pinkie down here" etc. He let go VERY quickly and although rattled, continued on with his suggestions of framing brilliance, but never went for the post again.

[ericoh]

I put my hand over his and started moving his fingers around, saying "let me show you how to operate this thing. You see, you want to keep your pinkie down here" etc. He let go VERY quickly and although rattled, continued on with his suggestions of framing brilliance, but never went for the post again.

That's a good one charles. Will have to try that out the next time a director puts his hand on my post! :P (After I've lifted his wallet of course)

[Nikk Hearn-Sutton SOC]

THIS IS CLASSIC!!!!!!!! :lol:

[guillermo nespolo]

i wass thinking of puting some 30volts...put i think its gonna kill my batteris and this works only on the gimbal...////

other can be ..in the sec hi grabs the post..u pull the safety cord and make all the rig go to hell ...and say fuck look what u have done.......!!!!!!!!!!!