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IATSE and AMPTP Ratify "New" Area Standards Agreement


Richard Lightstone, CAS

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Los Angeles, Sept. 5 – The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts (IATSE) and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) announced today the ratification of a new Area Standards Agreement. The agreement covers 8,000 IATSE members working in feature film and television production in most areas of the United States outside of the Los Angeles and New York regions. The IATSE and AMPTP reached a tentative agreement on a new contract on August 24th, and the agreement was subsequently ratified by the IATSE General Executive Board.

The new contract, which will run through July 31, 2015, includes 2 percent annual wage increases and an increase in health plan contributions of $5 per day in each year of the three-year agreement.

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  • 2 weeks later...

So sound mixers will continue to earn less than the lowest paid camera assistants.

Well, as the union says, "You can always ask for more." :-)

If you a making scale, I guess so.

I'm sure there are mixers making more than scale.

That's how it works in my part of the industry.

Re-recording mixers with experience make more than scale.

Scale is a starting point. And a very decent starting point I would like to add.

I don't know what sound mixer scale is. Or what is charged for gear either, so I can't make a comparison.

Addendum.

I see that union scale is $66 an hour, 8 hour minimum.

Anybody complaining about that as a scale rate, needs to have their head examined.

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ASA scale for sound mixer is $31.02/hr (plus the 2%) - the loader rate for 600 in the regional agreements is $31.90. Operator scale is about $45/hr.

Production sound mixers rarely get over scale.

Basic agreement rate is $66/hr (or about $56 on a weekly, which is what most TV mixers get, which also means straight time for 48.6 hrs) - but most shows are on some special side letter. I don't think any mixers actually getting the Basic Agreement rates are complaining too much, but a good equipment rental is getting trickier.

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Plus, add on the rental package, and it's good money no matter how you slice or dice it.

Comparing it to what a camera assistant or anyone else makes, is pointless.

I just read up on what the camera assistant does, and how one becomes a camera assistant.

And from what I read, it requires a specialized skill set, that takes years to learn. And is not as simple as it sounds.

And I can see where there would en a lot less 1st assistant camera people, then there are mixers.

Same reason there are more experienced SFX and dialog editors and sound designers, that there are re-recording mixers.

And why re-recording mixers generally get paid more.

Its not because what they do is less hard,or less important.

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Production sound mixers rarely get over scale.

.

I gurantee you they do.

When I moved to LA I was trying to figure out pay rates etc. And most people acted like there are no gurantees at studios anymore, and would pretend that rates are just ok.

Both we completely false statements.

I have learned since, that a lot of re-recording mixers make anywhere from double to triple scale. And that there are feature mixers that have a $500k a year guarantee.

It all depends on teh level of projects you are on, your credit list and above all, your reputation.

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I'm not talking about 1st ACs. That job is difficult and stressful for sure, and requires knowledge and experience. But they'll always get another take for focus. I'm talking about the loader and 2nd making more than the mixer. I don't care how you slice it, the person recording the words, the performance, has a much greater contribution to the project.

Equipment rental shouldn't count as rate. We make a business investment by buying gear. It's not part of our rate. Camera assistants and operators own gear too. Some own lots. I don't include that in the rate.

And I think you can count on one hand, maybe two, the number of production mixers getting over scale. Post is a whole different story.

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Henchman, I see you have little to no experience in production or you wouldn't be saying what you're saying. Post maybe. You don't know what you're talking about. We (production sound mixers) live in that world so we do know what we're talking about. Sharman is correct, you are not. BTW, I have never heard of a production sound mixer making 500K in a year. Ever. Perhaps mixing and dealing blow on the side but 500K is about twice as much as a busy mixer would make. Including gear.

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Henchman, I see you have little to no experience in production or you wouldn't be saying what you're saying. Post maybe. You don't know what you're talking about. We (production sound mixers) live in that world so we do know what we're talking about. Sharman is correct, you are not. BTW, I have never heard of a production sound mixer making 500K in a year. Ever. Perhaps mixing and dealing blow on the side but 500K is about twice as much as a busy mixer would make. Including gear.

If you re-read my post, you will see that the $500k is in relation to re-recording mixers, as that is what that post was referring to.

" rates on loaders and 2nds, and so far have found they make nowhere near what mixers scale is. "

of course all this is limited to the IATSE world, and non IA can be all over the place... including Tuna Sub's.

Of course.

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If you re-read my post, you will see that the $500k is in relation to re-recording mixers, as that is what that post was referring to.

Of course.

You do a lot of comparing apples to oranges and it's hard to keep track with the way you reply to an apples post with your orange answers.

I would love to see your source where you state that a lot of production mixers are getting over scale these days.

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You do a lot of comparing apples to oranges and it's hard to keep track with the way you reply to an apples post with your orange answers.

I would love to see your source where you state that a lot of production mixers are getting over scale these days.

Really?

I think this was pretty clear:

I have learned since, that a lot of re-recording mixers make anywhere from double to triple scale. And that there are feature mixers that have a $500k a year guarantee

As far as LOCATION mixers getting above scale, how about we let some of the resident mixers who work on big budget movies and shows chime in.

Anybody here worked on big budget pilots like "Revolution", or "Wonder Woman" last year.

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" I would be very surprised to see the sound mixer on the Titanic making the same as the sound mixer on say, "Breaking Bad" "

guess you could be surprised...

just some rambling info to mull...

On Waterworld, which was at tits time the most expensive movie ever, the Mixer was paid scale, as Universal was keeping costs under strict control... Though equipment rentals were generous, BTW, but rates scale, and at least one top mixer turned it down for that reason...

A lot of work at WB is paid weekly scale, even some top shows, so that first unit mixers get a lower rate than day playing 2nd unit mixers...(and also a lot must use WB equipment packages!)...

OTOH, getting a guarantee over minimums, or getting daily when weekly could be paid is getting overscale. in production sound, many boom operators get overscale, by being paid a higher classification rate than the minimum specified by contract.

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I looked for rates on loaders and 2nds, and so far have found they make nowhere near what mixers scale is.

Before this last 2% raise, the Area Standard Agreement rate for department head (including sound mixer) was $31.02/hr.

The Regional Standard Rate for a Local 600 loader/data wrangler/utility (they do NOT work under the ASA) was $31.90/hr.

The Regional 600 rate for an operator was about $45/hr, as stated above. Other camera rates fall between those two.

If you are using the Basic Agreement as your measurement, then you are correct. But there are VERY few projects shooting under the Basic Agreement outside of Los Angeles. Of course when the show returns to Los Angeles for post, I believe the post crew is paid the rates under the Basic Agreement.

Mixers have left "Breaking Bad" and "Walking Dead" and I suspect some others too because of their rate being $30/hr, and production refused to pay over scale.

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If you are using the Basic Agreement as your measurement, then you are correct. But there are VERY few projects shooting under the Basic Agreement outside of Los Angeles. Of course when the show returns to Los Angeles for post, I believe the post crew is paid the rates under the Basic Agreement.

As I am in LA, What happens in other territories is completely irrelevant.

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