Expendables

[Wandering Ear]

I'm curious how other mixers charge for expendables on feature films. Normally I supply what's needed and charge production a negotiated daily fee. I use all rechargables, and since they last for a lot longer than 1 show, it seems silly to buy new sets every feature, especially since I will use them on other jobs in between. However rechargables do wear out and I find myself replacing my batteries every other year or so.

Not just batteries, neopax last for a while, but need to be replaced, and of course tapes etc get used up. I've talked to several mixers, all with different answers, so...

How do you deal with expendables?

Do you charge a daily fee?

Do you give production a list and have them buy them?

Do you invoice for what you use after the fact?

[enginufuk]

All great questions and have similar debates especially regarding the "all rechargeable" matter.

 

Most of the time I find myself charging a fixed expendables fee for batteries and tapes. 

[RPSharman]

I charge a fixed daily charge whenever possible. It's usually a number they are happy with, as it's lower than a "disposable" amount, but a number where I can make some extra income an still replenish my rechargeable stock as required.

That number has ranged from $25/day on small projects with no DVD-RAMs to $90/day on a bigger budget job with DVD-RAMs being delivered twice daily, and a regular use of wireless mics, which sometimes get lithiums.

On "studio" TV jobs, they insist on buying expendables, so I make a list which includes new NeoPax, Comtek headphones, heel tips, rechargeable batteries, chargers, lithium AA, and anything else I can think of. These lists are routinely approved, and some stuff is returned as "assets" at the end of the run. Some stuff is not.

Robert

[Wandering Ear]

Thanks Robert, one of the things that got me to post this thread besides thinking about it alot was you posting in the ipower fixing thread about having production buy chargers with expendables. Didn't occur to me to order chargers since I already own them.

One more thing, because I already own a bunch, I usually supply files on my media, but on the last feature I did DIT wanted to get a sound dump every time one of the two cameras reloaded, so I had production get me extra cf cards so I always had enough. They added them to the camera package, and the camera house gave them for free because they don't use the 16gig cf cards anymore.

[Jason A]

Yup. Daily fee for me as well. I usually end up charging between $20-$50 a day depending on size of cast, etc. This is for both scripted and non. For simple sit down interview type stuff I don't charge usually. As long as it's a fare rate to start with.

[studiomprd]

uep, sounds like it depends...

[stacysound]

I use rechargeables when I can and charge as if they were alkaline or lithiums. I don't try to hide it from the bean counters and they are usually happy I'm saving the battery trees.

[ProSound]

I charge a fixed daily charge whenever possible. It's usually a number they are happy with, as it's lower than a "disposable" amount, but a number where I can make some extra income an still replenish my rechargeable stock as required.

 

This is what I do I usually charge half of what regular batteries would cost a day. I still use lithium AA occasionally so I figure that in to my price or sometimes say this is my price for everything else and I need X number of dollars one time to buy lithium AA. Usually most people agree to this as it is still cost effective 

[Doc Justice]

Mostly, I'll have production order them.  Keep in mind this list changes for every show, as there are many productions that don't use a lot on this list.  The full list is done for the big house reality builds.  Here's my list, in case this may help others here:

 

 

# Belden XLR Mic Level Cable

# XLR female ends

# XLR male ends

# Cat-6 cable

# RJ-45 connectors

# Cat-3 Telephone cable

# RJ-11 connectors

# Rolls 2" Black Gaff Tape

# Rolls 2" White Gaff Tape

# Rolls 2" Black Paper Tape

# Rolls 2" White Paper Tape

# Rolls 1" Black Gaff Tape

# Rolls 1" White Gaff Tape

# Rolls 1" Yellow Gaff Tape

# Dr. Scholl's Mole Skin (must be Dr. Scholl's brand, not generic)

# Packs Top Stick

# Nexcare Medical Tape

# DVD-R w/Cases

# Hard Drives

# CF Cards for 788

# Box twin tip Sharpies

# Roll Velcro

# Roll Dual-Lock

# Body Straps

# White Boards w/ dry erase markers for tech room and control

 

Batteries

# AA Lithium/Alkaline/Rechargeable

# 9V Lithium/Alkaline/Rechargeable

# Energerizer chargers

# Size-10 Hearing Aid Batteries

[ChrisH]

Have production buy what you need for the show, I don't use rechargeables. But loads of stuff I treat as expendable.

 RM-11

Vampire Clips

UnderCovers and over covers

moleskin

tape(black paper, multiples colors of gaffer tape, transpore)

Batteries Lithium mostly

Alcohol wipes

Paper towels

plastic bags

Media

Ptouch lables

Hush lavs

Hush heels

foot foam

neopaks

wet wipes

pens/colored highlighters

deoxit

medical adhesive remover

canned air

 

Probably some other things

[Whit Norris]

Hey Kelsey,

 

Generally I can not sell expendables to a production. Most major studios and networks will not buy expendables from a crew member or his LLC. They feel that you are taking left over expendables from your last production and selling it to them. They feel that it is a conflict of interest. I generally have production buy what I need. If they are willing to purchase from you then that is great! 

 

My list is very heavy since they are paying for it, but we do use all of these expendables. This may not be everything but very close. There are certain things such as COS-11 windscreens and Remote Audio earbuds that are lost and broken on a regular basis that I now consider expendables. Maybe I should add bullhorns also. I did one film that the director broke a bullhorn once a week! When certain equipment is out of our control and production or crew does not take care of it, it almost becomes an expendable.

 

I do now use rechargeables on some equipment so my battery count is not as high, but there is no real way that I have found to bill this back. So now I am adding to my rechargeables by having production add a few on every picture to help supplement my batteries which are being used every day. It saves them save money and helps keep the cost down, be green and so on.

 

Cheers,

 

Whit

 

 

 SOUND EXPENDABLES

 

 

BATTERIES

 

AAA BATTERIES PRO

AA BATTERIES PRO

AA LITHIUM BATTERIES

9 VOLT BATTERIES PRO

9 VOLT LITHIUM BATTERIES

SOMETIMES C AND D CELLS PRO

EAR WIG BATTERIES

SOMETIMES WATCH/BUTTON BATTERIES

 

OFFICE/SOUND SUPPLIES

 

REPLACEMENT INK FOR PRINTER

PENS

SHARPIES

LABELS

HIGHLIGHTERS

PACK OF PRINTER/COPIER PAPER

FOLDERS

STAPLES

WHITEOUT PENS

SCISSORS

SCOTCH TAPE

SHIPPING TAPE

MANILA ENVELOPES

PAPER TOWELS

409 CLEANER

WET ONES

BAG OF RAGS/SHOP TOWELS

ZIP LOCK BAGS

VELCRO

NOW I HAVE ADDED A THUMB DRIVE OR TWO

HUSH LAVS

SANKEN COS 11 WINDSCREENS (THEY ARE ALWAYS LOST)

SANKEN COS 11 RM 11 MOUNTS

RYCOTE STICKIES AND OVER COVERS

FOOT FOAM

HEADPHONE SOFTIES

MOLESKIN VARIOUS TYPES

CONTACT CLEANER

GOO GONE

WD 40

JOE’S STICKY STUFF

PAPER TAPE 2 INCH

HEADPHONES FOR COMTEKS

VARIOUS GAFFERS TAPE 1 INCH AND 2 INCH

BAG ITS

REMOTE AUDIO EAR BUDS (6 PACK)

VARIOUS TAPES FOR ATTACHING LAVS

A PAIR OR TWO OF YOUR CHOOSE OF COMTEK HEADPHONES

 

 

[studiomprd]

" can not sell expendables to a production. "

I am not in the expendables business...

for me they are consumables!

except maybe:

" adding to my rechargeables by having production add a few on every "

[Wandering Ear]

I love seeing everyones lists.

Just to add to the diversity, I did a film this summer where the producers were happier to just pay me a daily fee instead of making out of state orders, because my company counted as in state spending so they got an incentive rebate on that money.

Thanks all.

[Christopher Mills]

I furnish a list, and have production buy them.

I wonder if some productions might consider the lav mics for specific leads to be a show purchase that would be a company asset at end of shoot.  This is because some talent do not want to wear a mic someone else wears.

[George Flores]

It's best to establish an open account with a sound vendor.  During production, your rechargeable batts may go bad, an actor may damage or destroy a lav mic that needs repair or replacement.  Same thing with any piece of audio you or your crew owns.  Large or small productions, with a vendor in place, these things can be attended to without much hassle or whining.  "Why do you need so many 9 volt batteries?"

audio gear

[RPSharman]

If they are buying, I put anything on list I can think of. My daily fee is very reasonable, and I want to be sure my list costs just a little more than what I would charge.

I haven't tried lav mics. But if an actor requested a "personal" mic or any specific equipment to be used just for them, I'd have production buy it.

I've never had a list go unapproved. Probably because I have them buy rechargeables and they are used to buying disposables.

Robert

[studiomprd]

" some talent do not want to wear a mic someone else wears. "

that is not as common as mic's being colored to match wardrobe, or being sewn into costumes...