Richard Ragon

Not to mention that it's going to get really hot this Summer. Double hot in the Valley. I believe there was some study showing that you need to make more then 60K/yr, or your considered poverty level. Wow. If I were to do it over, I would have picked up an RV and found myself a few Walmarts.

I think our business works like most advertizing. Clients that are not looking to hire you, think your emails are junk mail. But if they just happen to be looking for someone to hire, then all of a sudden your a resource. It's just a matter of timing Kevin. -Richard

I see productions leaving LA and going east.. Then I see people coming here? I say.. What the..

Also known Tom for ages too.. Swell guy! He desearves it! -Richard

Forward us the script?

Nobody is asking to be personally attacked while trying to give advice on a subject. Next time keep your personal opinions to yourself.

Why the fuck is that any of your business?

Why.. exactly are you telling people (or me) to "grow up and deal with it", when they are simply just imparting their knowledge and experience on a topic again?

I've had the experience of production assistants calling me offering jobs.. Not sure why, but I'm assuming that a producer doesn't want to actually bother with the hiring process, or just doesn't value the sound department as much as the DP perhaps.. Once you start saying things like, "Your going to need Comtecs.." Which then results in the PA saying that we're going to have to go back to their producer to ask about this, and ask about the different price in mind. If they are really low budget, and don't value the sound department, you'll never hear back... Oh well. I think of it as a way to weed them out. -Richard

As a side note Michael, Never throw out the first number. I too also run though the questions to get a good idea of the production. Is this within my talents? Is it large or small? Do I have the gear for this, etc.. When it comes down to discussing the first number (as in price per day), I do everyhing I can to not commit to any quote first. I've made this mistake before, thrown out a rate, the client said OK, and then I was left woundering if the client may have gone higher or had a higher number in mind, and I just cut my own rate. Instead, once I get a grasp on the size of the production, I use this saying, "What is your budget for the sound department?" The reason is that ALL clients should always understand that the sound is a department. And that department could have multiple people and equipment needs, and that each areas should be addressed. By being able to ask that question, it also kind of cuts to the chase, and forces the client to dislose the rate they had in mind. Not sure if upsale is the right word here.. I perfer to 'reveal' each section needed for the sound department.. Like telling the client that they might need two boom ops.. -Richard

I am over it Senator.. I sleep very well at night knowing that if I miss on jobs, it's because my rate was too high... OK WITH ME. Also, you made a bunch of assumptions yourself. Did you know that there are actually sound mixers out there (if you call them that), who take those crap jobs, show up on set, record bad sound, and then when it's over, actually leverage the producers for more cash by withholding the files? I call that a bit shady, but I've heard several producers tell me this now! Wow.. the balls? Of course they will never get a job with that producer again, but the shear number of producers they keep fleecing, can go on forever. Would you, I, or anyone on this board do that? Probably not, because we're all here because we care about the biz.. But there are people who don't care out there. And they have different moviations, and what they do effects us, like it or not. For every great sound mixer, I'll show you shitty sound mixers.. and the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

Vasllelos, I'm not judging newbies. I'm judging all new people in the business that think by working for free or way too low, that this will get them ahead in their endevors. 9 times out of 10, this only brings more people to your life that want more free work. These producers are not your ticket for better jobs, you'll work free forever... What changes is 'YOU'. YOU are your own ticket. Once you put your foot down, and say to yourself, "im not going to do this anymore".. Thats when the change happens. YES it is our responsibity to teach the newcomers about business.. here it is.. STOP WORKING FOR CHEAP! .. even if your new.

Got it Johnny.. unfortunately, you are a 'force' of one.. And thats great that you don't take 'unreasonable' jobs. But how does this help the newbies in our business that don't know what to charge? How does this protect the industry from people who don't know any better, and way under bid you because they didn't think about whats involved with the gig? And, what if newbies keep coming and coming.. getting into the sound biz, doing sub par work for the clients, giving the clients sub par attitudes with bad results? And what if those newbies keep taking job after job away from you? What if you lost every gig you bid on for the next year? Would you still be that 'counter force'??

I'm all for creating a 'standard' for low budget gigs.. The trouble is no one wants to talk about it. This is the elephant here. But you can bet that there are thousands of producers thinking about pushing rates down... and there doesn't seam to be any counter force to help push back, in order to balance the universe. -Richard

Whitney, The guys that make that unit are called Instapark. They also make some other great things.. like solar panels.. In which I just bought! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006ZRYU9O/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I just picked up this little item.. mini fold-out Solar panels with that same inverter. Charges two phones at the same time, while outside in the sun light, no power needed!

Yeah, thats one place I don't go in.. but I have too now. -Richard

I swear I looked Mike.. didn't see it posted. edit: I've never really visited 'the daily journal' topic. I thought it relevent in more in 'current'.

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/video/camera-assistant-killed-midnight-rider-train-accident-26618524 -Richard

Did anyone even notice that the movie had no clear protagonist, or antagonist. In fact, several large scale plot shifts, combined with several twist.. yeah, this movie is a masterpiece in every since of the word. So evolved was I, that I didn't even notice any sound issues.

This monkey... Made more money than I did last year!! Ouch!! http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hollywood-salaries-revealed-movie-stars-737321

This is a good idea.. I currently have all (important) gear in an XLM spreadsheet. I keep it updated off-line, and my website reads it to spit out a PDF when requested. So I form a URL to whomever needs it, and different PDFs are created depending on which party is asking for the gear list. -Richard

I know this is the same ol, same ol.. I think it's happening more and more as the 'perceived' democratization of film comes into play. Then you take an economy where kids don't have any jobs anymore, so they hatch a plan to become wealthy in the film biz.. it's like the perfect storm of scam. Actually kind of surprised it doesn't happen more. Seams like theres an aweful fine line between working and paying for that job.

Unfortunately, When you combine idiots that have NO business being in the film biz, and inexperienced kids that think this is easy money.. This happens.. http://www.wafb.com/video?clipId=10600852&autostart=true and.. its going to get worse as more people pile in, thinking this is a 'live my dream' plan. -Richard

Romance that Ear!