Alistair Duff

+1 on the Bose Soundlink Mini, I use it on the cart, in the car, at home, or with a Comtek strapped to it to put anywhere needed. it is a little bassy but perfect for casual listening. Also +1 on the KRK Rokit 5. I have two sets that I picked up refurbished. They are a lot of bang for the buck and pretty flat considering the price. I use a set with a small sub in the living room for movie watching and it is usually too much! They are tough enough that I have used them for light duty music playback jobs and they were great! My $0.02

This issue has a good write up about the Sharknado strike.

So this is what I eventually came up with to mount my BlackMagic SmartView monitor to my upright Magliner cart. The mount uses two swiveling brackets that came off of a pair of boom holder cups from Backstage carts. (The brackets might be able to be ordered separately.) I drilled through the shell and installed machine screws from inside the case. There is lots of room inside for mounting ideas. I removed the bezel and decided I liked it off better. This is really lightweight and small and can be mounted at any height.

Hello John,

That is a really nice cart. Great work! I am inspired to modify mine in a similar fashion.

Alistair

The crew of Sharknado 3 is currently in the process of organizing the production with the support of Local 695 and other IA representatives. Please show your support by joining us tomorrow morning either at Blue Cloud movie ranch 20000 Blue Cloud Road, Santa Clarita, CA 91390 or at the production company offices at 72 E. Palm Avenue Burbank California 91502 

Alistair

Maybe not insane but your country and UPS/BH Photo are ripping you off.

What's not to like are the extra charges when shipping to a different country. I checked at B&H and the headphones are $84.95, shipping is $75.60 and tax and duty is $70.82 for a grand total of $231.37.

Can you say ouch

 

Mike

Thats insane, I had no idea that would be so expensive. Makes me feel fortunate to live where I can get these things locally.

They ship to everywhere except Iran, Syria and a few other countries they don't like. They like Cyprus! Whats not to like! I'm sure that shipping charges are part of the package when buying pro gear in Cyprus.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/49510-REG/Sony_MDR_7506_MDR_7506_Headphone.html

What are some clever and small footprint mounting solutions for the Blackmagic dual monitors? I know that Malcolm Davies has a cool one that his company makes, wondering what else people have found for it.

C'mon guys chill out! Most of us come here to read and discuss matters of interest to sound professionals. When one person attacks another over a difference of opinion the conversation grinds to a halt and all that is left is insults. I believe everyone on this forum owes it to the rest of the people here to keep the conversation civil and professional. It shouldn't be someones personal plaything that is used to debase the opinions of others, and offer useless criticisms. It's unfair to all of us and disrespectful to our host and is a real drag to see happening on this forum.

-Alistair

If you can get it then no reason not to.

...as noted in another current thread about bridges.

Webcast with Matt Price

With due respect your former employer sounds like an asshat. You have made a good move to get out from under that kind of derision. Im sure you will look back on this and smile knowing what a good move it was for you.

I think you have gotten all you can from them and they from you. Be polite and thank them for the good times and move on.

Maybe JWS could have a mentor type forum for up and coming mixers to discuss the current state of the work environment and other issues and ask advise without being judged by the same measure as you would judge someone with many years of experience. Experienced mixers could provide info and advise to help keep people on track and help keep the production sound business healthy as people come into it. For example Michael Miramontes OP is a great "how to bid a job 101" and the other topic of really cut to the chase of what people should be charging with hard numbers. Ideas?

Michael Miramontes makes some great points. I think that is really what the issue at hand is. That as a new guy you come up and if you keep a good attitude and make connections you are going to get better gigs and better rates. I am however at a point with cheap gigs where I have to tell them no and move on because I wont risk becoming a cheap sound guy and I can no longer live under the cover of rookie. Turning down work because it is underpaid is hard when you are trying to survive but has to be done to maintain your personal and professional integrity. Im sure I am not alone in this middle ground between consistently making a professional rate and just starting out. I think this phase is more of a challenge than starting out was. 

As a VERY famous man once said  " They have unrealistic expectations"  There is nothing you can do about that...

If everyone   ( all the sound persons) just  "got it"...  stuck to some sort of "guns" We would all live in a life filled with bliss...  well, almost... But... those dogs keep eating the other dogs... within our own pack...  It will never be perfect, but I do think collectively we could all make the situation better... 

A bee hive would never survive in our current working model.. It would die... and so may ours...

 

Put the bag with four wireless, transmitters and all the crap around their neck, then ask them to boom something theatrical... standing on a six step... while maintaining the radio mounts and batteries.. Absolute bulls**t.. 

 

 Why do they keep asking... because people do it.. pretty simple really..

Very unfortunately, I fear that their expectations are realistic; if insane sounding to self respecting professionals.

They are in this state because people have deviated from the "mean line of equip. rates"  That's why you start at a mean line using the usual suspects, combined with those in the field to establish a "norm".   Meaning, If an L.A rental house charges $70 for a 411, trans and rec.,   It seems fair that we should too... if everyone thought that way, then the mean line would hold true... UNLESS people directly undercut those rates... which is what happens.... 

 

  If you say to a producer, my rate for gear is based on our industry norms, go see at LSC or at TREW or any of the other fine rental houses... ask what the daily price is... Then, they see the "norm and will get the big picture.

 

  What has happened is, the producers have used this all over the place, $250 situation to create a NEW norm, one created by those setting those arbitrary rates.. rates based on "wanting to work more days because you "Like It"  and enjoying leaving your home 20 times a month instead of leaving it 10 times, making the same money and helping your brothers and sisters in the field survive financially. 

 

  I don't know about you,  but I have a family, homes, vehicles, work vehicles, bills..etc...  I would rather make a living and spend some time with my family .... and keep our rates fair for all... 

 

  If the rental houses charge a price for a piece of gear, and we charge a similar and fair price, then that is a fair price....  Prices less than those are in fact undercutting... singly or combined..

I couldn't agree more. However the vast majority of jobs that I have been referred to or found advertised have all echoed that they expect to pay no more. And when I have countered the offer they without fail have said "no thanks we will keep looking". And in the end I know they found their guy. The fact that boom ops are out of the question is as great a concern. I am not interested in booming for 12 hours with a thirty pound sack around my neck attempting to monitor four wires while recording. It looks as ridicules as it feels.

Having put this rate thing out there I will say that for a mixer such as myself who doesn't yet have a large well established client base, many producers you are hearing from these days think that $300 all in is the going rate in LA. I have turned down two just today and a television feature last week that was offering $250/day on a 6/12 schedule. When I asked what the budget for equipment and a boom op was just out of curiosity, they told me that they expect that price to include a mixer/recorder, boom, 2 lavs and Comteks and that they had not used a boom op in years. And these people produce a dozen shows a year that end up all over cable. Things are in a sad state in this town I fear.

I agree on the rate card approach..It spells out everything in detail and makes the costs seem non negotiable. Jose Frias shared his rate card in this forum a few days ago and I think it is a good representation of what fair rental rates are. I dont offer the price until I get info about the job during which time I am usually told how simple it will be etc..then I say that "the basic kit will be fine then and will cost $250/day" but add that I have anything else that they may need available for rent as needed. I think it is a fair and open approach.

I think that a basic kit that a person brings with them is reasonable at $250. I am of course trying to keep rates respectable and competitive and not undercut the others. I think this is on par with what other people are charging in LA currently. I think more transparency is a good thing and puts the info out there so the others know what to charge and that undercutting is not going to do them or the industry well in the long run. If I think I can charge more I will. 

Thanks for the info, these would also fit most 3.5 jacks.

I am currently charging a base labor of $500/10 with a basic kit of $250/day in LA. Lots of the productions that contact me seem to think that is an outrageous sum, but I explain to them that it is an average. Fortunately the good jobs offer more right off the bat and end up being the ones that I enjoy the most as well. I think this should be a standard base rate. Thoughts?