CrouchingTigerHiddenLav Posted August 4, 2015 Report Share Posted August 4, 2015 (edited) Back to School Audio Rental Specials for All! A sound mixer never stops learning, so for any audio rental package booked for August*, we are extending our standard 25% student discount for everyone! Not sure what you need? Give us a call, email rentals@gothamsound.com, or check out some of our ideas below! Remember, Fri to Mon rentals count as one day and we offer lower rates on longer rentals! *Applies to any audio rental with pick-up and return dates from August 3rd, 2015 to August 31st, 2015 (inclusive), Does not apply to walkie and communication rentals. Cannot be combined with other discounts. Production company I'm working with saw this promo on Gotham's website. Thanks a lot for promoting these rates... production compared my prices after seeing the promo and now I might lose the gig and am in a very awkward position. I told them I only use my own gear, and that I wouldn't use someone elses shitty equipment, and my rates for MY gear remain the same, but I'm still waiting for the call back... Please don't advertise these rates and make them available to everyone, it hurts us all. How am I supposed to buy from you when you directly undercut me... Thanks a lot for driving the rental rates into the ground this month, Edited August 4, 2015 by CrouchingTigerHiddenLav Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPSharman Posted August 4, 2015 Report Share Posted August 4, 2015 25% off what? I found our rates as owner operators to be far lower than rental house rates, considering the amount of extra gear we bring to cover the unknown. Have them research the book rate on your entire package. I bet your rate is still better than 75% of Gotham's book rate on all the same gear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Wexler Posted August 4, 2015 Report Share Posted August 4, 2015 I can't speak for daily rental rates since almost everything I do is in the feature world where the deal is always a weekly package deal. Several times I have gone through the exercise of itemizing all of my gear that the production gets in my basic package for a charge of $3000. per week (example). The same list submitted to ANY rental house will always come in at a minimum of $5000. per week. Many of the items, of course, are not even available from the rental house at any price, things which are vital to my work as the production sound mixer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobbiesodd Posted August 4, 2015 Report Share Posted August 4, 2015 I was out bid by Adorama (of all places) for 2 reality kits on a 2 month rental. Their price was unbelievably low - I am assuming so they could get the show's camera rental out of it as well. I had to turn down the job because I refused to match their ridiculous price. I lost a ton of money from that experience. Cheers, Evan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonG Posted August 5, 2015 Report Share Posted August 5, 2015 Hence why companies like VER and RGear go after cut-throat reality companies: Get the camera rental, throw in a beat up sound package, your producer won't know the difference, and if anything goes wrong, it's the sound mixers fault. Everyone wins! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drpro Posted August 5, 2015 Report Share Posted August 5, 2015 I was caught in one last summer. On extended shoots I will go 4 for 7 on the weekly and 3 for 4 monthly. The production company had been checking around and said I was too high, so I dropped to 3 for 7 on the weekly and I was still under cut by the local dealer here in Nashville. I believe it was either 2 for 7 or 1.5 for 7. I told the producer no thanks and there went 11 weeks. Thankfully some other jobs came along and I worked fewer days for about 75% of what I would have made. Not great but not the end of the world. There will always be dealers and rental houses that will under cut the average soundie. They have deeper pockets and because they can also sell you the merchandise they win either way. In such cases my only suggestion is take your business elsewhere. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abe Dolinger Posted August 5, 2015 Report Share Posted August 5, 2015 My philosophy is, if the company won't pay your rate, you're better off not starting a relationship with them. A day and a half for seven is awful. You did well to turn that down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stacysound Posted August 5, 2015 Report Share Posted August 5, 2015 (edited) If enough people will just say I'm not gonna work without my gear, it will take care of itself. I know some of the newer guys have a hard time with that philosophy, but as you get older, you see how important it is. If they don't care enough to hire qualified sound mixers, then you don't want to be associated with them. Edited August 5, 2015 by stacysound Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mirror Posted August 6, 2015 Report Share Posted August 6, 2015 Also, refuse to buy gear from houses that undercut you. With the interwebs it's pretty painless to buy gear elsewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CraigF Posted August 6, 2015 Report Share Posted August 6, 2015 Production company I'm working with saw this promo on Gotham's website. Thanks a lot for promoting these rates... production compared my prices after seeing the promo and now I might lose the gig and am in a very awkward position. I told them I only use my own gear, and that I wouldn't use someone elses shitty equipment, and my rates for MY gear remain the same, but I'm still waiting for the call back... Please don't advertise these rates and make them available to everyone, it hurts us all. How am I supposed to buy from you when you directly undercut me... Thanks a lot for driving the rental rates into the ground this month, a: send this to the posted email address and the sales managerb: working w/o ones own gear increase the labor rate and you get the producer's autograph on a letter that you are not responsible for any problems with the gear supplied Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
traut Posted August 13, 2015 Report Share Posted August 13, 2015 Just say No. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan H. Chang Posted August 13, 2015 Report Share Posted August 13, 2015 Got a call from producer down in LA several days ago. We need 4 wireless, 4 comteks, 2 hops, 2 booms, 2 lockits, smart slate, all for $250 gear rental. "My LA sound mixer provides all this for $250, what's the problem?" We're not talking shop or rental house cutting here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted August 13, 2015 Report Share Posted August 13, 2015 If the gear rate is going to be one of those fractional days-for-a-week then I can't be in this business any more. I don't see how an individual soundie can sustain and upgrade a package at those rates, while living in a major city. If we want to hang onto the rental part of the business then you have to refuse to work without your own gear on the job, don't sell your labor separate from the gear. In my early days I did this and was constantly being sand-bagged by crappy rental or prod. co gear, I realized it affected my rep even though it wasn't my fault. Then some more experienced sound people took me aside and told me that the only way I'd make it, would stay in the biz not to mention get any referrals from them was to start working my own gear exclusively. I've had to contend with producers and camerapeople unhappy with this, as well as my own union local, but the perseverence has been worth it. p Got a call from producer down in LA several days ago. We need 4 wireless, 4 comteks, 2 hops, 2 booms, 2 lockits, smart slate, all for $250 gear rental. "My LA sound mixer provides all this for $250, what's the problem?" We're not talking shop or rental house cutting here. You know what to tell him…bring that dude up here then, pal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan H. Chang Posted August 13, 2015 Report Share Posted August 13, 2015 Phil, yup, I told him to simply bring his dude from LA then. He paused, and went with the number I gave him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted August 13, 2015 Report Share Posted August 13, 2015 Good man!!! p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan H. Chang Posted August 13, 2015 Report Share Posted August 13, 2015 The last time I encountered this was about 3 years ago, and just left them with a NO. Even comparing to SoCal living expenses, there's no way those packages are getting bid for $250/day. Racing to the bottom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Wexler Posted August 13, 2015 Report Share Posted August 13, 2015 +1 Alan, stay strong! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Wielage Posted August 14, 2015 Report Share Posted August 14, 2015 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McL Posted August 15, 2015 Report Share Posted August 15, 2015 An AD I know brought the subject of 10 on / 14 off and why we can't/don't do THAT more. One fiscal reason for compressing the schedule is rentals. Just sayin'. Another compression factor is actor availability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RottenCarcass Posted August 16, 2015 Report Share Posted August 16, 2015 Producer: "and we have this equipment we just rented, use this, and drop your gear rental rates" Me: "sorry I only work with my own gear" Producer: "But, but, but--" Me: "Do you want me to use gear that I'm familiar with, or some models I've never used? What do you think will be more productive and safer and get better results? Even if it's exactly the same gear, I would still use mine, as I know it intimately, I know if it's working and its quirks, and I know it's in working order - do you prefer that, or do you prefer that I take a chance on equipment that may or may not work? I come in a package. Let me ask you, if you're hiring an assassin, doesn't it make sense to let him/her choose their own weapons for the job? Sound work is like that: sometimes all you have is one chance and a very high value target". Producer: "OK, ok". Me: "Good." Look him in the eye - "and I get paid cash, half up front, half after the job" OK, I'm kidding with that last one, but only a little Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johngooch Posted August 17, 2015 Report Share Posted August 17, 2015 Another factor for this argument is the amount of backup gear we have on hand in case of failure. If you count what we bring just in case, the rates we charge are extraordinarily reasonable. Gear always fails. Just a matter of when- not if. Good producers know this--- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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