Documentary Rates - Canada

[David A-Ribeiro]

Hello all, I am based in Berlin, Germany, and have been offered a few days in a documentary shoot of a feature documentary. Canadian producer offers 500,-Eur (545 $ US at today´s rate), with equipment, which is an uncomfortably low rate over here. My question for those based in Canada, or having worked as sound recordists/PSM in documentary (theatrical) features funded in Quebec: what´s the range of rates? This is, according to the producer, a project funded by a Quebec film council/commission, which makes me believe there are some guidelines regarding rates. Thanks in advance.

[Jim Rillie]

I am a Canadian Production Sound Mixer. The last feature documentary I did was in 2017/2018.

( I mostly do narrative Tv series)

The rate which was a fair Canadian rate those days was about $450 euros per day including equipment. What you are being offered seems a bit low by today’s standards, considering the cost of living, maintaining and updating equipment , etc. now versus then., but within reason for a lower budget production.

[Johnny Karlsson]

That sounds like about the right amount….. for just the basic equipment package per day.

 

You should also get your labor rate in addition to that.

[The Documentary Sound Guy]

I do documentaries in Canada.  My current rate sheet is here:  https://documentarysoundguy.ca/for-producers/rate-sheet/

 

My "normal" rate is CAD$1,200 / day (€800), with equipment.  You'll notice I offer a 50% discount to DOC (Documentary Organization of Canada) members, as an incentive to work on more documentaries.  DOC is composed almost entirely of independent filmmakers (or aspiring filmmakers), and very, very small scale producers.  Most of the filmmakers who get that discount are funding their films out-of-pocket.  So, most of the people who get that rate really do need the discount, and I get to work on passion projects that fill my soul and wouldn't get made without my help.  Most commercial documentaries do not ask me for rates that low.

Unfortunately, documentary is not well funded here, so rates are all over the map.  Very few documentaries can afford my full rate, but I start the negotiations there so I don't get taken advantage of by other types of productions (reality shows will happily ask me to work for $600, which I will absolutely not do).  But I will offer $600 (€400) to an independent director / filmmaker who is funding their project off arts grants (which sounds like it might by your situation), simply because that is what is often realistic for those types of projects.  It's nearly impossible to fully fund an independent film from arts grants at full commercial rates here.

 

I would say CAD$750-$900 (€500-600) is the current "market" range for documentaries that have a broadcaster attached (not many do, and given the way our funding system works, I doubt an arts-council-funded project has a commercial broadcaster attached this early in production).

 

So, I would absolutely bid the producer who is offering €500 up to a more comfortable rate.  That's definitely the bottom of an acceptable rate around here.  But keep your expectations reasonable.  They probably won't be able to come up that much without destroying their own budget.  Just make sure they really are an arts-funded documentary, and not a different kind of production chasing low rates by claiming to be independent.

[David A-Ribeiro]

Thank you all for sharing your insights and experience, it provides a good perspective. I happily adjust my rates for similar reasons mentioned by Documentary Sound Guy, and, after talking with the filmmakers and some crew involved in previous shoots, it does sound like a project with artistic merit and limited resources, so I´ll probably do it. A reasonable rate (with equipment) for theatrical documentary should start around 700,- Eur ( for a basic kit). However, the market in Germany is currently very broken and people are getting whatever jobs they can for whatever rates are offered by producers who have long smelled the desperation, but that is another story...

 

 

[PMC]

TDSG,

I have never charged for 'Archive Retrieval' before. Item listed on your rate card. I am missing a revenue stream, lol.

[The Documentary Sound Guy]

Lol, I've charged it twice in 15 years.  And the producers in question were very grateful to get the audio that they'd mislaid...

[TobiasHaynes]

The rates also depend on the city it seems

 

Vancouver and Toronto are more expensive than Montreal (we are trying to catch up!)

 

 

[Marco Mejia]

I agree w/ Johnny, this seems in line with what I have been seening.