What should I be charging?

[Genus]

If I'm going on site, I'll charge between £10 - £15 per hour, depending on whether I'm just crewing or chief tech or whatever.

 

Also, if I'm doing a design or hiring/speccing the kit, I'll charge a flat rate for the design which will include all pre get-in work, phone calls, emails, meetings, rehearsals. This will be appropriate for the scale of the show (Not really looking at duration, more complexity, size, 20 lamps or 200 kind of thing). I have heard of people who have to work with really difficult/beurocratic(?) companies that will add a very discreet 'dealing with xxx' charge.

 

Normally I can fit in other work around this early stuff as well.

 

The amount varies on how much I want the job and is negotiable depending on how much I like the company without ever being less than I can realistically afford. I take the advice given on ALD/BECTU websites on board (being a member helps), and bear that in mind, though it seems that they rarely have a section describing the type of shows I'm working on.

 

Obviously there are expenses, but considering I live and work in Edinburgh, it rarely costs me more than £2.50 a day for buses. If it's a late finish though, I'm likely to get a cab and charge it. However, as you're supplying kit your expenses are going to be a lot more than mine, there's storage, carriage of kit, maintenance, testing. Then, of course you've got PLI, other insurance not to mention any insurance for any additional crew (if they don't have their own).

 

I don't have my own transport, so couldn't really comment on that. But if you're taking the show a long distance, I would charge a sensible day rate (something like £140 - £170) plus per diems of something like £20/25 a day per overnight stay. Obviously all accommodation (minimum 3star - No sharing) and travel costs.

 

Generally I would consider charging by the minute to be unfeasible and requiring having a stopwatch around whenever you do any relevant work for that gig.

 

I don't think I either over charge or sell myself short, but it is a difficult one to get right, and you certainly don't want to be too cheap or you run the risk of people not taking you seriously as a professional.

 

My tuppence

Genus

 

Edit: I underestimated expenses.