2007Legal / Business Practices forum
Industry-wide concerns about declining Steadicam operator rates and producers misrepresenting alternative hiring options
19 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
What the thread found
- Producers sometimes claim they can hire operators from other cities at significantly lower rates, but this claim may not reflect actual market conditions or total project costs.
- Some operators report being offered substantially lower rates than their standard fees, with producers allegedly attempting to undercut by bringing in cheaper labor from other regions.
- When multiple qualified operators decline low-rate offers, productions sometimes return with improved compensation after realizing the cost of project delays outweighs savings from cheaper labor.
- Key costs like travel, housing, and per diem savings for local operators are often not factored into producer rate negotiations.
- Operating at below-standard rates can harm the entire professional community by establishing precedent for lower compensation across future projects.
- Operators reported rates as low as $1000 per week with gear rental included for feature film work, while standard rates were significantly higher.
- Some productions reduce crew costs through other means, such as minimizing executive producer positions, rather than cutting operator compensation.
Depends on
- Discussion focuses on 2007 industry conditions and may not reflect current rate standards.
- Claims about what producers offered to other operators are based on secondhand information rather than direct confirmation.
- The actual rates eventually paid for the specific productions mentioned are not confirmed in the thread.
- Geographic differences between Kansas City, New Orleans, Los Angeles, and New York may affect rate comparisons.