Production Sound Package Rates

This week on jwsound.net a popular sound forum there has been a good discussion about studios, production company’s and filmmakers trying to pay almost nothing for our equipment packages by making us get competive bids from sound rental houses. Despite the fact that a mixer owned kit is always a better deal for the production because the equipment is in better shape and it (in my case and most other mixers I know) is always cheaper than a rental house by a large amount. I wish production companies would just take our work for it and understand that using rented equipment increases the chances of a equipment failure and something going wrong. Here is my advice for any mixer getting squeezed by a production company. Stick to your guns and get what you feel is fair for you and don’t put your equipment in danger for no money.