Post listings...
 

Know this isn't necessarily the right place for this post...but here it is anyways. Looking for website listing average incomes/salaries for jobs in post-production industry. Most importantly, audio engineers and sound designers. Any suggestions?
kp

Re: Post listings...
 

Hi Kelly
Wow, long topic. Your question is a tough one to answer, for a few reasons, but I'll give it a shot. I'm unsure of what you mean by "audio engineer". In post, one is generally an editor (sometimes called a "sound designer" which is another very ambiguous term), a re-recording mixer, or an engineer, who is generally one who is responsible for systems/rooms/hardware/software/networking, etc.
The word "salary" usually only comes into play on the engineering side, as they're the only ones with constant employment, whether the company has a show or not. Most editors and mixers, especially in the feature film world, are hired for a given film and when the film's done, they're done. There are a few supervisors who have yearly guarantees with their respective studios, and mixers as well, but mostly we're fired several times a year (which is why I opened my own place: if I'm gonna sink, I at least wanna be driving the boat!). All that said, when I was working for other houses, I stiil managed to work about 48-50 weeks a year, and this is the tricky part. As it's been said a bunch of times here on the DUC, post really is about who you know. When supervisors crew up a film, they tend to use who they've used before, and then they ask THOSE people for a referral if they need someone else. It's assumed that everyone is competent, and doesn't need handholding, so then it really becomes more about your vibe than anything else. To say that you've worked several times for a supervisor or director is in a way a better endorsement than "I've worked all over town"
ANYWAY, what you asked for before I got up on the soapbox, I think the Local 700 (Motion Picture Editors' Guild) minimum scale rate for a sound editor is $1700-something per week, 48.6 hours. Most feature film houses and studios pay $2-300 above scale as a matter of course. Supervisors usually $3K-$5K+ depending on how big a film (or how big a supervisor). Mixers are slightly higher than editors as far as scale, but most mixers working for the majors are working for far above scale. In the reality TV side, I have friends that are making anywhere from $50 to $80 per hour. They usually get the overtime, which runs rampant on those kids of gigs, but they don't have the Union health insurance or pension for when you can't hear anymore I don't know about the network TV guys, to be honest. The union scale still applies for the minimum, but I don't know what bearing that has on the actual wages. Anyone care to chime in?
So, hope that helped a bit, good luck!

Re: Post listings...
 

I don't know of a website. What I've heard is that in audio post (radio & TV promos or commercials), the mixer/sound designer gets X% of what he or she bills. So let's say you bill one million dollars worth of work in a year, and your commission is 10%. You've made $100k for the year.

Re: Post listings...
 

Well for the many, many non-union folks, basic assistent and editorial can start at $15/hr. Sometimes less, sometimes more. A proven editor type-person can pretty much count on somewhere between $20 and $30 (usually $20-25). Mixers seem to vary the most by clout, anywhere from $25 to $75. This is real-world, but limited to my experience. Most people I know aren't in the union because they don't know enough people in it to keep working, and from what I hear it's not so easy to get in. But after reading Mr. Milner's post, I think I need to look into it more...

Re: Post listings...
 

The Motion Picture Editors Guild - IATSE Local 700 (800) 705-8700
$2100. to join & $173. per/quarter (Music Editor)
Then to: Contract Services 818.995.0900
For benefits, a minimum of 600 hrs during the qualifying period. Any overage goes into your benefit bank to be used for when you're not working.
For details: www.editorsguild.com

Re: Post listings...
 

I have recently started a similar thread and would like to add that the rates for editors and mixers are easily located on the web. I however have been looking for wage info for Post Production Engineer's in the technical sense. Is there anyone in this thread that can point me to some related information? If you would like to read more about this, the thread I started is called "Chief Engineer salary expectations"

Cheers,

Jon

Re: Post listings...
 

Here is a link to Local 700 West Coast Sound.

http://www.editorsguild.com/wage.asp#Sound

After reading your qualifications on another thread you would probable be a Y-4. Now remember, most facilities hate to pay top wages to Engineers, since it isn't a money making area for them.
Good luck in your quest for higher wages.
For the sound editor/ designer pay,here is a link
http://www.editorsguild.com/wage.asp#EDITORIAWEST
The term sound designer does not have to increase an editors wage, but if they are good, they'll be working all the time.
Hope this helps,

Re: Post listings...
 

Thank you for your response.

I have always found it difficult to accept that the higher wages go to the mixers and editors. I guess it's commonly accepted that they are the ones who shape the final products. However, I believe that amount of skill and training involved to install, and maintain a studio is of equal merit.

I understand that the engineering dept. is not a true money maker in a sense. However, if there were no one to create and maintain the rooms that everybody works in, there would be no chance to make any money. (... and the winner for best machine room is.... )

Just my two bits.

Thanks again for the posting. I have been a lurker for many years on this board and have finally decided to branch out and meet the members of the "global" post community. I have actually learnt a great deal from a handful of people on this board and feel that I should say thanks. Hopefully I may be able to contribute back what I have received.

Feel free to browse both of our studio's website if you like.

www.keypics.com
www.westernpost.com

Cheers

Jon

Re: Post listings...
 

Jon,
Please don't think that at anytime have I ever looked down on engineering. Quite to the contrary, I've learned most of what I know from some exceptional engineers. The point I was trying to make is to most department managers, they think of engineering as an area where they hate spending money yet bitch if anything goes wrong. If your very nice facility (thanks for the link) is busy then adjust your pay accordingly. Remember the links to the Editors Guild are in $US. Look at what Re-Recording Mixers make and then adjust it to what your facility pays their Re-Recording Mixers. Now adjust what Engineers get on the link I gave you and fit it into your job market. Don't out price yourself in a tight market. Just ask yourself, where would I go and how much would they pay me if I suddenly didn't have a job there? Then re-evaluate it in a year or so and see if you should ask for a bigger bump in pay.
Best of luck,