Approaching a D.P. for a Narrative Feature

[JT Thurlow]

Hi there,

I am currently in pre-production (pre-script) on my first narrative feature and am looking to hire a D.P. for this.

I am wondering:

1. How much notice will a pro D.P. (my first choice has an agent) want/require?
2. Will they have all of their own kit or will that differ on a case-by-case basis?
3. Should I be inquiring about rates on a “per-day/week/month” basis or should I provide the production schedule and ask for what their overall (and hopefully concessional!) fee would be?

Any advice or things to keep in mind would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Marcus Friedlander]

1. The more notice the better! Somewhere in the range of 3-6 months before you expect to start pre production is probably safe. But the earlier you can get the project to the them, the less likely they are to already be booked!

2. Most top end DP's don't own their own gear (besides a light meter and maybe a few other odds and ends). If you don't know for a fact if they do or do not, assume that they do not have gear and just focus your hiring energies on their skills as a DP. However, early on in the process, you can ask them what their favorite cameras to work with are, and they may tell you they own a camera that they prefer to use. But probably not. They'll probably just say they like working with X, Y, and Z camera brands.

3. It depends on how long your shooting schedule is. But you'll probably want to inquire about their per week rates. You don't NEED to provide a production schedule to the agent, but it's highly recommended that you send the agents any and all preproduction documents that will prove that you are a serious production and you aren't going to waste the agent's time or his/her client's time. However, an important caveat is that you shouldn't show the budget, or any other documents that may give the agent an upper hand in negotiations.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask!

 

[Daniel Stilling]

you shouldn't show the budget, or any other documents that may give the agent an upper hand in negotiations.

I have to say that this is one of the first pieces of info given to my agent, so the right rate range can be negotiated. That stuff comes out sooner or later, so if you underpay a DP, based on the total budget, you are certain to have a
n angry head of departments, and that would not serve the project. This race to the bottom has got to stop. People need to get paid what is deserved based on experience and total budget.
Besides all that, the 600 also have a minimum set rate negotiated with the producers, again, based on the budget tier, and those rates can be negotiated upwards from the set minimum.

Now, back to your first question, I would say that too long of a notice is not very helpful, other than to know that there is something cooking out in the horizon. I have about 3 movies I'm talking to for the next year or so, but nothing solid and I won't say no for something firm coming in sooner.

About the gear, it used to be that DP's did not own their own camera, but now, things have changed, and I know DP's that own from just a light meter, to a whole 2 camera department compliment. Many owns only lenses or maybe filters, so nowadays, a lot of gear is owned by the DP's.

 

[Marc Wielage]

I don't have the current IA Local 600 rate card, but here's one from a few years ago:

I think about $1000/day for a DP (no equipment) is not too far from reality for a relatively low-budget project. I've worked on quite a few non-union pictures where this was the ballpark figure. Equipment is usually based on a 3-day rate covering a week, so if a camera package is (say) $1500/day, then it'd be $4500 a week. No question, there is a difference between crews working on a $100,000 feature vs. a $1,000,000 feature or a $5 million feature -- and all are technically low-budget for Hollywood.

There are always deals to be had, and prices vary widely. There are DPs commanding $20,000-$50,000 a day and up. I seem to recall Roger Deakins and Janosz Kaminski are in the low six figures for commercials.

 

[Marcus Friedlander]

Sorry man not trying to imply that you should pay the DP any less than you were already planning to. This has nothing to do with underpaying people. More about not giving an agent the upper hand in negotiations.

Say you are planning to pay 2000/day, but the Production Designer is getting 2500/day. Be prepared for the agent to expect 2500/day for their client as well. That wouldn't be an issue if you showed them just a top sheet instead of a fully itemized budget.

 

[Ryan Purcell]

A lot depends on the budget (and the script!) and until those pieces are in place it will be hard to get a commitment. If your budget is under 100k you will be paying your DP one rate. If it's under 1 million it will be another. If the DP has won some awards and you have to have him or her, it will be yet another. Some will have cameras and some will not. A good script goes a long way and is a bargaining chip for you at some level. Everyone wants to make something amazing. I've shot a number of sub 500k features. Some of them I've been paid a flat sum for the entire job - some I've shot for a day rate. I've had 6 months lead time. and I've had 3 weeks. There are a lot of variables. Being flexible is key. I know that I'm always happy to meet for a coffee and discuss a project or read a script so maybe start the conversation there.

 

[Curtis boggs]

I want to see a script 1st, and budget 2nd.

Gotta know if it's a good fit and if there's proper funding
to execute the production / project properly.

I'm a little more concerned about the budget to make sure
it won't comprise my ability to do great work.
The rate is easier because if it's not enough i can just decline the offer.

Curtis