Media Manager vs DIT rates

[Dan colins]

I'm a media manager, but despite the best plans ahead of time between myself, production and post, once on set, I sometimes get asked to due things such as trans code or color. I'm not going to let myself get hosed by doing DIT tasks for a media manager rate. What are the going rates for adding on such tasks? I don't want to devalue myself or experienced DITs by partaking in the race to the bottom.

 

[ericyoung]

It's not just the higher rates. Chances are you won't have the necessary kit to do timely transcodes or accurate colour if they weren't specified and hired in before the shoot?

Rates are going to be market dependent. Just look up DITs local to you, and enquire about their rates. Some of their websites might even list their rates.

 

[Shiblon Wixom]

You have to separate the realm of Day Rates vs Kit Rates, which for a union DIT can vary widely, but generally starts around $400 to 500 per day and goes up quickly from there, and that's not even starting to discuss Kit rates. Kit rates start at $100 / day for a laptop and can hit several thousand dollars per day with multiple carts and a plethora of hardware and accessories.

 

[Dan colins]

I've tried looking up DITs. Most won't give their rates. More importantly, full DIT rates aren't what I'm taking about here. That's comparing apples to oranges because I'm only doing part of a DIT job.

As far as kit, performance with a newer laptop and red rocket in TB external chasis for transcode has come a long way. I'm not surprised many don't think it can be done. I know if can be because I've done it several times.

As for coloring, there is always at least one broadcast monitor on set and here in LA here, it's not too difficult to send a PA to a rental house and pick-up an additional monitor within an hour if need be. The RR already has the I/O.

If people don't want to share their rates, that's their choice, just please don't complain when new people charge less than industry standard. We all know producers are always honest and fair.

 

[Shiblon Wixom]

Most DIT's won't give a rate unless they know all the variables about the shoot and what kind of support and gear they need to provide or secure for the shoot; how many cameras and what kind of cameras, what kind of processing needs to be done on set, does production expect ipad dailies or multiple delivery formats for editorial, does the show need live onset grading from the camera or just 1-lite dailies for editorial, how many copies of the media and what kind of backup drives or raid towers is production going to provide, does the camera need special licensing options or accessories setup during camera prep, is there a lockit box or TC sync with external sound, will there be any external master sound, then there's also software to consider, and etc.. etc..

DIT and DAT work is a far cry from a camera PA using the Producer's or 1st AC's Macbook Pro 13" to offload a few cards to a couple of portable 2.5" consumer hard drives, which is also perfectly acceptable and more than sufficient in many situations. One of the most important jobs of the DIT/DAT is to manage expectations!

 

[Brian Merlen]

I think the scope of the project is also key. a 113 day shoot won't pay me the same rate as a one or two day shoot. I usually try and push for 60 an hour + kit rental if possible + OT. But sometimes they want flat rates, sometimes I am slow so I'll take lower pay work then I really want to. I am about to hand in my application to Local 600 so I am hoping to stick to high rates only from now on.. but who knows this year has been horribly slow for me, so much so I been doing a lot of audio work since not much non union DIT or media management work to be had...

PS unless you have a LUT box your sending an 8 bit signal from your mac to that 10 bit monitor... Lots of little pieces needed to really have color accuracy/encodes. I use RRX so I don't have HD SDI outs from it (yet). I assume if you use original Rocket it would send 10 bit signals but I never owned one myself so I am more into the new model... and its current nuances...

 

[Marc Wielage]

Local 600 Union rates at this link:

http://faculty.uncsa.edu/film/4832/rate_cards/eastern_region/2013_local-600_eastern_rates.pdf

Last I checked, a union DIT makes about $500/day plus equipment rental. Non-union is whatever the market will bear. There's still a war between the video assist union (695) and the DP/camera operator/DIT union (600), which I wish IA would straighten out. While I've been a member of 695, in this case I think it would make more sense to have video assists in 600.

 

[M Most]

I know this is a discussion of rates and expectations, but based on your post, I would also ask: do you have the experience or the skills to do things like color? Equipment is not the issue. Ability and experience is. If you're looking for a higher rate, it needs to be because you're bringing more to the table than just equipment. If you're going to sell yourself as a full DIT, that means you are expected to have deep knowledge of camera, exposure, monitors, color pipelines, CDLs and how to create, export, and name them for proper identification later in the process, LUTs and how and why to create and use them, and prior experience and skill in doing color manipulation. The real question isnt whether they're going to pay you. The real question is are you qualified to do the job.

 

[Dan colins]

Yes, I have a base knowledge of color, LUTs, and even more experience reading waveforms, vectorscopes, exposure etc. I'm not claiming to be an expert, proof by the fact I call myself a media manager. Everyone has to start somewhere and that's what I'm doing. No DIT was born knowing everything! I've been working in video for over 15 years, doing ENG until the last few years. I'm not an expert, but I'm not an inexperienced college kid either.

These certainly are not union shoots (though I am union as a loader), if they were, rates wouldn't be an issues because there's a rate card. These are low budget shoots where I get to practice and expand my knowledge and experience.

 

[Brian Merlen]

I work in commercials and food production mainly, so though parts of the job can be complex, its not nearly as complex as what I think films would expect of you. I basically encode with a decent looking LUT that the director or DP wants, plus media manage, plus try to push for things like check sums, raid 5s, color accurate monitoring, things that don't always end up budgeted for in the non union commercial world. I think others hit it on the head, the scope of the position is vast, the cameras won't always be red, each has nuances, lots of applications to use. Its a tough thing cuz every workflow is a snowflake, I rarely have the luxury of prep days or testing ahead of time. Heck I would rather do prep days for free, just to ensure there are no issues that cost my rep (sometimes I beg my way into my local rental house to prep on my own time)! But in general I would stress that the distinction is very vast, but you sound like you know what your up to. Personally I still am using redcine all the time, I've seen famous DITs use resolve and they are artists compared to me, and real quick with it. Just getting the gear and comfort level with resolve, plus learning all the cameras, workflows, and nuances is a good place to start I think. Its probably one of the most underrated, but hard and stressful positions to be in. I often have to go home and wonder why people think I am doing nothing while I am waiting on the first mag, but then I don't even take lunch cuz i need catch up time, and I am the last one off set every job I do basically, getting kicked out the door. I love it, I enjoy the pressure, but man my gigs are easy compared to what others describe above, in retrospect! Usually just some S curves, warm or cool it up, maybe adjustment for exposure changes. The thing that seems to bite me most is the gamma shift with prores. I recently read here that 444 isn't as screwy but I am usually doing 422 and people wonder why everything went green or got screwed up. I am looking forward to completing my own high end cart just so I don't need to worry about my monitor/computer/applications/check sums/etc. Much safer I think on my part to have my own gear since I know what I am getting into. If you PM me I'd be happy to share some horror stories with you on issues I have had. So I am focused on kitting out my own puppy. I even usually bring extra drives now, I just have to cover myself is basically what I have learned and sure it costs more, but I am much happier knowing I am covering myself in case there are issues with the stuff...