Set design- what to charge?

bigsis144

Tue, Aug 17 2021, 10:57 pm

What are you doing?

Concept design consultation?
Painting a backdrop?
Finding digital backdrop images for a projector?
Building huge set pieces like stairs or platforms?
Finding and obtaining period furniture from theaters, rental houses, or people’s homes?

I’ve done these in the past, but never as my only Erev Shira job, so I don’t think I could isolate what % of my salary went to this vs. script writing, choreography, schedule wrangling, sound effect design, etc.

Frumwithallergies

Tue, Aug 17 2021, 11:00 pm

I agree with Bigsis. Can you give us more details about the project?

Also, I think it is important for your price to align with the school budget, and for both sides to be realistic. You cannot be expected to work miracles if you have a tiny budget.

amother

Tue, Aug 17 2021, 11:37 pm

Thanks for the replies. It’s a Bais yaakov so it will pretty much be low budget but I hope to do the best I can.
I will not be painting the scenery but will choose scenery, decide which scenes should be in front of curtains or with a full backdrop, and figure which part of the stage will work for which scenes. It’s not a large space and I’ll need to rent equipment. I was thinking of a giant projector but was unable to figure out which would work best without the players blocking the projection, if you understand what I mean. There will be prop girls who will help create the props, likely with my direction.

Frumwithallergies

Tue, Aug 17 2021, 11:49 pm

Would it be reasonable for you to estimate the number of hours this project will take, and how much you want to earn per hour? Then approach the school with that number (or 15% higher), since there are inevitable last minute changes.

Alternatively, decide whether you are willing to do this as a labour of love and accept a lower hourly wage? Sometimes it is worth doing an artistic job for less pay if and when you can add to your artistic portfolio.

amother

Wed, Aug 18 2021, 12:04 am

Frumwithallergies wrote:

I am actually working with the school in another capacity and because I am artistic, they asked if I can take on this project. However, I’ve never done anything like this… therefore I’m unsure about how many hours of work it would take. I mean, I’ve already spent a lot of time researching different kinds of set designs… does that even count? I don’t want my inexperience to work against them, but then again I also want to be compensated for my time. Does $500 make sense? I have no idea what the school earns from their play or if they profit at all.

bigsis144

Wed, Aug 18 2021, 11:37 am

What is the space you are using?

If it’s a small professional theater or public school auditorium, ask their staff if they have a projector and a white cyc to project images onto. No need to reinvent the wheel if you can rely on the infrastructure that’s already there.

Same with the production staff at the Bais Yaakov that’s hiring you - do they have any experience? Is this a new space, new staff?

I guess I’m a little confused by some of these tasks being a separate job as opposed to something the director is heavily involved in. Yes, the director doesn’t have to be the one to shlep furniture or paint scenery, but it’s the director who decides during the script-analysis and scene-blocking with the actors where they should be on the stage. Often a scene will take place in front of the curtain or on the stage apron to give time for a larger scene change, and those smaller scenes are deliberately written with that as a purpose for the scene in addition to plot/character development. Are you just handing set/blocking decisions down to a director who doesn’t care or know otherwise? I guess what I’m trying to get at is, how much of this is your personal responsibility/creative decision?

IMHO, I think $500 is a bit on the generous side for many low-budget Bais Yaakov schools, considering what I’ve made for jobs that involved a bazillion other things on top of set design, but I still think it’s in a reasonable ballpark for negotiation.