investing in Arris?

Steve Laramie

Steve Laramie

Veteran
Wondering if its a good or bad idea to buy a nice set of Arris. They will last a life time under the right care but I dont know if it would help me market myself as a DP or not. Usually the Gaffer supplies the lights but in the micro budget indie world most producers look for a DP with the whole set up. What are your thoughts?
 
Steve Laramie said:
I guess my main concern is will I actually use it when I get into bigger productions?
Click to expand...

Resale on Arri's that have been cared for is never an issue. Id say go for it and use them as much as you can to increase your skill and confidence. One thing though, Arri is not the only light manufacturer out there. Look at the options before spending the coin.
 
Steve Laramie said:
Wondering if its a good or bad idea to buy a nice set of Arris. They will last a life time under the right care but I dont know if it would help me market myself as a DP or not. Usually the Gaffer supplies the lights but in the micro budget indie world most producers look for a DP with the whole set up. What are your thoughts?
Click to expand...

I'm a Producer in the "micro budget indie world" and I can tell you that I would never even remotely consider hiring a DP based on them owning equipment.
 
I have an Arri lighting kit that I have used, occasionally for travel. When it comes to my trucks Arri's, other than HMI's are just too fragile. Nice lights, they just don't hold up to riggers of grips like Mole.

Anybody want to buy an Arri kit? LOL
 
Steve Laramie said:
Wondering if its a good or bad idea to buy a nice set of Arris. They will last a life time under the right care but I dont know if it would help me market myself as a DP or not. Usually the Gaffer supplies the lights but in the micro budget indie world most producers look for a DP with the whole set up. What are your thoughts?
Click to expand...

Let me also add another thought. Maybe my answer is not completely correct as I dont work in the micro budget environment. I dont not know what people look for or see appealing when they are cutting corners to save money.

If have the "package" get you an edge, yes its good to have gear but if you are not getting compensated for the gear then its a bad investment. (Unless it increases your potential to be hired exponentially).

Good Deal:
gear: $800
daily rate without gear: $300
gear rental: $100
total:$400 a day
Projected work days:200
BUY

Bad deal:
Gear: $800
daily rate without gear: $300
gear rental: $0
total:$300 a day
Projected work days:?
RENT

We have a vast inventory of gear but we still cant own everything, there is almost more to rent as it would not be a good return to actually own the gear.


Good Deal:
Arri Alexa with full package $100000
Projected days in use: +200
BUY

Bad Deal:
Arri Daylight 12KW/18KW HMI Fresnel Light Kit $35000
Projected days in use: +50
RENT

My formula might be too simplistic but you get the logic, If you can make money from it buy it (dont forget cost of maintenance and insurance).
 
Last edited:
I find that owning a small light and grip package doesn't open doors, but it certainly is handy to have some lighting tools for smaller productions.

Doing some unscripted pickup interviews a few weeks ago, we found ourselves short a couple of fixtures for lighting the background areas. Luckily, on that particular Sunday, I had my Arri kit in the car and we were able to fill-in (literally!) for what was missing from the big rental house. The coordinator and I agreed on a box rental rate then and there and the shoot went off on-schedule.

I carry this small kit anytime I shoot:
  • Arri 650 + Chimera Softbox
  • Arri 300 (x2)
  • Arri 150
  • 40" C-Stand / 40" Arm (x2)
  • 40" C-Stand / 20" Arm
  • Cardellinis (x4)
  • Scissor Ceiling Baby Spuds (x2)
  • Assorted Scrims, Nets, Silks, Flags
 
Never think anymore of your gear than a carpenter thinks of his hammer and saw. They are tools of the trade and good to have but only a craftsman can make beauty of raw lumber and nails.
 
Most people don't know how to appreciate the value of the craft thus you asking for, say $750/day for your skills and they are "What?" but if you say that you come with your own gear (if you can get little extra for your gear rental) then they are all the sudden ok with it...
 
Meh. Packaging your day rate and equipment is a horrible idea. Even audio operators, who used to make a regular practice of doing so, seem to be coming around to just how detrimental it is to maintaining a solvent business.

Don't. Package. Labor. With. Equipment.
 
Just a thought on this, having owned several service businesses over 23+ years.

Example: when you go to the auto shop, do they charge you extra for the tools to repair your car? Yes a diagnostic or a repair may have a flat rate that includes both labor and "the procedure" using the necessary tools.

If you start tacking on charges for this and that, it may seem you are well, tacking on. I approach the same issue a little different. I have a day rate based on all the factors associated with my overhead including equipment, insurance, labor, depreciation, etc. I don't care what equipment gets used, I don't charge extra. When someone wants a crane shot, I explain that the use of the crane will add X amount to the cost of production for the time involved to transport, set up, use, and breakdown the crane. That is easy for a customer to swallow rather than the strategy of tacking on for something they feel should be included.

If I use a production assistant, I do a day rate for them also. That day rate includes a lunch for example. My day rate includes a lunch.

If the job is quoted at a set price, you just add up all the estimated days and whatever up or down fudge factor you use, and it is just simple stupid for you and the customer.

The only add ons I use are for physical items like a hard drive, discs, etc. A plane ticket or per diem for out of area work would be other exceptions.

This strategy has worked successfully for me through 3 businesses. The concept is to keep it really simple for the customer and avoid haggling over little nitpicky stuff.

Grant
 
Erik, in general yes. But you have to feel out who the client is. A company pays the rate plus camera rental + lights rental while a wanna be rapper shooting his first MV gets a set price.
 
Patryk_Rebisz said:
Erik, in general yes. But you have to feel out who the client is. A company pays the rate plus camera rental + lights rental while a wanna be rapper shooting his first MV gets a set price.
Click to expand...

You just articulated perfectly why we shouldn't continue to devalue ourselves and virtually ignore our significant equipment investments, fixed costs and debt to accommodate these no / deferred pay, no copy, credits or meals provided, build your reel, only about 60 minutes of total shooting, you'll get a job when we sell our unique concept Craigslist-tier "clients" who advertise with language like this: KRE8TIV CAMERAPEOPLE AND CREW WITH MAD SKILZ NEEDED FOR NOBUDGET MUSIC VIDEO -- GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE RIGHT ARTIST.

Look, it's all fun and games if you can find some patriarchal, spun-out trust fund Warhol character to underwrite your art. Plenty of us would love to find our own Ms. Duke, who wants nothing else but to travel us around the world with tens of thousands of dollars of kit to document her art and film her oft-repeated inner monologue and to witness firsthand the world's curiosities, abstractions and acute suffering.

For the rest of us, we must ply our trade competing for paying shows. And the competition that will last is made up of other professional tradespeople with leases, stacks of equipment threatening to obsolesce at every moment and better knowledge for how to tie it all together.

That's all I have to say about that.
 
Erik, so basically you r saying that someone is giving you $750/day and you tell them "no"? I have hard time believing it.
 
I hate being nickeled and dimed. I therefor chose to never let a client feel that from me. If we are talking less than 500 for the day, no gear is included. If we are talking 500-1000, it comes with everything I have to make the job professional and easier. If we need specific rentals, there will be an appropriate charge tacked on. Its just the way I do business.

As for the original question, I have an Arri kit that has been invaluable. Not good for features, but I have made a lot f money on it shooting talking heads, product shots and small room scenes. I highly recommend it if you are shooting similar stuff and keep the lights in an appropriate case. If you need more fire power or tend to throw them around in a truck, a small arri kit will not be a great investment.


Jason
 
Erik,

Folks that won't pay my rate and allow me to make a living, aren't my customers. I'd rather stay home and work in my garden, than give it away. If I donate my time to a cause, it probably won't be for the folks you mention who advertise on Craigs List.

HipHopHeads aside, if I have a client who is reluctant to spend on a project I want to do, typically I'll find a way to assume some of the risk with the client. If the project succeeds then we are all happy. If it flops, then we both lose. There are lots of creative ways to do this, but you have to have faith the project will succeed, work with an honest client, and be willing to bet your paycheck on success. Welcome to business.

Grant
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top