This is a general description of my usual terms of service. No fancy legal language, just a list of standard practices. I usually share all this info on emails or phone calls but I figured it was time to make things a bit more formal (as well as easier on my soul because you can only have the same conversation so many times before you start loosing your sanity).

PRODUCTION

Production Expenses and/or Reimbursements:

• EXPENDABLES: During Pre-Production I would typically do an Amazon list and send it over to production so that they can buy it directly. A standard list includes, but it’s not limited to: AA Lithium batteries (to power the Lectrosonics Wireless Systems), AA Alkaline batteries (to power the Sennheiser Wireless Systems), 9v batteries (to power the Comteks Wireless Systems) and tapes. The more complex and lengthy the job, the bigger the list. I do have a small supply of all the basics at all times to account for last minute calls.

• TRANSPORTATION: Whenever a job requires me to bring my own equipment to location I use a car service (usually Lyft) and save a screenshot of the receipt which I later send to production for reimbursement. On bigger jobs that requirement daily travel, I would provide a full report at the end of the job (by exporting all the receipts directly from the car service App). Alternatively, some productions prefer to assign space on one of their production vehicles; they then pick up the gear from me and take care of it during the duration of the production; this situation is very convenient for everyone but I would only allow it if I’m provided with proof that the vehicle is being parked on a secure parking. On complex jobs a variety of methods are used; some days I take a car; other days the gear stays on a production vehicle, or office… even on set; whatever makes sense for each individual case.

• COI – Production has to provide a Certificate of Insurance before the start of the job and, in case of damage or lost, take care of any repairs or replacements expenses. This situations are rare; in the past, when repairs have been necessary (usually a broken lavaliere microphone), I do the coordinations through email with a repair shop (usually Gotham Sound) and CC the producers so that they take care of shipping and payments. I prefer any shipping method that provides a way to track the package. In cases in which a replacement is needed, I would find the best place to buy the piece from and send a link to production so that they can buy it for me. My preferred stores are B&H, Gotham Sound or Amazon.

• ADDITIONAL RENTALS: Happen whenever a job requires specialized equipment outside of a standard production sound kit. During Pre-Production I would create a list of gear, find a place to rent it from (usually Gotham Sound) and do all the tech coordinations by email with the producers CC’d so that they can take care of the business side of things (including pick ups and returns).

• TRAVEL & ACCOMMODATIONS: All expenses must be covered by the production. Including, transportation to and from airport, bus or train station; personal hotel room; and food. My rule of thumb is that I take care of all mundane costs, save receipts and provide a full report to production for reimbursement; and production takes care of all major bills, like travel tickets, hotels, etc. Important reminder: when traveling with equipment, cases can be large, heavy and fragile; best practice is for production to provide a media pass card for airlines to know we’re traveling with media equipment (it makes the process easier, faster and cheaper).

PAYMENT

• Production: Full payment and reimbursements are expected at the end of the business week of the day(s) worked.

• Post-Production: In order to start working, I require 50% upfront payment. The remaining 50% has to be paid upon completion of the first completed mix and before any round of reviews happen. These percentages may vary depending on the budget scale of the project and previous business relationship. I do not require any upfront payment from clients with whom I have a long established relationship… while I may require a larger than 50% upfront payment from new clients to be judged on a case by case basis.

• Method of payment varies from client to client. I prefer either a check on the mail or a direct transfer to my bank account. I hate third party services with all my heart; if a company requires me to fill a ridiculous amount of paper work to be paid, I will count that time as work and therefor spend less time working on my real job which should be getting techie and creative with the post-production sound of that project.

POST-PRODUCTION

• Although every project is different, I usually offer either 2 rounds of creative reviews or a mixing session in person with the director in my home studio. The longer the film the more complex the process will look like and the more revisions or mixing sessions would be required. A proper plan of action will be established prior to starting the job.

• To start working on a project, I will need 2 hard drives from you. One will be a working drive and the other a backup drive. Daily backups will be done at the end of every session, to prevent loss of work. Smaller projects may be done completely remotely by uploading production assets on a virtual drive. At the end of the project the drives will be returned to you. I reserve the right to keep a copy of all the project files on my own archives.

Content of the drives:

• All rough production audio files and sound reports (if they exist).

• A video file containing the fully Locked Picture with burnt in Timecode in Avid’s DNxHD codec plus a copy in h.264 just in case a backup is needed. Preferably in a resolution no bigger than 1080p.

• A Self-Contained AAF file of the Full Film or Video, including temporary elements like music and basic sound design. Tech Specs: Breakout to Mono: Enable | Sample Rate: 48000 | Bits per Sample: 24 | Files: Embed Audio | Format: AIFF | Render: Trim Audio Files | Handle Frames: 240 (10 seconds at 24fps or equivalent)

Note: If the music in the AAF is final, it’s best to have it in stems rather than one stereo file of the master track. If it isn’t, all final stems of the music should be provided, ideally on an AAF containing the entire film, before final mixing session is scheduled. 

• If I have to manually re-sync anything or otherwise troubleshoot editing errors present in the AAF, that time will be taken away from the creative process.

DELIVERABLES: Upon completion of the project, I will prepare all deliverable files including, but not limited to: Stereo Master track & Stem tracks (DX, MX & FX). In case of working in Surround 5.1, I will provide a Surround Master File, Mono splits of the master (L, R, LFE, Ls & Rs) and Surround Stems (DX, MX & FX) Plus and / or whatever special requests from you, film festivals, distributors, etc.

REALITY CHECK

• RESPECT: In cases in which the production sound of a project has not been recorded professionally or otherwise presents unreasonable problems, and I’m asked to “fix it in post”, you should know that while current restoration technology is light years ahead of what it used to be just a few years ago…. it can’t do magic. On top of that, heavy processing comes with a price: it makes dialog sound unnatural, introduces digital artifacts and destroys wild sound effects making the film sound even more unnatural. All I ask is that you respectfully not judge my work by other people’s mistakes.

• DEADLINES: If I’m asked to work unreasonable hours to meet a festival deadline, the product I deliver will not be in its best form; it will be a temporary mix, pending of reviews, at best. I may accept a challenge but I’m only human and your lack of planning is not my fault. This includes situations in which I’m approached for a job with enough time to get it done and I accept… BUT then I’m not provided with the tech assets I need or payment on time. I’m also should not be expected to work on weekends: if your deadline is on Monday and you send me a bank transfer on Friday night… guess what? Yeah… no matter how small the project is, the quality will be compromised. I will not be responsible for delivering unreasonable last minute requests on a timely manner.