June 21, 2021, and the live events industry is showing signs of life. This past week has found me, along with several other friends, in negotiations for gigs later this year. Is this it? Are we back? Yet as hopeful as I feel for the beginnings of recovery for the live events industry, I am equally dismayed at some of the offers being presented.
Many of us have been out of work for some time. We understand that promoters, record labels, and artists’ management also took a hit. We know that venues, production equipment vendors, and the travel industry have also lost revenue. But does that mean that we should lower our rates?
As designers, programmers, stage technicians, audio engineers, video directors, etc. – are we not being asked to do the same tasks we were doing before the Pandemic? Do we trust that clients will honor our pre-Pandemic rates again in the future if we compromise on projects in 2021? Should we give clients a discount on our rate until the economy recovers? How long will that take? According to a Pew Research Center study, “a full recovery for the labor market appears distant. Employment in February 2021 was 8.5 million less than in February 2020, a loss that could take more than three years to recoup assuming job creation proceeds at roughly the same monthly rate as it did from 2018 to 2019.”
There was a $1200 difference between the lowest and highest rates that were suggested to a friend of mine who sought advice from myself and others on the appropriate weekly rate to ask for in negotiations for a potential project. I am glad to say my recommendation was on the high end and our conversation reminded me once again of the importance of salary transparency and setting a standard for fair compensation.
I decided to do some research in some of the resources I had at hand, and I found some information that I hope will provide insights and help with current and future negotiations.
A Look Through History
1988: Howard Shenson, author of The Contract and Fee-Setting Guide for Consultants and Professionals, references a 1988 poll that lists the median daily billing rate in various sectors of industry: Arts & Culture = $611, Recreation = $644, Broadcast = $743, and Industrial Design = $788 (Moody, 2002).
1995: In Stage Lighting Design by Richard Pilbrow, he shares the 1995 United Scenic Artists, Local 829 (USA 829) Minimum fees for Lighting Designers. Here are the 1995 rates listed in Pilbrow’s book contrasted with the current Broadway rates and the LORT rates beginning July 1, 2021, found on the USA 829 website:
| Broadway | 1995 | Broadway | 2021 |
| Musical, Multiset | $17,883 | Musical, Multiple Scripted Locations or Multiple Sets | $28,298 |
| Musical, Unit w/ Phases | $10,305 | ? | |
| Musical, Single Set | $5,627 | Musical, Single Scripted Location | $12,562 |
| Weekly Fee | $250 | ? | |
| Commercial Tour Dramatic, Unit Set | $10,305 | Dramatic, Multiple Scripted Locations or Multiple Sets | $16,721 |
| Small Scale | $5,627 | Dramatic, Single Scripted Location | $10,484 |
| Freelance | 1995 | 2021 |
| LORT A | $3,065 | $7,463 |
| LORT B+ | $2,685 | $6,353 |
| LORT B | $2,190 | $5,280 |
| LORT C-1 | $1,645 | $3,812 |
(LORT = League of Resident Theatres)
While the LORT rates have increased in a straightforward manner over the years, the Broadway rates have adjusted for more than just inflation. Rate category names have changed and/or been consolidated, and I found huge variation in weekly rate minimums for touring Broadway productions. I still find this comparison useful, especially for those who have been in the business since the 90s. Please take these figures to heart and make sure your clients are keeping up with the times.
1996 – Present Day: James Moody surveyed 50 concert touring rental companies and freelance designers in 1996 for the second edition of his book, Concert Lighting: Techniques, Art, and Business. Moody has since released newer editions, the latest in 2016, however, the 2nd edition data provides a helpful contrast for this timeline. Data for 2010-2020 is based on my own personal experience, when available, and information from my colleagues during that decade.
| Concert Tours – Weekly Rates | 1996 | 2010-2020 |
| Lighting Crew – Concert Lighting Company | $600-$900 | $750-$1,500 |
| Lighting Crew – Freelance | $600-$900 | $1,000-$2,000 |
| Head Electrician – Concert Lighting Company | $1,000-$1,500 | $1,000-$3,000 |
| Head Electrician – Freelance | $1,000-$1,500 | $1,600-$3,400 |
| Lighting Director – Concert Lighting Company | $1,500-$2,500 | $1000-$3,000 |
| Lighting Director – Freelance | $1,500-$2,500 | $1,600-$4,000 |
| Lighting Design Fee | $5,000-$10,000 | $? |
| Lighting Design Fee, Mega-tour | $50,000+ | $? |
Moody does not clearly delineate between rates for freelance crew and those who are employees of the concert lighting company (vendor) for the tour, so I have listed the same figures for both. Since 1996, the range between the highest and lowest rates has increased. Rates are impacted by the size and scale of tour productions, especially for Lighting Directors. Small-scale concert tours may involve one tour bus for band and crew, towing a trailer for production equipment, and shows at venues with capacity limits of less than 4000. Large-scale concert tours may involve multiple tour buses and semi-trailers of production equipment, and shows at arenas, or even stadiums.
While it may seem like freelancers make more money, Moody reminds us in The Business of Theatrical Design that a freelancer is paid more than staff “because the employer is not paying for insurance, health, and welfare, or contributing to a retirement plan on top of the daily or weekly salary, as she would when paying a full-time employee” (2002, p. 181).
As a freelancer, when it comes to figuring out a weekly rate for a concert tour, one way I have often thought about it is to break it down per day, and then per hour. Although there are “days off” on tour, crew members are typically still away from home, without the ability to take other work on those days. Whether or not you are paid for all 7 days of the week depends on how and what you negotiate.
Concert tour weekly rate breakdowns for freelancers:
$3400/week = $500/day x 7 days | 10hr/day at $50/hour
$3400/week = $680/day x 5 days | 15hr/day at 45.33/hour
$3000/week = $428.58/day x 7 days | 10hr/day at $42.85
$3000/week = $500/day x 6 days | 10hr/day at $50/hour
$3000/week = $600/day x 5 days | 10hr/day at $60/hour
$3000/week = $600/day x 5 days | 15hr/day at $40/hour
*Note: These hourly rates are basic time estimates for freelancers, and not broken down further to calculate for overtime and/or double time as you will see done for employee rate as explained below*
Day rates and minimum wage:
This may be different where you live, but consider this, a $15/hour minimum wage equals a minimum $315 for 15hrs of work in a day. How did I get that number? Generally, labor laws specify overtime = hourly rate + time-and-a-half for up to two hours after an 8-hour period of work. Any time worked after 10 hours is paid at double the original hourly rate.
($15/hour x 8hrs regular time = 120) + ($22.50/hour x 2hrs overtime = 45) + ($30/hour x 5hrs double time = 150)
(120 + 45 + 150) = $315
Now consider this:
$1575/week = $315/day x 5 days | 15hr/day at $15/hour
$825/week = $165/day x 5 days | 10hr/day at $15/hour
$600/week = $120/day x 5 days | 8hr/day at $15/hour
Note that the low end of concert tour rates, depending on how long your days are at work, could equate to tour crew members being paid minimum wage, and runs the risk of violating labor laws if crew members work longer hours than originally budgeted for by the tour production management or concert lighting company who hired them. I have been in this situation before with a company who hired me as an employee. I only got paid my fair rate after sending them a detailed breakdown of my time and the math that showed how my rate would equal less than minimum wage if I were to be paid what they originally estimated. Needless to say, I got paid my fair rate.
One of the first things to consider before going into negotiations is how many hours do you expect to be working in a day? Do you start with an 8am load-in and work through until after load-out at midnight? (e.g., Head Electrician) Or do you come in at Noon after the stage is built and then pack up equipment at load-out, but someone else loads your equipment onto the truck for you? (e.g., backline tech on an arena tour).
As excited as I am at the prospect of getting out there to work on a show again, there is a limit to how much of a reduced rate I am willing to consider, and in some cases, depending on the scope of the project and the client, there is no way I could in good conscience agree to a lower rate as it would set a precedent that could harm future negotiations for myself, my peers, and those who are just getting their start in the industry. Not every live event will have an unlimited production budget, and sometimes is it a better decision to volunteer your time as opposed to taking a low rate (depending on the situation, you might be able to use this as a tax write off – but first check with your CPA please!) As Brad Schiller pointed out in Living the Lighting Life, “some jobs are for rent, some are for art, some are stepping-stones for growth” (p. 236).
If you have read to the end of this post, I would love to read your comments and find out more about your experiences. If any of my numbers seem wildly off to you, I will happily provide further context and/or make corrections if needed.
References
Kochhar, R. & Bennett, J. (2021). U.S. labor market inches back from the COVID-19 shock, but recovery is far from complete. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/04/14/u-s-labor-market-inches-back-from-the-covid-19-shock-but-recovery-is-far-from-complete/
Moody, J. L. (1998). Concert lighting: Techniques, art, and business (2nd ed.). Focal Press.
Moody, J. L. (2002). The business of theatrical design. Allworth Press.
Pilbrow, R. (1997). Stage lighting design: The art, the craft, the life. By Design Press.
Schiller, B. (2021). Living the lighting life: A guide to a career in entertainment lighting. Routledge.
United Scenic Artists Local USA 829. (n.d.). Local USA 829> Contracts > Collective Bargaining Agreements. Retrieved June 21, 2021, from https://www.usa829.org/Contracts/Collective-Bargaining-Agreements-CBAs/Theatre-Opera-Dance