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Wow. Although I am all for package rental prices, design is another matter! It is like artwork or composing music. If you are doing a design for a simple stage with less than 30 fixed instruments, then you time may be predictable. But how about a concert using 50+ movers? You almost have to listen through every piece, attend a few rehearsals, the go through each piece again part by part! A one hour show done on tour could take 100 hours to design! On a smaller scale the way I handle it is as a surcharge on the rental. I ask the customer if they want me to "wing it" or if they really want to work out cues on each piece. The first meeting is included in the rental price. If they want me to wing it, then there is no further design charge. If they want me to work with them, then there is a per-hour charge added. Most, by the way, just request a "wing it" job. Sometimes, I am called to a rehearsal, but the practicality of an hourly expense tends to quiet down the idealists that may be involved. That being said, I do love to get involved in a total design!
 
ONe of the things that you have to consider is how much it costs you to live while you are working on a design/show, as this is your livelyhood, and after you get into tech and such it is particularly difficult to work on the next show you are doing.

So, for example, let's say you live in an apartment and pay $500 rent each month. From that you know that you don't want to be making less than $500 per week. If you have to travel to the theatre for tech, is the theatre going to pay for it? Is it far enough away from home that you need a place to live and will the theatre pay for that? If the theatre is paying for those things then don't worry about it, if not you should make a rough estimate as to what that will cost you and factor it in.

Now consider that the theatre is going to pay your from the moment they hire you until you complete the show, it is usually some package deal as opposed to a weekly pay. So, if you know that the designing and paperwork phase will take you say 2 weeks and then tech will take 2 weeks then you know a starting point of about 4 weeks. Most theatres don't expect the designers to stay around for the run of the show, but if where you are working does you should include that. Also, you should find out if the theatre has an extension policy. My theatre pays the designers something extra for every week that a show extends past the original run.

Now, if you go by the model I was setting up, you may want to add a week of fudge room, for your sanity. So that is 5 weeks of work at about $500 per week which brings you to $2500 for the show. It is a starting point, and it outlines how to figure what you need to make to be able to support yourself.
 
Ok,

So i dont know if this is what your affter. If it is email me and i will send you the file loving riped off from word. I have removed client info but it still has some numbers to give you an idea of how its filled out.

JH
 
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I second iWeb, it is a great program. Now that I now that you just need a document template I would suggest FileMaker Pro or Microsoft Access to build a database for it. Using one of these database apps will allow you to keep detailed client information, tables of billable items and create nice looking invoices all in one package. They take a little time to set up, but once you have it, you never have to change it. I have attached an invoice that I made in FMP. I also have a worknotes template that I use, and somewhere I have a great followspot cue sheet template.
 
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I second iWeb, it is a great program. Now that I now that you just need a document template I would suggest FileMaker Pro or Microsoft Access to build a database for it. Using one of these database apps will allow you to keep detailed client information, tables of billable items and create nice looking invoices all in one package. They take a little time to set up, but once you have it, you never have to change it. I have attached an invoice that I made in FMP. I also have a worknotes template that I use, and somewhere I have a great followspot cue sheet template.


Do you have the FM application?
 

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