Tape stock policies

[Douglas]

Here's a break from the regular Rosemblum bashing and format debates.

What are your policies regarding tape stock? I'm interested to know how other people respond to the following scenarios:

1) The client brings tape stock or ships it to you prior to the shoot. Is that okay with you? Why or why not?

2) The client wants to replace your tape stock after the shoot -- and they tell you this beforehand. Do you agree?

3) The client wants to replace your tape stock -- but they don't tell you about that until the shoot is OVER. What do you tell them?

Optional:
4) If you supply tape stock, how much do you charge? (If you don't want to reveal what you charge, I understand.)

I have some defintite opinitons on the subject, but I'll save my comments until later so as not to influence the comments of others.

Doug

 

[Lensmith]

Some quick answers from the third world...

1.) Our prefered policy is the client supplies the tape before the shoot. Whether they bring it with them or ship it before the work is all up to them as long as there is tape available when the shoot begins.

2.) I've been burned with empty promises of resupply after a shoot. It's an additional hassle right up there with chasing down late payments. If you think going after late payments is a pain, just try to get tape out of a client who is long gone. It's not worth the headaches and only reinforces my convicition to insist on tape supplied by the client before the shoot.

3.) Tape is an issue I discuss before the shoot. It's right up there with the day rate that will be charged so I don't find myself in the situation you describe.

4.) We charge US$35 per thirty minute Beta SP tape. Of course that is much more than a client would pay if they bought their own case of tapes yet...they are not dealing with the customs import taxes I have to pay to get raw tape into the country. The easy solution for them is to supply the tape themselves. If not then they pay the US$35.

 

[cameragod]

I agree with all Lensmith says but I always keep a supply of tape for the client who forgets to bring tape stock (shucks that’s ok mister I forgot the little old camera. Ha ha.) But I don’t like to use it if I can help it. If the client is replacing stock then I will only accept new Sony tape. Nothing worse than being handed a used chepo brand as a “replacement” for a new good quality tape.

 

[McColl]

4 questions... here's my eight cents.

1. If they supply in advance, great. Why? It's easy. And in the (admittedly extremely rare) case you get a bad box of tape, it's not your fault.

2. As John said, it's too much of a hassle. If you don't bring it or ship it, I'm selling it to you.

3. The toughest question to answer. I've fortunately never dealt with this one... but if (when) I do, I'll just have to tell them that that's not how I do business. All of that stuff should be negotiated in advance. If they don't bring it up, then I do.

4. As much as humanly possible. Kidding. I mark it up a little to pay myself for having to deal with it.

 

[Mike]

I pretty much agree with the previous posts. I used to be pretty picky about putting only Sony SP tape in my camera, but on the last two shoots, both clients supplied Fuji SP tape (the last shoot being for a major network magazine show). I always have tape on hand to cover myself, even if the client says they will bring stock. My feelings on tape reimbursement is that with the exception of the networks that have a set protocol (ABC and CBS) that I abide by, I feel that if the client does not bring tape, they should be billed for it.

Lastly, I charge $25 per Sony BCT-30MA tape. Although I get my tapes for around $10 each, I like to consider the mark up to include shipping, my time, and other things such as 9V and AA batteries and even head wear on my camera. Most people I know charge $30-$35, but I feel that $25 is reasonable for me.

 

[Dalewilson]

In several cases over the year, the client will supply the stock. ( And Camera ) Two instances of those have been Mini DV because client supplied those cams. - I convinced client to allow my
camera to be used as an " A " Cam. and theirs as a wide static " B " Cam.

I always supply the Tape Stock because of my preference to Sony. I then invoice client for stock used at about 15% mark-up.
No issues have come from this way of doing business for me, so far.
-dale