Cost Analysis: How does Volt Mediafix save me money?
Too often, overseas productions think they can save money by doing everything themselves. They say they can't afford a fixer - then we watch them take on more work and spend more money because they don't work efficiently and they aren't familiar with production in the US. Look at the actual cost analysis below and think ahead of the curve.
Scenario: A Manchester-based production team needs to organise a 4-day shoot in LA
YOU FIX YOUR OWN PRODUCTION: Prod/Dir and AP fly to LA to recce; the rest of the crew (5) and presenters (2) fly with UK kit for shoot days.
USING VOLT MEDIAFIX: Prod/Dir flies to LA for recce; shooter (1) & presenters (2) fly in for the shoot. Kit & rest of crew provided locally.
YOU FIX YOUR OWN PRODUCTION
Flights: £3,519 (£391 pp x 9 UK crew/talent; actual fare on BA site)
Hotels (Recce): £432 (£108pp x 2 rooms, 2 nights at The Standard)
Hotels (Shoot): £4,860 (£108pp x 9 rooms x 5 nights at The Standard)
Airport Transfers (Recce): £45 (taxi – incl tip)
Airport Transfers (Shoot): £180 (4 taxis – incl tip)
Ground Transport (Recce): £514 (2x8 hrs; car + driver)
Ground Transport (Shoot): £2,050 (4x10 hrs; van + driver)
Volt Mediafix Fee: £0
TOTAL: £11,600
USING VOLT MEDIAFIX
Flights: £1,168 (£292 pp x 4 UK crew/talent; actual fare thru our US travel service)
Hotels (Recce): £144 (£72pp x 1 room, 2 nights at West Hollywood boutique hotel)
Hotels (Shoot): £1,440 (£72pp x 4 rooms, 5 nights at West Hollywood boutique hotel)
Airport Transfers (Recce): £125 (Volt Mediafix luxury car)
Airport Transfers (Shoot): £125 (Volt Mediafix luxury van)
Ground Transport (Recce): £400 (Volt Mediafix luxury car)
Ground Transport (Shoot): £1,800 (Volt Mediafix luxury van)
Volt Mediafix Fee: £3,000
TOTAL: £8,202
HASSLES & CONCERNS:
- What do you do when you discover after the first 12-hour shoot day that your hotel rooms on Sunset Blvd. are directly above the hotel’s disco and no one can sleep?
- How do you arrange film permits? Do you know the different boroughs in LA? Did you know each one has a separate film office? How do you arrange payment from the UK, as they only accept cash or US bank cheque? How do you receive the permit? They don’t fax, email or post permits.
- If you have any kit malfunctions, how do you get it replaced / repaired? Would you rather have a US hire kit with a local company that provides replacements immediately at no charge or your UK kit?
- Does anyone in your production know LA traffic, neighbourhoods, shortcuts & travel times? We do, and we can help you plan your schedules accordingly.
CONCLUSION:
Through hiring Volt Mediafix on this job, you’d save about £3,400 on logistics alone. You'd save money and time on additional production needs not listed here. Anything or anyone you can avoid transporting from overseas will save you money. We help you do that efficiently and without sacrificing production quality. And once you arrive in the US, everything is smoother and less stressful because you don't have to worry about airport pick ups, transport to hotel, check in times, crew call times & schedules. You and your Production Manager can focus on other facets of your production because you have fewer details to worry about.
And if you need to cut more costs? Being experienced Prod/Dir's, you can have us cover all or part of your recce. We can shoot recce locations and post a video for you to view online. More? Let us provide complete professional crew locally so you save even more on hotels and flights. Even more? Tell us exactly what you want, have us self-shoot it and courier you the tapes.
Our background is in UK television, so we have an understanding of the way UK TV productions work, unlike most foreign fixers. We can do a better job than a Prod Manager or travel agent based in the UK simply because we live in Los Angeles, we know the city, have worked across the US and this is what we do full-time. Read our reviews from past clients and ask around in the UK. You probably know someone who’s worked with us before.
As you can see from the very real example above, we can save you more than we charge for our service. We wouldn’t be in business if we didn't give our clients their money's worth.
Contact Us with your specific needs so we can quote you accurate rates on the services you require. | 
