Hiring a Production Company 201

Planning an event can be daunting, especially for those who have never done them before. There are so many details to think through, and if you have no experience with rental houses and production companies, how do you know who you can trust?

Triston did a great job of outlining the basics of production needs and considerations in his blog “Hiring a production company 101” and I’d like to take that a few steps further to help you avoid some of the pitfalls we’ve seen that wreak havoc on events. Asking a few questions can sometimes make the difference between disaster and a successful event.

Is the production company equipped to handle your show?

There are lots of people claiming to be “production companies” all over the world. They seem like they know what they’re talking about and have a great sales pitch, but when it’s time for your event, they show up with inadequate gear or different gear than they promised, or someone else shows up in their place because they overbooked and didn’t tell you. I’ve seen all of those happen, and it always leads to frustration.

For example, if you need a stage for a concert, don’t go to a place that also rents lawn mowers. Those stages are fine for some small speaking engagements, but they don’t typically have the kinds of features and quality that are needed for performances.

Ask your production company to provide examples of similar shows they’ve done. If they have no experience doing the size of show you want to hire them for, it’s time to ask more questions.

Also, look for a production company that can do multiple aspects of the event. One company that can do audio, lighting, staging, video, rigging and backline will provide a much smoother experience than hiring separate companies because all of the coordination will be done by the company rather than requiring you to be a referee. It’ll be less expensive, too, because having the same crew, trucking, tools, etc. for multiple aspects will be more efficient.

Speaking of expense, how expensive should production costs be for your event?

If you get multiple bids, don’t automatically go with the lowest one. If the price sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Again, look for a track record of success and ask questions. Ask the production companies to explain the differences between their bid and the others. Sometimes a lower price means someone missed something the other company included in their bid. Sometimes it’s the difference in quality of gear, which may or may not be a factor in your event.

Does the production company have a business license, liability insurance, and workers compensation?

Unfortunately, there are companies that have been in business for years that still don’t do what is required to protect their clients and employees. Sometimes the difference in price between a qualified company and a trunk-slammer is the cost of operating safely and within the law. Going with the latter can come back to bite (and cost) you as the event manager. What happens when someone gets hurt or something breaks, causing damage to people and/or property? If the production company isn’t insured, the ensuing lawsuit and expense falls back on you, even if the injured party was employed by the production company. If you hire an unlicensed company, the governing agency can shut them down, causing your show to come to an abrupt end, sometimes before it even gets started, but often too late to bring in a different company.

What’s in the tour rider?

A tour rider or technical rider is a document provided by larger bands that outlines their needs for things like hospitality, transportation, quality and quantity of equipment, etc. If the performer has one, you’ll have to sign it, which means you’re on the hook for everything that’s in it. Make sure you read it carefully and hand it to your production company so they can quote the gear accurately. 

Van Halen is famous in tech circles for a tour rider that required a bowl of only green M&M’s in their dressing room. They didn’t really care about the candy, but the band’s tour manager wanted to make sure everyone read the rider and if they didn’t ask about the M&M requirement, he knew that they hadn’t.

Speaking of riders, did you know that you can push back on them? For example, if the rider calls for a (very expensive) SSL mixing console, have your production company make a suggestion for a less expensive one and then go back to the tour manager with the substitution. Most times, they’ll accept a pro quality one or work with you to come to a mutually acceptable solution. Sometimes the riders are overkill for the size of stage/venue where you want to do your show and the tour manager will accept a scaled down equipment list.

Sorry. If you want Snoop Dogg, you will have to provide the stripper poles specced in his rider. That’s a non-negotiable for him(No, we’re not joking about this one!).

What’s your crowd management plan?

While this is not usually in the production company’s scope of work, they’re going to need to know about it. Access for equipment and crew, security of spaces with dangerous working conditions, cable paths, equipment locations and the like are all dependent on good crowd management. I’ve mixed shows where the promoter didn’t even think about spectator traffic flow and I had crowds of people trying to walk between me and my mixing console. Not having a plan can cause dangerous situations with tripping hazards, high voltage power, ropes at head level and even unguarded falls. Work with your production company to develop the plan and have the personnel in place to keep the event flowing smoothly. There are companies that specialize in crowd management, which might be a good choice if your show is large enough to warrant it.

In Summary -

Ask questions, and if you don't know what questions to ask, ask your production company what to ask! They’re the ones at events and know what to look out for. An honest company will have the events’ success in mind just as much as you do. Being a part of a successful event is just as exciting to us as it is to you!