BEWARE – “The Package” in Sound Post-Production

The PACKAGE! Wrapped up with a bow? Plain brown paper? A box?

(What’s in the box?!?)

When a package shows up, we all get excited. Maybe it’s your online order. Maybe it’s a birthday gift. What’s not to like?If you get what you asked for and it arrives in good shape, all is well.

But in sound post-production, “the package” has evolved—and not in a good way.

What started as a fair way to bundle post services and offer a discount for keeping everything under one studio roof has turned into something murky and misleading.

These days, a post-production sound package—particularly for indie films, TV, and streaming projects—can hide all kinds of traps. Take a look at the bid sheet. You’ll see vague items like:

• “Sound Editorial”

• “Mixing Days – Flat Rate”

Ever wonder what’s hiding behind those?Here’s a hint: it’s usually less than you need.

Need extra time on the mix stage? That’ll cost you—often a lot more.Need additional editorial time? You probably will. Surprise!

Worse, the supervising sound editor may be given just a few days to complete everything. That’s why they’re often scrambling or mysteriously absent during final playback. The schedule (and budget) just doesn’t allow for more.

Why is this happening?

Because producers often want one simple number—and it needs to be low. Sales teams want to win the job, so they send out a lowball bid. Sometimes they know it’s too low and plan to make it up in overages.And the people doing the actual sound work? They weren’t part of that conversation.

By the time the sound team sees the project, the “package” is locked—and the expectations are unrealistic. Want to know where your audio is really being done? It might be subcontracted to freelancers. Not under a union contract. Not in a secure facility. Maybe even halfway around the world.

At SoundCrafters, we do it differently.

We believe in clear, transparent post-production pricing.

We tell you exactly:

• What we’re delivering

• How long it will take

• Where and how the work will be done

  
  

No vague line items. No up-charges. No surprises.

We think you should get a totally transparent estimate that we can back up.

Let us know if that is what you are looking for.