| Item (as quoted) | Original (A$) | Verdict | Why · what to ask | Defensible (A$) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48 × ETC Source Four LED × A$45/day × 8 days | 17,280 | CHALLENGE | Plot reads as over-rigged. Mamma Mia! at 320 seats needs ~32-36 conventionals across FOH key, mid-stage wash, back light, specials. Ask: "Can we reduce to 36 units, use a wash + key approach, and put the saving into a better band mix?" | 12,960 −4,320 |
| 8 × Robe Pointe moving heads × A$220/day × 8 days | 14,080 | CHALLENGE | Pointes are touring-festival kit. Over-spec by 3 tiers for a school musical. Substitute 4 × Chauvet/ADJ movers at A$110/day for the dance numbers; conventionals can carry the rest. "Could we run 4 mid-tier movers instead of 8 Pointes and put the design effort into the cues?" | 3,520 −10,560 |
| Console + DMX + cabling (ETC Ion XE + 100m multicore) | 2,200 | FAIR | Ion XE at ~A$240/day × 8 + cable bundle = ~A$2,100. Within band. Don't push back. | 2,200 |
| 4 hours focus × 2 operators | 1,160 | FAIR | A 60-fixture rig with movers = ~4 hours focus. 2 ops (one on the EWP, one on the console) is appropriate. If you trim the rig to 40-fixture conventionals, focus hours drop to 2.5-3 and you can renegotiate. | 900 −260 |
| Pre-rig site visit (fixed) | 650 | CHALLENGE | Stage Brilliance has worked this venue 3 years running (check with last year's prod manager). A return site visit for a known venue should be free. "We've worked together before — can the site visit be waived since the venue spec is unchanged?" | 0 −650 |
| Compliance documentation (SWMS + certs) | 1,400 | CHALLENGE | A standard SWMS for a known rigging task is a re-use of an existing template (Tier 1A Module 4). Allow A$200-400 max for SWMS specific to this production + production-specific risk matrix. Itemise. | 300 −1,100 |
| Item (continued) | Original (A$) | Verdict | Why · what to ask | Defensible (A$) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Programmer day rate × 2 days | 900 | FAIR | A$450/day is industry-typical for a competent programmer on an ETC Ion. 2 days for a musical is appropriate (one for cue creation, one for tweak / tech). | 900 |
| Transport / delivery (metro return) | 240 | FAIR | Metro return with a 3-tonne truck of kit. Within band. Don't push. | 240 |
| RCD / safety switch in-line × 6 | 360 | CHALLENGE | RCDs are venue-side compliance, not hire kit. The venue's distro board has them already. "These should be free with the rig — confirm?" | 0 −360 |
| Standby / call-out fee (after-hours bump-in availability) | 480 | CHALLENGE | No itemisation. "Standby" usually = invisible labour double-charge. "Itemise — what crew, what hours? Or remove." | 0 −480 |
| EWP hire × 1 day (Genie GR-15) | 340 | FAIR | A$340/day for a Genie GR-15 is the typical metro rate. EWP licence ticket-holder included? Confirm. | 340 |
| Gel pack (specified Lee numbers) | 280 | QUESTION | A$280 of gel implies ~30-50 sheets. "Can you cut from existing stock or substitute Rosco equivalents for some?" Could drop to A$150. | 180 −100 |
| Followspot × 2 (with operators) × 5 shows + dress | 2,400 | QUESTION | A$280/day × 2 fixtures × 6 days = A$3,360 fixture; plus operator A$35/hr × 2 × 4hr × 6 shows = A$1,680. Combined A$5,040 vs A$2,400 quoted — actually under-priced. Either Stage Brilliance is doing you a favour OR they've under-counted hours. Confirm: "Does this include both fixtures AND operators across dress + 5 shows?" | 2,400 |
| Haze fluid (2 × 5L) | 190 | FAIR | A$95/bottle × 2 is within band. One bottle should cover dress + 5 shows so 2 is generous; could trim to 1 (saving A$95). | 95 −95 |
| Project management / coordination | 920 | QUESTION | No itemisation. PM is usually 5-8% of the rig hire. On A$22-26k of rig hire = A$1,100-2,000 PM. A$920 is actually on the low side. Don't push back — but ask "what does this cover?" to ensure scope clarity. | 920 |
| Sub-total ex GST | 42,880 | 22,455 | ||
| "Bulk discount" applied | −6,090 | QUESTION | A 14% "discount" applied to an over-rigged plot is theatre. Once you've trimmed the rig, the discount evaporates because the supplier has already lost margin. Don't expect this on the revised quote — and don't ask for it; you've already won. | −365 |
| TOTAL ex GST | 36,790 | 22,090 | ||
| Where the saving came from | A$ saved | The conversation that unlocked it |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Fixture-count rationalisation (48→36 LED + plot replan) | 4,320 | "What if we ran 36 units instead of 48? Plot still reads?" |
| 2. Mover substitution (Pointes → mid-tier; 8 → 4) | 10,560 | "Are Pointes really needed for a school Mamma Mia? Could 4 ADJs achieve 90%?" |
| 3. Focus hours adjusted to smaller rig | 260 | Follows automatically from (1) — re-quote naturally drops. |
| 4. Site visit waived (known venue) | 650 | "You've worked this venue 3 years running — site visit needed?" |
| 5. Compliance documentation itemised | 1,100 | "Itemise the compliance line — SWMS, certs, risk matrix. Reuse existing where possible." |
| 6. RCDs treated as venue compliance, not hire | 360 | "Aren't RCDs venue-side already?" |
| 7. "Standby fee" removed (no itemisation) | 480 | "What does standby cover? Either itemise or remove." |
| 8. Gel substitution from stock | 100 | "Any sheets we can substitute from your existing stock?" |
| 9. Haze fluid trimmed (1 bottle covers run) | 95 | "One 5L bottle covers dress + 5 shows, yes?" |
| Total savings | 14,700 | ~40% off the original quote, in one 25-minute conversation. |
Don't go in adversarial. The supplier wants the job; you want the show. Frame it as collaborative cost-fitting.
You've now had a one-page conversation that saved A$14,700 + you've signalled to the supplier that next year's quote should be priced honestly from the start. That's the whole skill.
Use this template on your next real lighting quote. Mark up each line with FAIR / QUESTION / CHALLENGE. Total the defensible column. Bring the marked-up quote into your meeting with the supplier.
Save your annotated quote to your Tier 1B portfolio.