I’m writing today because I interviewed sound designer Christopher Kriz for the Artistic Finance podcast. It was such a grounded conversation about theatrical design careers, I felt other people should hear what we discussed. Thank you to Live Design for letting me publish this.
Christopher Kriz is an award winning composer and sound designer for theatre, film, and commercial media based in Chicago. Winner of seven Joseph Jefferson Awards with thirty six nominations, Kriz has designed hundreds of productions for companies in Chicago including Goodman, Steppenwolf, and Chicago Shakespeare. Regional credits include: Seattle Repertory Theatre, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, and Indiana Repertory Theatre.
I met Chris while he was sound designing Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, which I was lighting at Alabama Shakespeare Festival. Chris was a wonderful collaborator and cracked jokes throughout the tech process. I asked if he would let me interview him about freelancing, unions, retirement, and the realities of building a sustainable career in theatre. Thankfully he said yes because it became one of the most educational podcast episodes we’ve published.
The most valuable part of the interview is our open talk about what fees we were actually paid for recent projects. This is exactly why artists need to talk to one another about money. Hearing actual numbers make it easier to understand what is possible, where negotiation matters, and how much leverage we lose when we fail to discuss rates with our colleagues.
I won’t list the exact fees here, but if you’re curious, take a listen to the podcast. There was more practical financial talk on topics interviewees have mentioned time and time again. Opening a Roth IRA, filing taxes as a freelancer, retirement planning, refinancing a mortgage, and the benefits of working with an agent to negotiate contracts for you.
Chris reminded us that the union is available for a fact check when negotiating a fee. The union can't tell you exactly what another designer was paid, but it can provide historical ranges for contracts. That information can give designers a much better sense of what is reasonable to ask for.
Chris’s approach to retirement was pragmatic. It isn't built around a mythical multi-million-dollar retirement number. Instead, it includes his USA 829 pension, Social Security, and homeownership. I appreciated this take because it shows that we don’t need to do everything in our power to figure out our retirement. We can work (via a union contract when able), file our taxes, and do our part to save. That will yield retirement income while having a stable financial life in the arts.
Regarding finding work. Chris mentioned doing plenty of cold calling without seeing much return. That reinforces my experience of sending résumés sometimes leading to jobs, but that is less common. Relationships are what sustain a career. Saying yes, meeting people, doing good work, and becoming someone others trust is where opportunities come from.
I didn’t do the interview justice, and purposefully left some details out. But I highly recommend listening because we covered more than sound design. We addressed making a living in the arts without pretending that money doesn't matter. We were reminded that our careers are based on relationships. And as freelancers we get to handle our own negotiations, retirement, and union relationships.
The Artistic Finance podcast exists so that we can learn from the experiences of colleagues. Episode 206 gave us just that with Christopher Kriz’s understated commentary that you don't have to have everything figured out. Keep doing the work, building relationships, asking questions, and you’ll naturally get better at advocating for yourself along the way.