Client is low balling?

Stick to your guns, I have dealt with Discovery and they always pushed to low ball. If they really want it they will pay your fair price, and if not move on. Once you discount footage to them they will always expect it and more.

Too much discounting on subpar footage happens, yours is not. Good luck, and trust your gut.
 
El Gato Negro said:
It's a relationship with a content provider for Discovery Channel. Not a Youtube channel. Huge difference.
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That may have carried weight twenty years ago, but not today.

A lot of "outside packagers" are notoriously cheap. I've done some work for outside production companies before, for one of my clients. When you do the math, one of them was only offering about 85% of what the client pays.

Sometimes I think people forget that a lot of these are multi-million/billion dollar, FOR PROFIT companies. It's just like at major sporting events where you have multi-million dollar athletes playing in 9-10 figure arenas/stadiums for teams owned by billionaires and they have cheerleaders making $50/game and un-paid volunteers doing other assorted things.
 
Run&Gun said:
Sometimes I think people forget that a lot of these are multi-million/billion dollar, FOR PROFIT companies.
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This always reminds me of a documentary I saw several years ago about Harlan Ellison, "Dreams with Sharp Teeth." A clip from that has been on YouTube for a while, Harlan Ellison -- Pay the Writer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj5IV23g-fE&list=PLK8mBTHeLenajqKcLCKVpYv74ZxcMhskX

(Warning: some ahem, more "adult" language in this clip.)

Gives you something to think about regarding any profession and getting paid.
 
R_Marvin said:
This always reminds me of a documentary I saw several years ago about Harlan Ellison, "Dreams with Sharp Teeth." A clip from that has been on YouTube for a while, Harlan Ellison -- Pay the Writer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj5IV23g-fE&list=PLK8mBTHeLenajqKcLCKVpYv74ZxcMhskX

(Warning: some ahem, more "adult" language in this clip.)

Gives you something to think about regarding any profession and getting paid.
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Lol. I have seen that clip before. So much of it is true.

So many companies act like they're performing charity by "letting" us WORK for them. I'm not saying I'm ungrateful or don't appreciate the work I get, because I do appreciate it and I always thank my clients and potential clients for calling me, even when I can't do the job, but I am performing WORK for YOU and your company is MAKING MONEY off of it.

If you described how this business works to pretty much anyone in the outside world, they would probably look at you like you had seven eyes then tell you to go get your head examined, because you MUST be crazy. "You've spent how many hundred thousand dollars on equipment? It takes you HOW LONG to get paid?!" Etc...
 
We live in a world where it is somewhere between a hobby and sport for the wealthy (be it CEO's, or companies or just a lot of wealthy people) to pay as little as possible (sometimes not at all if they can help it), pay as late as possible and make you work as hard as possible, while they tout the "pull yourself up by you by your bootstraps" philosophy, even if they were born into that wealth...a company with money will not pay you more down the road for a job/content or any business dealings, than they did before, so the idea of selling your work cheaply now, to have them as a better paying client later is highly unlikely in most cases. Having said this, I did Pro bono job years ago when I moved to Vancouver as it helped a young company and I made a contact that lead to other jobs and I stayed busy...your case just sounds like a middle man trying to fleece you, and having looked at your footage, I would say, do not sell your work short...it's rare and well shot footage...not an everyday occurrence,but something you captured in the moment and well...they should pay you accordingly IMO
 
Run&Gun said:
If you described how this business works to pretty much anyone in the outside world, they would probably look at you like you had seven eyes then tell you to go get your head examined, because you MUST be crazy. "You've spent how many hundred thousand dollars on equipment? It takes you HOW LONG to get paid?!" Etc...
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aaaaaaaaaand then they say, “oh by the way my company needs a video shot and edited. Should be real simple. We’ll pay you $30. “
 
Saw your footage. Wow! They are just lowballing thinking that you don't know. Quote them the figure for this show. Be very clear about defining the duration. For eg, if it is world wide or a particular region, perpetuity or for a year etc.

There have been many times I have walked off as these production companies lowball. I have even said no to feature films after protracted negotiations. A lot of production companies are out to spend a couple of 100 dollars and do their show. One thing I do is do rough cuts of very low res with two different footage and then tell them a price. Be a hard negotiator. I know the pain of and frustrations shooting wildlife. It is your hard earned IP. Protect it.

And for people who think there is a relation to be built, those days are over. Production companies put research executives to scour the net and then ask them to release the footage on free as they will give credit. IF you don't agree, then they say they are really low budget and dangle a couple of hundred dollars and it goes on. This is a nasty game. You just have to be strong.
 
As a rule, If a potential client won't let me make a living from my work, they don't become clients. If I choose to give my work away, than that is called charity.

Grant
 
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