Craigslist, oh Craigslist

B

binba

Active member
I hope the title served as sufficient warning ;-)

Just saw this post (in L.A.), and it was too insulting to contain... so just had to share it:

Seeking a Red Epic Camera with DP​
Seeking a Red Epic Camera with DP for a low/no budget one day video shoot. Date: June 12. Location: Woodland Hills. Compensation: TBD. Please reply Only IF you are available and please include you daily (12 hours) rate for epic and yourself combined. thank you.​


I've seen some things stares somberly into the horizon ...but this is the first time I see "DP with camera" turned into "camera with DP". I should post I'm seeking a microphone and amp with a singer, or a circular buzzsaw with a carpenter.

Why oh why don't I remove my Craigslist email notifications?
 
binba said:
I hope the title served as sufficient warning ;-)

Just saw this post (in L.A.), and it was too insulting to contain... so just had to share it:
Seeking a Red Epic Camera with DP​
Seeking a Red Epic Camera with DP for a low/no budget one day video shoot. Date: June 12. Location: Woodland Hills. Compensation: TBD. Please reply Only IF you are available and please include you daily (12 hours) rate for epic and yourself combined. thank you.​


I've seen some things stares somberly into the horizon ...but this is the first time I see "DP with camera" turned into "camera with DP". I should post I'm seeking a microphone and amp with a singer, or a circular buzzsaw with a carpenter.

Why oh why don't I remove my Craigslist email notifications?
Click to expand...


Ahaha...this cracked me up....and your so right. Thats funny in a Louis CK F^$ked up kinda way.
 
Hello, I am Red Epic serial number 123456. I am very interested in your no/low budget project. I rent for $2998 for 7 days. I happen to have a couple of DPs on the shelf at no extra cost. But you'll also need an EVF, batteries, SSDs, and one or more lenses. We can discuss your needs for those.

Since this is a low/no budget, I'm sure my fee is more than the entire project budget. I'm willing to talk about other compensations. Since you are a Script, you probably have some writers, a director, and a producer lying about. I'll swap the producer or director for half of my fee.

Regards,
Red
 
You guys. I'm sure it was just bizarre syntax. If we wanna get into a silly CL ad war I will post the stuff that appears in the Houston section daily.
 
binba said:
I hope the title served as sufficient warning ;-)

Just saw this post (in L.A.), and it was too insulting to contain... so just had to share it:
Seeking a Red Epic Camera with DP​
Seeking a Red Epic Camera with DP for a low/no budget one day video shoot. Date: June 12. Location: Woodland Hills. Compensation: TBD. Please reply Only IF you are available and please include you daily (12 hours) rate for epic and yourself combined. thank you.​


I've seen some things stares somberly into the horizon ...but this is the first time I see "DP with camera" turned into "camera with DP". I should post I'm seeking a microphone and amp with a singer, or a circular buzzsaw with a carpenter.

Why oh why don't I remove my Craigslist email notifications?
Click to expand...

Too insulting to contain?

Lets be honest, the industry has done it to itself with folks in LA offering their new Red camera with prime lens set and full kit for $200 a day with operator included. Rental houses are closing because they just can't compete with this new "business" model.
 
It is also the flood of people with lots of money, they buy a camera and suddenly they are a DP. I see that with our students and a lot of their work is just dreadful. These types won't listen to what we are trying to teach them, they know everything already.
 
I guess there's no end to this. Businesses will close because they can't compete with this "business model" but there is an endless supply of youth being born that can keep on offering the cheap work that has changed this industry and then when they give up there are thousands more behind them to take their place.

As far as the CL ads I get several calls a year from music "artists" wanting to make a $500 music video.
 
Such is life with the market. RED is a fairly cheap buy-in. Market gets flooded, people bank on renting them out to pay them back. Rates plummet due to desperation/competition.

I'd be lying if I said the video market wasn't scary sometimes.
 
Syntax apart... so what? I don't see this as an outrageous ad - far from it. They want to PAY. That's why they're asking for the rate. If they didn't want to pay they wouldn't bother asking about rates. Given the veritable flood of ads that offer ZERO money for an operator with gear (DP, Sound person, makeup etc.), and in exchange only promise "exposure" and such nonsense, this is about as good as it gets without going industry standard. And if you're looking for more, then why are you looking at CL? If you want industry rates look to industry sources, not dogdy ads on CL. By definition, folks posting on CL are not high rollers for the most part. High rollers and legit industry types have other sources. I don't think Spielberg is placing ads in CL for a DP. You looked at CL. It's on you - you should know what you're getting. Does the job pay money? They actually want to discuss rates? Most starving operators would say "sign me up!" - after having read through one too many "in exchange for copy, credit and exposure".

I think you need to adjust your outrage meter. If you're looking for union rates and fringe benefits, you're looking in the wrong places. There's enough to be outraged about in CL without getting excited over not much at all. YMMV.
 
OldCorpse said:
Syntax apart... so what? I don't see this as an outrageous ad - far from it. They want to PAY. That's why they're asking for the rate. If they didn't want to pay they wouldn't bother asking about rates. Given the veritable flood of ads that offer ZERO money for an operator with gear (DP, Sound person, makeup etc.), and in exchange only promise "exposure" and such nonsense, this is about as good as it gets without going industry standard. And if you're looking for more, then why are you looking at CL? If you want industry rates look to industry sources, not dogdy ads on CL. By definition, folks posting on CL are not high rollers for the most part. High rollers and legit industry types have other sources. I don't think Spielberg is placing ads in CL for a DP. You looked at CL. It's on you - you should know what you're getting. Does the job pay money? They actually want to discuss rates? Most starving operators would say "sign me up!" - after having read through one too many "in exchange for copy, credit and exposure".

I think you need to adjust your outrage meter. If you're looking for union rates and fringe benefits, you're looking in the wrong places. There's enough to be outraged about in CL without getting excited over not much at all. YMMV.
Click to expand...

I'm with you, OldCorpse. People complain on here all the time about CL ads where they want the moon and the stars for FREE. And now here's someone willing to PAY for a camera and DP, and yet people still rip him for not putting his words in the right order.

Just can't win, sometimes.
 
firehawk said:
As far as the CL ads I get several calls a year from music "artists" wanting to make a $500 music video.
Click to expand...

I occasionally make $500 music videos, but I only make them for friends when we have a cool idea and just want to have some fun with it. Maybe that's what is getting these other guys to think that it's ok to offer a complete stranger that kind of money?
 
I think it's more likely people don't research our rates or typical rates for things and just pull numbers out of their ass that seem reasonable to them.
 
David W. Jones said:
Too insulting to contain?

Lets be honest, the industry has done it to itself with folks in LA offering their new Red camera with prime lens set and full kit for $200 a day with operator included. Rental houses are closing because they just can't compete with this new "business" model.
Click to expand...

Good grief! I've been out of LA for a while. While on one hand this doesn't surprise me, how do they afford that? $200 a day couldn't even cover the loan payments much less rent and food.
 
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