This is just a small rant, and I hope I don't upset anyone.
I've been fielding a lot of calls and emails lately from people who want to start new projects. This seems pretty common for July and August. I'm starting to see a trend in the clients that I turn down.
Generally, they're very polite, often first-time producers, writers, or talent looking to start a reality show or something for cable access based on social places (sort of interviewing people at clubs and parties and other get-togethers). They have a basic pitch and they know a few things of what they'd like to shoot, but they're usually looking to start a trailer or pilot for the show in hopes of garnering more interest. They're generally inexperienced in this sort of work but think they have a great idea, or have done lower-level work and want to move up, and are looking to hire an entire crew, videographer, gaffer, sound, and in the early stages, a director, videographer, and DP may all be the same thing, as well as casting scout along side the client, etc.
Money is rarely mentioned, and I feel it's rude to bring it up first thing. So, if it's never brought up, I bring it up once all the information on the shoot is presented, or they bring it up as an afterthought.
They're almost always paying nothing, or if it's incredibly last minute, they're willing to pay for my gas. They tell me how wonderful of an opportunity it is for me, as if they're trying to sell it to me rather than get my participation, and that "it'd be great experience for your resume."
I should be straightforward here. I don't need your experience.
Let me back up a bit. I do need experience. I love going out and meeting new people, shooting new kinds of videos, dealing with new clients. I'm always learning, and not only when it comes to the actual camera work and editing, but also as far as dealing with the business side of the transaction. If I did this work for the rest of my life, even if I became very successful with that work and made a considerable amount doing very cut-and-dry, formulated for of shoots after doing them for a long time, I suspect I'll always be learning, and I'll always find that experience useful.
I don't need YOUR experience. In college, I dealt with plenty of people who had no idea how a shoot functioned, no idea how to manage a shoot, and went incredibly over scheduled with literally every shot because of lack of experience. I've BEEN that person. In some regards, I still am. I'd say most everyone is. However, they had a great idea that they believed in, and we followed them.
I don't need that kind of experience again. I do this professionally, and I make my living from it. I use the money I make from it to pay my bills, keep under a solid roof, feed myself daily, and purchase new equipment to keep up on my trade. Unless you have an incredible new idea that you honestly believe people will rally behind without pay, I don't think you'll find someone who's experienced and yet still needs YOUR experience as a start-up. Honestly, why would they? What about tried-and-done reality show formulas and low-level star vehicles do you think a group of professionals will find appealing?
I'm always polite with these people, but if they're offering no money for something that will take a considerable amount of time where I could be getting paid work, I simply tell them it wouldn't be a fiscally responsible choice for me. Often times, they get a bit huffy, as if they're insulted that I turn down their fantastic pitch.
If these people work a day job, which I assume they do, and that day job stopped sending their check each pay period, would they continue to work there, no matter how much they love the job? I doubt it.
/rant
I've been fielding a lot of calls and emails lately from people who want to start new projects. This seems pretty common for July and August. I'm starting to see a trend in the clients that I turn down.
Generally, they're very polite, often first-time producers, writers, or talent looking to start a reality show or something for cable access based on social places (sort of interviewing people at clubs and parties and other get-togethers). They have a basic pitch and they know a few things of what they'd like to shoot, but they're usually looking to start a trailer or pilot for the show in hopes of garnering more interest. They're generally inexperienced in this sort of work but think they have a great idea, or have done lower-level work and want to move up, and are looking to hire an entire crew, videographer, gaffer, sound, and in the early stages, a director, videographer, and DP may all be the same thing, as well as casting scout along side the client, etc.
Money is rarely mentioned, and I feel it's rude to bring it up first thing. So, if it's never brought up, I bring it up once all the information on the shoot is presented, or they bring it up as an afterthought.
They're almost always paying nothing, or if it's incredibly last minute, they're willing to pay for my gas. They tell me how wonderful of an opportunity it is for me, as if they're trying to sell it to me rather than get my participation, and that "it'd be great experience for your resume."
I should be straightforward here. I don't need your experience.
Let me back up a bit. I do need experience. I love going out and meeting new people, shooting new kinds of videos, dealing with new clients. I'm always learning, and not only when it comes to the actual camera work and editing, but also as far as dealing with the business side of the transaction. If I did this work for the rest of my life, even if I became very successful with that work and made a considerable amount doing very cut-and-dry, formulated for of shoots after doing them for a long time, I suspect I'll always be learning, and I'll always find that experience useful.
I don't need YOUR experience. In college, I dealt with plenty of people who had no idea how a shoot functioned, no idea how to manage a shoot, and went incredibly over scheduled with literally every shot because of lack of experience. I've BEEN that person. In some regards, I still am. I'd say most everyone is. However, they had a great idea that they believed in, and we followed them.
I don't need that kind of experience again. I do this professionally, and I make my living from it. I use the money I make from it to pay my bills, keep under a solid roof, feed myself daily, and purchase new equipment to keep up on my trade. Unless you have an incredible new idea that you honestly believe people will rally behind without pay, I don't think you'll find someone who's experienced and yet still needs YOUR experience as a start-up. Honestly, why would they? What about tried-and-done reality show formulas and low-level star vehicles do you think a group of professionals will find appealing?
I'm always polite with these people, but if they're offering no money for something that will take a considerable amount of time where I could be getting paid work, I simply tell them it wouldn't be a fiscally responsible choice for me. Often times, they get a bit huffy, as if they're insulted that I turn down their fantastic pitch.
If these people work a day job, which I assume they do, and that day job stopped sending their check each pay period, would they continue to work there, no matter how much they love the job? I doubt it.
/rant
