double-time after 12...?

MPB

Well-known member
without getting into a how-long-is-a-piece-of-string conversation, i've always considered this industry standard for major cable network shows, union or not. i know, i know, everyone negotiates what they negotiate, i'm just getting push-back on an invoice where i have have already been quite "reasonable" on a number of terms. given that the day rate was for a 12, it seems "normal" to me that OT after that would be 2x.

anyone else? again, i'm not going to mention names, but we're talking about an established show for one of the bigger cable venues. albeit, through a production company.

thanks for your input.
 
Double time after 12 should be standard.

Not that it will help in this instance, but having a deal memo in place that details the basics such as overtime is worth its weight in gold, on every job that requires it (not usually required for union shows unless you are renting gear). I was once the only crew member making OT on a job, because I was the only one who negotiated it in advance.
 
The only time I had a serious dispute over OT was many years ago, and I did have a deal memo, as well as confirming it on set when we knew we were going over. Afterwards I was told the deal memo wasn't worth the paper it was printed on, go get a lawyer. In my experience a deal memo can be a good thing, but it's only a statement of good intentions. But the vast majority of my work is carried out on the basis of a verbal contract. I will generally get email acknowledgement of the general terms, but I've always done 1.5x after 10 and 2x after 12, and only on the two occasions mentioned has that ever been questioned.

But I take your point about not taking anything for granted. I'm just posing the question here to see if I'm out of touch on common practice. I know the indy/narrative world is entirely different, but I don't work in that environment and those rules don't apply here.
 
Wow on the threat to "go get a lawyer"--a deal memo, if properly stated and countersigned, IS a contract and if they break it, they should be fullly liable. Of course, the bigger the organization, the more likely they are to try to stonewall you legally (but also more likely to not even bother to show up in court). Ugh.

Anyway--yes, 1.5x after 10 and 2x after 12 is still a standard. There are exceptions but they are generally noted as such.
 
i think they understood that they were liable, but they also understood the effort/expense involved and that their lawyers were most certainly bigger than mine. then they had the nerve to ask if i would still be available for the next shoot.

anyway, thanks for your reply, Charles.
 
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