Need advice on situation with video editor

F

FilmmakersStudio

Member
Hello everyone,

Recently I was working on a project and for the first the time I gave all of my editor responsibilities to another editor who is well qualified in every sense. For awhile, everything was good and we were communicating on how well the project was coming along. Then as of recently communication stopped. I would follow up again on how the project was going and he would continue to not respond.

I assumed all risks in dropping my guard and not getting backup footage for myself. I'm hoping that what hasn't happened on him walking away with the footage has not happened because keep in mind there is a lot of actors and film crew involved in this. This is suppose to be a on going web series.

If it does come that he did take my footage, which I'm hoping he hasn't, from a legal standpoint do I have a case? Yes, I already have contacted another camera/editor if they are available to assist .

What would anyone do in this situation? Input any of your thoughts and advice below.
 
My money is on personal problems rather than theft. I don't know this person, but if he has a reel and a career, there's no way he would try to steal a partially completed web-series, that just doesn't make any sense.

I'm sure this is a stressful time for you, but just send him clear notice that you've lined up another editor to pick up where he left off if he doesn't get back to you within (x) timeframe. Try to stay civil and compassionate inside, and if he doesn't reply to your ultimatum, take a deep breath, pick up the pieces, and keep going. Don't look back over your shoulder, it's so unlikely that something dark is going on.

And yes, legally the raw footage is yours, not his. (In the absence if a contract it's debatable to whom his FINISHED EDIT belongs). But it won't come to that.
 
You didn't say how long he's been off the radar. Is this a day? a couple days? a week? a month? Not everyone considers timely responses the same way. Try contacting him by a different means…text, phone, etc.
 
Based on the information you gave us, it sounds to me like you're assuming a lot and imagining some pretty nefarious scenarios... maybe you're jumping the gun and just need to relax a bit.

Once you hear from the editor again, communicate clearly your expectations in regard to staying in touch and deadlines for deliverables and if he/she isn't meeting their end of the bargain, take the next step.
 
Actually it's been a month. Now I have tried contacting him by phone, and text, but still no reply. He said he would have the footage done soon by the end of the week but that was several weeks ago. I do agree with the above post. A fair ultimatum is best for him to finish what he had agreed he said he would do otherwise I will have to part ways and find someone else.

In the end, I'm speaking for not just the film crew that put their time into this but also the actors who are giving up their time and effort to be there too. I do want my actors to have a copy of it that they can choose to add to their reel if they would like because that's important.
 
I hate to come off this way, but... you mention folks putting their time into this project. Was this a paid job for this editor, or are they also putting time into this project? If the later. Maybe they got a paying gig and moved your non-paying project to the rear of the bus.
 
to answer your question this was a non-paying job and I'm hoping that what you are saying did not happen because if so he is going to anger a lot of actors involved in this project including myself.
 
FilmmakersStudio said:
to answer your question this was a non-paying job and I'm hoping that what you are saying did not happen because if so he is going to anger a lot of actors involved in this project including myself.
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This... changes... everything. You have literally NOTHING at stake here, except:
I re-read the original post, and it seems that the real problem here is that you did not retain any copies of the original footage. You don't need any of us to tell you what a silly decision that was, clearly.

So, Filmmakerstudio, your #1 priority is to get your raw footage back. Forget about holding your volunteer to his commitment to edit your piece for free. Allow for the possibility that the footage could be lost, and he's not getting back to you because he's afraid to break it to you. This has happened to me before with unpaid collaborators, and I can only put the blame on them as far as the end of my own nose for not retaining a backup. Even paid experts make mistakes and have data failures.

And what David is (not so) gently suggesting is true: when you work with volunteers, all of this rigamarole is par for the course.
 
Finn's right on point with his take. Volunteers are there voluntarily. It still sucks when they flake on finishing their part, but that's why you pay people to guarantee that they do their part.
I've been in the same situation where I have some down time and help a friend out on a project for free, then have some last minute paying gig from a regular client come in. Yes, I have to put the friend's project to the back of the line for a few days, but I tell them so and they know that possibility going in. It's a little concerning that this editor hasn't told you as much or returned calls, but people are all unique and not always in a good way.
If I were in your shoes, I'd send a really nice note thanking the editor for his work so far and asking if he's cool with having someone else finish it. Tell him you'd like to come by and pick up your footage. I wouldn't resort to threats or ultimatums yet. You run the risk of pissing this guy off by strong arming him when he's already doing you a favor.
Hopefully nothing bad has happened like a data loss or the guy's been in the hospital battling a serious condition for the last month.
Good luck.
 
Finn Yarbrough said:
My money is on personal problems rather than theft. I don't know this person, but if he has a reel and a career, there's no way he would try to steal a partially completed web-series, that just doesn't make any sense.
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Sadly, people don't always make sense.

I had a guy doing the edit on a short film -- a film on which he was also the DP. This was some years back. We shot on MiniDV, and I gave him all of the tapes. Thank GOD I made backups first!

He started the editing. Then, just as the OP describes, he disappeared on me. He wasn't local -- he was several hundred miles away. I eventually ended up editing the film myself.

I never found out why he quit editing. But I did later learn -- from the guy himself -- that he had erased all of my tapes and RE-USED them on another film!

Some time after that I learned that someone else was planning to have this same guy edit a FEATURE -- also shot on MiniDV tape. I told her my experience, but she went ahead with it anyway. Lucky for her, she heeded my advice and made backup copies of the tapes before turning them over to the guy, because he did the exact same thing to her -- erased and re-used all her tapes. For a FEATURE! A feature on which HE was the DIRECTOR!

People do crazy things.
 
Well so far I have been emailing him in a kind and cordial manner but you have good point Andrius. I should ask nicely if he would be ok with someone else finishing it and offer to come and pick it up. Yes, I hope nothing bad has happened to him and hopefully we can still come out of this ok.

That's a good plan and I am going to do that thank you.
 
Sorry to hear about what happened to you Dave and boy I'm glad I started this discussion . This is all good stuff to know and be alert about especially when working with other people.
 
You all seem to be jumping to conclusions. How many people are killed/inured in car accidents every day? Get mugged and end up in hospital? Fall ill? You have no idea if this person is not responding due to a personal tragedy. Contact him first with an open mind not all guns blazing. First extricate the footage and MAKE A COPY (even if the same guy continues to with the work) then decide what to do.

However ALWAYS: BACKUP! BACKUP! BACKUP! give people a COPY not the master.
 
jagraphics said:
You all seem to be jumping to conclusions. How many people are killed/inured in car accidents every day? Get mugged and end up in hospital? Fall ill? You have no idea if this person is not responding due to a personal tragedy. Contact him first with an open mind not all guns blazing. First extricate the footage and MAKE A COPY (even if the same guy continues to with the work) then decide what to do.

However ALWAYS: BACKUP! BACKUP! BACKUP! give people a COPY not the master.
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Everything you said has been said by others in this discussion. Don't assume the worst. Try to get your footage back. Always backup.
 
FilmmakersStudio said:
Well so far I have been emailing him in a kind and cordial manner but you have good point Andrius. I should ask nicely if he would be ok with someone else finishing it and offer to come and pick it up. Yes, I hope nothing bad has happened to him and hopefully we can still come out of this ok.

That's a good plan and I am going to do that thank you.
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Let us know how it goes.
 
I work with a camera that writes out data simultaneously to two SD cards.

I always keep one of these and immediately on arrival back at home, copy the entire content of two separate hard disks.

When I able to bring back both, I copy one to one hard disk and copy the other to a different hard disk.

I load the entire project from one of the SDs to Vegas 12 and check the start, middle and end.

I then erase both SDs

All of this, of course, is overhead and I could go on an burn one or more blu-rays but this often involves carving up the media so it fits

Too much/too little?
 
No no its fine. I think I made a big mistake in allowing an editor to come on board the set. I never had that problem before but to be honest with you that was the first time I let my guard down. If he had not had come I would have had my master footage and he later would have got the copy. It is certainly a mistake that will never ever happen again.
 
Editing is an extremely intensive and exhausting process. The longer it goes on, the less
interesting it can become. So at first he was probably excited about the project but may have
since lost interest/decided it wasn't worth it.

He probably found something else and that's the problem when you don't hire professionals.

The fact that there was no monetary incentive is unfortunate,
editing can make/break a film, the craft really needs more respect in general.
 
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