Paying DP's....

F

FilmBoy77

Veteran
I'm about to direct a short film and will be hiring a DP for the first time rather than shooting it myself so I can focus on the actors. When DP's get paid for jobs like this how does it work in terms of payment? Do you get paid in steps like Pre-production, production, etc? Half up front and half when all production is complete?

Thanks in advanced...
 
If you pay in full ahead of time, the DP might run off and you're out of money and no DP. If you pay a DP at the end of the shoot, he might have had an experience where the producer stiffed him on pay and he got nothing after all that work. If you pay half now and half at the end, you might lose half the money when the DP runs off, or he may lose half the money if you stiff him at the end.

So, this is what you do. Say, you agree to $1000 (just an example). Take 10 bills of $100 each, that's $1000. Show the DP the money, let him count (but lock the door so he doesn't run away with the cash). Then stack the bills into one neat stack, take a big machete, and chop them in half. Give one half of the $1000 bundle to the DP, and you keep one half. Then, you tell the DP that after the work is done, he'll get the second half from you, and all he has to do is use some scotch tape and he's got $1000. This works perfectly, because without the second half, neither the DP, nor you can use that $1000 - with half a bundle you effectively got nothing. So the DP can't run away with half a bundle. And you can't stiff him at the end, because he's got the other half and what you got is useless, so you'll give him the second half as promised after the shoot. This btw. is better than giving that $1000 to a third person to hold, because it's hard to vet that third person (he may be in cahoots with the DP or with you), and then the DP or you might try to convince the third person to give or not give the money. But if the money is chopped, there is no arguing - you need both halves to make the whole thing work.

Back in the day, in the early 50's when I was a drug runner, that's how I dealt with my dealers. I figure the same thing will work for any short you want to film.
 
OldCorpse said:
If you pay in full ahead of time, the DP might run off and you're out of money and no DP. If you pay a DP at the end of the shoot, he might have had an experience where the producer stiffed him on pay and he got nothing after all that work. If you pay half now and half at the end, you might lose half the money when the DP runs off, or he may lose half the money if you stiff him at the end.

So, this is what you do. Say, you agree to $1000 (just an example). Take 10 bills of $100 each, that's $1000. Show the DP the money, let him count (but lock the door so he doesn't run away with the cash). Then stack the bills into one neat stack, take a big machete, and chop them in half. Give one half of the $1000 bundle to the DP, and you keep one half. Then, you tell the DP that after the work is done, he'll get the second half from you, and all he has to do is use some scotch tape and he's got $1000. This works perfectly, because without the second half, neither the DP, nor you can use that $1000 - with half a bundle you effectively got nothing. So the DP can't run away with half a bundle. And you can't stiff him at the end, because he's got the other half and what you got is useless, so you'll give him the second half as promised after the shoot. This btw. is better than giving that $1000 to a third person to hold, because it's hard to vet that third person (he may be in cahoots with the DP or with you), and then the DP or you might try to convince the third person to give or not give the money. But if the money is chopped, there is no arguing - you need both halves to make the whole thing work.

Back in the day, in the early 50's when I was a drug runner, that's how I dealt with my dealers. I figure the same thing will work for any short you want to film.
Click to expand...

I could see this being the solution for MOST financial dealings with people!
 
On our productions, usually 4 week shoots, we've paid 1/3 up front, 1/3 halfway, and 1/3 (plus a surprise bonus if there is money left in the budget) when we wrap.
 
Zak Forsman said:
On our productions, usually 4 weeks shoots, we've paid 1/3 up front, 1/3 halfway, and 1/3 (plus a surprise bonus if there is money left in the budget) when we wrap.
Click to expand...

This probably one of the better practices overall, our method is similar: 40 at Preproduction, 30 when production starts, 30 upon completion.

Day player net 15/30

Always provide or request a contract.
 
I think weekly checks sounds like a pretty good method. If you stiff him, he's only out a week's work. If he skips, he's only been paid for the time he actually worked.

Protect both yourself and your DP with a solid, witnessed and notarized contract. And before you hire someone, get references -- not only from people whose names he gives you, but also from people he doesn't know you're contacting. Contact the producers and directors from other projects listed on his resume. This reduces the chances of you winding up with someone who is going to cheat you or skip on you.

And YOU are going to be faithful and honor YOUR promises to him as well, so neither of you will have anything to worry about.
 
OldCorpse said:
If you pay in full ahead of time, the DP might run off and you're out of money and no DP. If you pay a DP at the end of the shoot, he might have had an experience where the producer stiffed him on pay and he got nothing after all that work. If you pay half now and half at the end, you might lose half the money when the DP runs off, or he may lose half the money if you stiff him at the end.

So, this is what you do. Say, you agree to $1000 (just an example). Take 10 bills of $100 each, that's $1000. Show the DP the money, let him count (but lock the door so he doesn't run away with the cash). Then stack the bills into one neat stack, take a big machete, and chop them in half. Give one half of the $1000 bundle to the DP, and you keep one half. Then, you tell the DP that after the work is done, he'll get the second half from you, and all he has to do is use some scotch tape and he's got $1000. This works perfectly, because without the second half, neither the DP, nor you can use that $1000 - with half a bundle you effectively got nothing. So the DP can't run away with half a bundle. And you can't stiff him at the end, because he's got the other half and what you got is useless, so you'll give him the second half as promised after the shoot. This btw. is better than giving that $1000 to a third person to hold, because it's hard to vet that third person (he may be in cahoots with the DP or with you), and then the DP or you might try to convince the third person to give or not give the money. But if the money is chopped, there is no arguing - you need both halves to make the whole thing work.

Back in the day, in the early 50's when I was a drug runner, that's how I dealt with my dealers. I figure the same thing will work for any short you want to film.
Click to expand...

Wow! Reminds me of all the Wild West films of Harrison Ford and others that I had watched during my growing up days.
 
OldCorpse said:
If you pay in full ahead of time, the DP might run off and you're out of money and no DP. If you pay a DP at the end of the shoot, he might have had an experience where the producer stiffed him on pay and he got nothing after all that work. If you pay half now and half at the end, you might lose half the money when the DP runs off, or he may lose half the money if you stiff him at the end.

So, this is what you do. Say, you agree to $1000 (just an example). Take 10 bills of $100 each, that's $1000. Show the DP the money, let him count (but lock the door so he doesn't run away with the cash). Then stack the bills into one neat stack, take a big machete, and chop them in half. Give one half of the $1000 bundle to the DP, and you keep one half. Then, you tell the DP that after the work is done, he'll get the second half from you, and all he has to do is use some scotch tape and he's got $1000. This works perfectly, because without the second half, neither the DP, nor you can use that $1000 - with half a bundle you effectively got nothing. So the DP can't run away with half a bundle. And you can't stiff him at the end, because he's got the other half and what you got is useless, so you'll give him the second half as promised after the shoot. This btw. is better than giving that $1000 to a third person to hold, because it's hard to vet that third person (he may be in cahoots with the DP or with you), and then the DP or you might try to convince the third person to give or not give the money. But if the money is chopped, there is no arguing - you need both halves to make the whole thing work.

Back in the day, in the early 50's when I was a drug runner, that's how I dealt with my dealers. I figure the same thing will work for any short you want to film.
Click to expand...

This is the greatest advice in the world.
 
As a production firm we've always maintained the simple standard of 1/3, 1/3, 1/3.

It makes perfect sense to clients and everyone involved that has to invest more than the time the shoot days themselves.

1/3 on contract gives us the necessary resources for preproduction planning, scripting, propping, casting and development.

1/3 at mid-point sustains the effort and 1/3 at delivery motivates the vendor and protects the client.

For critical players like a DP that works the same as the relationship between us and the client (we don't hire DPs but if we did.)

FWIW for talent and day workers we always have a check cut for them and they get paid at the end of any day they work - it creates loyal and responsive relationships.
 
jimagine said:
As a production firm we've always maintained the simple standard of 1/3, 1/3, 1/3.

It makes perfect sense to clients and everyone involved that has to invest more than the time the shoot days themselves.

1/3 on contract gives us the necessary resources for preproduction planning, scripting, propping, casting and development.

1/3 at mid-point sustains the effort and 1/3 at delivery motivates the vendor and protects the client.

For critical players like a DP that works the same as the relationship between us and the client (we don't hire DPs but if we did.)

FWIW for talent and day workers we always have a check cut for them and they get paid at the end of any day they work - it creates loyal and responsive relationships.
Click to expand...

FYI, most of your "day workers" and NOT independent contractors - they are you employees - so you should be running them through payroll.
 
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