Ridiculously cheap Craigslist ad looking for editor

GHKAM

GHKAM

Well-known member
Saw this ad on New York Craigslist this week...


Looking for someone to edit and put 5 minute clips together (Manhattan)

Offering a $5 amazon or PayPal cash for you to edit clips together - mostly an interview and music show. Really quick gig. Thanks.

Just show me your YouTube or Vimeo channel or previous work, and I can send you the video files through an online storage link.

compensation: $5
Click to expand...

https://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/cpg/6084460416.html

craigslist ad -4-12-17.jpg


Not only is $5 absurdly low, but the ad is posted by someone in Manhattan, NYC.
Not only are rents incredibly high, even everyday items are insanely expensive. $5 is not even lunch.

There's a lot of cheap ads on there that state they're offering "easy" tasks and you "just" have to do this.
If it's so easy, just do it yourself. :D
 
way of the world now, down in the trenches/lower production levels. on the flip side a member of one of these sites (this one or that other one) hired someone off Fiver to do some voiceover work so it works both ways...
 
Josh Bass said:
way of the world now, down in the trenches/lower production levels. on the flip side a member of one of these sites (this one or that other one) hired someone off Fiver to do some voiceover work so it works both ways...
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"Way of the world" brings anonymity into it.

I'd be curious to find out what would happen to that guy on a personal level if he offered $50 instead...

Would he hate himself for not being cheap and suffer mental anguish for days?
Would his cheap buddies make fun of him?

I mean, I get the overall concept, but what is the real consequence of a modest offer (beyond ultra-cheap)?
 
Well, I was thinking about taking him up on that offer, but there was no mention of the usual "credit" and "great experience" that would be had from said project :D

I wonder how he would feel if you offered him $5 paypal to do some work for you?
 
I suspect "if he offered $50". . .he just wouldn't. He would be just like anyone in any situation who doesn't really need something saying "oh, THAT'S how much it costs? Nevermind. Not worth it."

Actually, this brings up a larger point. . .I always wonder, when I write a long-winded response to someone talking about low-budget or offering way too little for their service request, based on how a shoot is "only a 10-minute shoot" or a project is "only a 30-second video", if I'm just talking to a wall. Has anyone ever successfully "educated" a client? Like, someone who seems like they're going to be the typical cheapskate who contacts you, finds out what a professional charges (after wanting to pay a tenth of that amount), and then disappears into the ether--has anyone ever taken one of those and converted them into a real, living, breathing client who paid a reasonable fee?
 
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Josh Bass said:
I suspect "if he offered $50". . .he just wouldn't. He would be just like anyone in any situation who doesn't really need something saying "oh, THAT'S how much it costs? Nevermind. Not worth it."

Actually, this brings up a larger point. . .I always wonder, when I write a long-winded response to someone talking about low-budget or offering way too little for their service request, based on how a shoot is "only a 10-minute shoot" or a project is "only a 30-second video", if I'm just talking to a wall. Has anyone ever successfully "educated" a client? Like, someone who seems like they're going to be the typical cheapskate who contacts you, finds out what a professional charges (after wanting to pay a tenth of that amount), and then disappears into the ether--has anyone ever taken one of those and converted them into a real, living, breathing client who paid a reasonable fee?
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I wouldn't respond to that ad or educate them.

I live near, not in, NYC. If someone really needed help and they were willing to state in an ad they would cover expenses; food/transportation, I might entertain it.

Even though the ad I posted was willing to do it remotely...the $5 enters the two parties into a business contract/the "customer" may be dissatisfied. It'd be better to just ask for a student/beginner and allow them to take their time with it. Or just download some free video editing software and do it themselves if it's a "quick job".
 
firehawk said:
Well, I was thinking about taking him up on that offer, but there was no mention of the usual "credit" and "great experience" that would be had from said project :D
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yeah, for real. "Great portfolio builder". :grin:

I love the ads that say "No pay but for credits..this is gonna get a lot of views and then I'll be able to pay."

firehawk said:
I wonder how he would feel if you offered him $5 paypal to do some work for you?
Click to expand...

Slim chance.
 
Josh Bass said:
I suspect "if he offered $50". . .he just wouldn't. He would be just like anyone in any situation who doesn't really need something saying "oh, THAT'S how much it costs? Nevermind. Not worth it."
Click to expand...

I've told this story before, but you may not have seen it.

Once upon a time, I received a call from a real estate agent. She wanted to know 'how much would it cost
for you to make me a video?' I told her that I needed more information much like she couldn't give a
prospective customer an answer to 'how much does a house cost?' I told her, that I needed to know
who her audience was, what action we wanted them to take, what we wanted them to feel when watching
the video. She told me her audience was the DIY types. Those people who wanted to try to buy or
sell their homes themselves instead of using a realtor. She wanted them to understand that it wasn't
as easy as it looked. That there were a lot of pitfalls and problems that she had the training to see and
avoid. That yes, it may look like it costs a lot more than just doing it yourself, but actually, by having
access to her years of experience, the price you paid to avoid any potential problems was actually
well worth it.
After hearing this, I said 'I'm pretty sure I know exactly what kind of video you want. It will cost $xxx'
And she said....."Oh, wow. That is a LOT more than I was expecting. Never mind. I'll just make the
video myself."

I couldn't make this stuff up.

Moral of the story. Other people often don't value what YOU do (like you said 'Nevermind, not worth it.')
BUT when it comes to what THEY do, the story is much different. Don't waste your time
with those who don't value what you do.
 
Normally I'm over these frustrated Craigslist ads posts offering stupid low compensation.

But this one made me seriously lol... it's so ludicrous it's funny.
 
alaskacameradude said:
I've told this story before, but you may not have seen it.

Once upon a time, I received a call from a real estate agent. She wanted to know 'how much would it cost
for you to make me a video?' I told her that I needed more information much like she couldn't give a
prospective customer an answer to 'how much does a house cost?' I told her, that I needed to know
who her audience was, what action we wanted them to take, what we wanted them to feel when watching
the video. She told me her audience was the DIY types. Those people who wanted to try to buy or
sell their homes themselves instead of using a realtor. She wanted them to understand that it wasn't
as easy as it looked. That there were a lot of pitfalls and problems that she had the training to see and
avoid. That yes, it may look like it costs a lot more than just doing it yourself, but actually, by having
access to her years of experience, the price you paid to avoid any potential problems was actually
well worth it.
After hearing this, I said 'I'm pretty sure I know exactly what kind of video you want. It will cost $xxx'
And she said....."Oh, wow. That is a LOT more than I was expecting. Never mind. I'll just make the
video myself."

I couldn't make this stuff up.

Moral of the story. Other people often don't value what YOU do (like you said 'Nevermind, not worth it.')
BUT when it comes to what THEY do, the story is much different. Don't waste your time
with those who don't value what you do.
Click to expand...

That sounds somewhat familiar but I could be thinking of a different story. I actually added a page to my site with some common questions/discussions that come up for me all the time, the pricing thing being one of them. I figure now I have something I can copy/paste when "but its a really simple/quick job" comes up. Lazy? Yes. But when there's a 99% chance the battle/job has already been lost at that point, I'm not too worried. And maybe I'll have "educated" someone and done some small good for the world.
 
This reminds me of a story my best friend (who has waited tables and bar tended most of his life) told me. When he worked at this "mid-level mainstream" steakhouse there was a group of business women that would come in for lunch on a regular basis and would leave, the literal (coin)change, for a tip. If the bill was $19.73, they would give a $20 and leave the change from that. He said it was more insulting than not leaving ANYTHING for a tip. I view the offer above like that. I think it would be better to not offer that insulting sum of money and instead just offer "thanks" or credit for the service.
 
reply from a former client that I catch up with on a regular basis

"Worryingly there will be someone who takes it on.

Remember you can do that work from Mumbai or Bangladesh and then the $5 is worth more than 1 coffee"
 
Yeah, there is no use getting excited over this. Because if you do, you'll go crazy when you really take a look at what goes into a stock valuation, or just basic supply and demand oddities that the world is literally overflowing with. I can't tell you how many times I do a double or triple take when some item on ebay has a price that just makes absolutely zero sense, yet someone somewhere buys or sells at that laughable price or worse. So why get aggravated? Life's too short.

Instead, think of all the ways that could go. This guy offers $5. But there is a fantastic coffee place that just opened right around the corner from my place, and they have divine coffee espresso for like $3.50. So that $5 is quite a sacrifice. What if that seems too rich, as one could buy a brilliant coffee for that. He might then decide "eh, I'll offer $1.50 compensation instead". Might find a taker. Just as somone else would say $1.50 is too rich, how about doing it for free? Then along comes someone who says, why offer "for free", I think I'll charge - and I'll call myself an "enterpreneur"... here's how I'd structure it: OPPORTUNITY! I'm selling access to practice footage at a temporarily low price of $5, going up to $10 soon, so grab this chance now, before prices go up! With the footage I provide you have the chance to practice your best editing skills and I'll give you an evaluation on the task I assigned - unique learning opportunity. Guess what - someone will spring for it. After all, people are all the time begging for free footage they can practice editing on. Sound like that demand is another business opportunity for an enterpreneur. And now, instead of paying $5 for the job, he gets $5 from you for allowing you to do the job. Win-win. See? It never ends.
 
If I was in the US, I'd be tempted to respond and get the actual footage - it would be guaranteed to be funny, if the shooting was done on the same budget!
 
Maybe the ad should have read "Please help me! I'm a parent with three little kids and can just barely use a computer to write emails. I have some home movies of the tykes that I want to edit together. $5 Amazon card to someone who can point me to a YouTube video that explains what to do for someone on my level."

I would take pity on someone who was honest and understanding about his or her situation. Probably tell her or him to use the $5 on the kids.

I think for the listed ad I might respond asking if it was a typo because surely it should have read $50. But then again I wouldn't be responding to a $50 ad either so there's that.
 
Here's a paradox - 'Hi, my name is Steven Spielberg. I am looking for an editor. You have to know how to cut 70mm film. No pay but you get the credits. It's a $200,000,000 blockbuster with more A-listers than you will ever meet waiting tables at Morton's".

There'd be a line going around Wilshire and onto Little Santa Monica and then all the way to Rodeo Drive.
 
DLD said:
Here's a paradox - 'Hi, my name is Steven Spielberg. I am looking for an editor. You have to know how to cut 70mm film. No pay but you get the credits. It's a $200,000,000 blockbuster with more A-listers than you will ever meet waiting tables at Morton's".

There'd be a line going around Wilshire and onto Little Santa Monica and then all the way to Rodeo Drive.
Click to expand...

Some exposure is worth paying for in time.

It's the nobodies that think they're Spielburgs offering you "exposure" ;)
 
right. the example above is an instance where the credit would have real weight, value. not to mentiom the contacts/networking that might come out of working on that project.
 
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