The Mad Freelancer Scramble

Down payments man, down payments. Non-refundable. If someone doesn't give me money down to book a date, I don't book a date. Neither should you, because of stuff like this. It happens all the time. Except when you have a down payment. Then it rarely happens, and if it does, you win.
 
Yeah, I have a few people a year who take taxes out. NO big whoop.

You don't really get down payments as freelance crew guy (or maybe some do but I don't). That's more like for people that are all in one production companies, or weddings or whatever. Production companies in town aren't going to be paying a down payment to a grip, prompter, camera guy on hold. Again, they would just move on if I made those demands. I do do that sometimes with out of town clients, but so often the calls come so close to the shoot date (a few days out) that it's a huge pain. But if I'm renting gear or hiring additional people that I have to pay, then yes, would rather lose the gig than have to owe somebody $600 (or whatever) out of pocket.
 
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Run&Gun said:
I'm not quite sure I follow. They took taxes out, so YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY TAXES on that money now(and it saves you self employment tax on that income, as well, as a bonus). So basically the money is "all yours" at that point. Why can't you use that money towards business purchases that are in turn write-offs/deductions? It sounds like you are an individual/sole proprietor otherwise you would have probably billed as a corporation and not been subject to any of the withholdings on the front end. As a sole proprietor/individual you can use your money to buy anything you want and if it's a legit business expense, you can write it off, deduct it, depreciate it, etc. That's how I've operated since the late 90's(I just incorporated).

I have one or two clients that pay me as a "W2 employee" and it kind of sucks when you look at the check vs. them paying the full invoice, BUT the taxes have been paid on the money by the time I get it and I actually get to keep more in the end from that shoot, because I'm not having to pay self-employment tax on it, too.
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Because I have a office built off of my home, as well as a business vehicle, I have lots of
write offs (plus last year was a big one for new gear purchases for me.) Also, I was planning
an entire home office renovation, paid for with my business earnings. So sure, I could use whatever
was left over after they withheld taxes for business purchases. However, on a typical 'day rate' of
$1000, I would get paid around $775 after taxes, which means I would have over $200 that I could
not spend on my business. Multiply that by several shoots in a year, and it's fairly significant.
 
Run&Gun said:
That sucks. No other way to put it. Cancellations happen all the time
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The worst is when they call you to cancel and tell you that the shoot "went away", then later you learn that in truth they went with someone who undercut you on the rate, the shoot didn't go away, they just lied to you.

You end up getting a call from another client and you find yourself at the event that "went away" working side by side with the guy who undercut you...and he's all happy to see you and nice to you, clueless that he almost cost you a 5-day gig and completely unaware that you were ever booked by the client that ended up using him instead of you.
 
JPNola said:
The worst is when they call you to cancel and tell you that the shoot "went away", then later you learn that in truth they went with someone who undercut you on the rate, the shoot didn't go away, they just lied to you.

You end up getting a call from another client and you find yourself at the event that "went away" working side by side with the guy who undercut you...and he's all happy to see you and nice to you, clueless that he almost cost you a 5-day gig and completely unaware that you were ever booked by the client that ended up using him instead of you.
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What's worse than that?

When you do 5 $15K projects for an agency and then rather then paying you they file for bankruptcy.

Welcome to my 2016!
 
David W. Jones said:
What's worse than that?

When you do 5 $15K projects for an agency and then rather then paying you they file for bankruptcy.

Welcome to my 2016!
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Man, that is rough. That's a lot of work to be stiffed out of being paid for.
I can hardly imagine. That wins some sort of award for crappy luck or something.
 
JPNola said:
The worst is when they call you to cancel and tell you that the shoot "went away", then later you learn that in truth they went with someone who undercut you on the rate, the shoot didn't go away, they just lied to you.

You end up getting a call from another client and you find yourself at the event that "went away" working side by side with the guy who undercut you...and he's all happy to see you and nice to you, clueless that he almost cost you a 5-day gig and completely unaware that you were ever booked by the client that ended up using him instead of you.
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That's when you hope the client is on-site and you can bump into them and give the ole, "Hey, I thought this shoot got cancelled?' with a sly, sh!t eating grin on your face. And have fun watching them spin a lie in real time.

Nowhere near as bad as that, but had an aquantance call me last year(actually his wife who produces) and book my C300 for a rental. A few days before the shoot she told me the shoot went away. Okay, no biggie. Come to find out, because I had an audio guy on the shoot, it didn't get cancelled, his camera came back early from another shoot and was available for him to use again. Again, no problem, it's his camera, but why lie to me? Just tell me you don't need to rent my cam anymore...
 
Run&Gun said:
but why lie to me? Just tell me you don't need to rent my cam anymore...
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This - a million times this. Honesty goes a long way in any business. When you have folks look you in the eye and lie, the relationship is never ever the same. And you know if their giving you these small one's, the bigger one's are sure to follow.
I will always go to bat for folks I trust. Without it, very happy to walk away from large promises.
 
Josh,

I've been getting loads of last minute calls for superbowl shoots, so ill forward any more i get to you (feel free to pm me your cell). Crazy that folks are trying to crew up people with no notice here, when most folks have had holds for months...but hey, if the check clears.
 
robmneilson said:
Josh,

I've been getting loads of last minute calls for superbowl shoots, so ill forward any more i get to you (feel free to pm me your cell). Crazy that folks are trying to crew up people with no notice here, when most folks have had holds for months...but hey, if the check clears.
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I'm not saying your calls are news and you didn't say either, but it's always amazed me the people in news that wait to the literal 11th hour and then think they can just waltz into a high profile sports event just because they're "the news" and people will bend over backwards for them. I've watched it happen most of my career and always just laughed when they got told NO or only got a fraction of what they asked for.
 
Run&Gun said:
I'm not saying your calls are news and you didn't say either, but it's always amazed me the people in news that wait to the literal 11th hour and then think they can just waltz into a high profile sports event just because they're "the news" and people will bend over backwards for them. I've watched it happen most of my career and always just laughed when they got told NO or only got a fraction of what they asked for.
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I worked through that garbage for 6 and a half years... Send the live truck there. (me) Did you get me parking permits and stadium credentials? (them) No, they'll just let you in... Some of those turned into a big mess with lost shots because we had to move location to a neutral public place overlooking XYZ.
 
Josh Bass said:
Ha. Just dealt with the no credentials issue today.
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I'd like to be able to say it's because of the young, inexperienced people(assignment editors, producers, etc.) that are in positions way too early in their careers, but it's been going on for decades with people that have decades of experience.

You just have to laugh it off, because there is nothing you can personally do. I've finally started to not get worked up over the things that I can't control, like that.
 
Run&Gun said:
Puredrifting, how did you write it off? I got stiffed maybe 15 years ago by a friend who basically went bankrupt, too*. It was only $2k-$3K, but still... My accountant said there was nothing I could do to write it off, deduct it, etc. If memory serves me, he basically said because no taxes were paid on the money I would have made, no money was spent out-of-pocket(it was just my labor), the IRS wouldn't allow it/didn't care. My accountant will push the limits, but is a "by the book" guy.


*Yes, we are still friends and do still work together from time-to-time. Sh!t happens. No one want's to go bankrupt or screw their friends intentionally.
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I have a very good accountant so I couldn't tell you the details but since work was performed, it was a loss and it might have something to do with I have a corporation? I am so far from a tax expert so I don't know for sure, but my worksheet I fill out each year for my accountant to do the previous years taxes has a slot for "any losses or uncollected fees for work performed". If you are DBA or just you, you may not be able to write off losses? As always, consult an expert.
 
markfpv said:
This - a million times this. Honesty goes a long way in any business. When you have folks look you in the eye and lie, the relationship is never ever the same. And you know if their giving you these small one's, the bigger one's are sure to follow.
I will always go to bat for folks I trust. Without it, very happy to walk away from large promises.
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I work in Hollywood mostly. People screwing you, trying to screw you and failing to and lying to you is SOP here.
 
puredrifting said:
I work in Hollywood mostly. People screwing you, trying to screw you and failing to and lying to you is SOP here.
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And that sir, is one of the saddest statements about the industry. I often wonder if their are actually classes taught in film schools on how to screw people to get service for free.

There is a production company trying to move into town, they are hitting all the colleges looking for helpers. They say they are looking to train workers for all aspects of major budget production to have local crew. But one of the jobs is hospitalities which is working to provide travel and lodging for the crew. The list of people in this company is certainly all union people, which means union productions, and none of the trainees actually doing anything but free labor. We are torn between sending people their, and marking t all as BS.
 
puredrifting said:
I have a very good accountant so I couldn't tell you the details but since work was performed, it was a loss and it might have something to do with I have a corporation? I am so far from a tax expert so I don't know for sure, but my worksheet I fill out each year for my accountant to do the previous years taxes has a slot for "any losses or uncollected fees for work performed". If you are DBA or just you, you may not be able to write off losses? As always, consult an expert.
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At the time, it was just me, no corporation, so that may have been the difference.
 
Greg_E said:
And that sir, is one of the saddest statements about the industry. I often wonder if their are actually classes taught in film schools on how to screw people to get service for free.

There is a production company trying to move into town, they are hitting all the colleges looking for helpers. They say they are looking to train workers for all aspects of major budget production to have local crew. But one of the jobs is hospitalities which is working to provide travel and lodging for the crew. The list of people in this company is certainly all union people, which means union productions, and none of the trainees actually doing anything but free labor. We are torn between sending people their, and marking t all as BS.
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Reminds me of a company that screwed their audio guys out of money several years ago. They did a lot of network/union shoots and they didn't pay the penalties, union rate OT, etc. to the audio guys(staff) when they had it. Just their normal pay and normal OT. When it leaked out to the network and union, the company got raked across the coals, as well they should have, but somehow they managed to keep the client.

I also know some individuals that do similar things: they'll bill the client for everything and hold back on the people they hired by keeping their per diem, mileage, etc. that the client pays.
 
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