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A more experienced colleague told me 12 hour days for a month are not uncommon. What are your average working hours on set?

 

Regards

 

Deji

 

12 hour days is the norm. 10 hour commercial days are out there. However, 14 and 16 hour days is becoming more common for music videos.

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Are all unions on-board with the 12-hour day? That is, do they all require overtime pay once a production goes over the 12-hour mark or do they vary?

 

Just curious.

 

Technically, you're in overtime after 8 hours in the US, so hours 9 thru 12 are paid at 1.5x. after 12 hours its 2x, until you hit 16 hours (I think) when it's 3x

 

British productions don't pay overtime, so pretty much have to keep to their contracted hours. The exception being commercials which have a defined OT & penalty structure.

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Technically, you're in overtime after 8 hours in the US, so hours 9 thru 12 are paid at 1.5x. after 12 hours its 2x, until you hit 16 hours (I think) when it's 3x

 

British productions don't pay overtime, so pretty much have to keep to their contracted hours. The exception being commercials which have a defined OT & penalty structure.

 

Wow. Double-time after 12 hours? Nice! I work for EMS in NYC and we get paid time and a half after 8 but it stays at that rate through 16 hours (which is our limit.) Hmmm...people saving lives getting 1.5 through 16 hours...and people entertaining getting double-time after 12 hours. Now, what's wrong with this picture?...LOL :angry:

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Technically, you're in overtime after 8 hours in the US, so hours 9 thru 12 are paid at 1.5x. after 12 hours its 2x, until you hit 16 hours (I think) when it's 3x

 

British productions don't pay overtime, so pretty much have to keep to their contracted hours. The exception being commercials which have a defined OT & penalty structure.

 

Wow. Double-time after 12 hours? Nice! I work for EMS in NYC and we get paid time and a half after 8 but it stays at that rate through 16 hours (which is our limit.) Hmmm...people saving lives getting 1.5 through 16 hours...and people entertaining getting double-time after 12 hours. Now, what's wrong with this picture?...LOL :angry:

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Hmmm...people saving lives getting 1.5 through 16 hours...and people entertaining getting double-time after 12 hours. Now, what's wrong with this picture?...LOL :angry:

 

I agree it makes no sense. Bear in mind those are union rates. If you're non union you're probably getting exploited just like everyone else.

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I dont' know about today, but when I was working a lot pre-production was usually an eight hour day. As shooting started and progressed the days were stretched to cram more shots; eight became nine, became ten, became fourteen or sixteen depending on the deadline.

 

So twelve hour days don't surprise me.

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It greatly depends on the contractual conditions.

 

Making an American IATSE member work sixteen hours a couple of days in a row is greatly excused by the telephone-number salaries. Making a teenaged wannabe work sixteen hours for £50 on some worthless little music video in London is abusive.

 

P

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It greatly depends on the contractual conditions.

 

Making an American IATSE member work sixteen hours a couple of days in a row is greatly excused by the telephone-number salaries. Making a teenaged wannabe work sixteen hours for £50 on some worthless little music video in London is abusive.

 

P

 

Telephone number salaries Phil? What's that? In the feature world in the US, many of us union folks can receive 10 hour guarantees. That means we get the contractual 8 hours of straight time at whatever one's hourly is along with 2 hours of guaranteed 1.5x OT. That's even if we actually work a shorter day.

 

G

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10 hour days are ideal. I think they are more productive when people are over worked and not well rested. 12 hour days seem to be more common. Anything after that borders on cruelty. People get tired and mad and things drag. I did a lot of music videos in the 80's and 18 hours was not uncommon. I did a commercial once on Lake Powell where the dust kicked up and after we wrapped it was a 22 hour day. We got 2 hours of sleep and did another 18 hour day. I made about 3 grand in cash on that commercial so a little pain was easily soothed by the monetary compensation.

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On most Australian Productions, under the union award, the base day is 10 hours. Double time from 10 hours to 12 hours, triple time thereafter.

 

Minimum turnarround without penalty is 10 hours. Delayed Meal Break Penalties start at 6 hours.

 

Needless to say most episodics and smaller films tend to stick to 10-12 hour shooting days.

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Matthew, one of the only 10 hour a day shoots I did was with George Miller, an Australian. 10 hour days are so much more productiove to me. I als got to experience my first "tea time" in the afternoon. At first, I was like, what are these people thinking takin a break for tea, Then I loved it. Gave me a little boost and a bite of food. Great idea.

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