Freelance Living Wage

[Stephen Williams]

Well Max, you have not denied that you have used camera assistants with your time lapse filming, it's all very funny, thanks for the entertainment. It's been a long time since we had such a great thread here!

 

Where is Landon Parks :D

[Keith Walters]

Well Max, you have not denied that you have used camera assistants with your time lapse filming, it's all very funny, thanks for the entertainment. It's been a long time since we had such a great thread here!

 

Where is Landon Parks :D

Were you talking about Tom Lowe?

 

"Where is Landon Parks"

Where is Emanuel?

[Keith Walters]

 

What does that make me, two thirds of a partially-eaten cheese scone? Like those huge, inedible ones Tesco make that'll feed a family of four for a week, as long as they've got cast-iron digestion?

I don't know; I was thinking more of low-salt, dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free, sugar-free, yeast-free low-fat, free-range, wholemeal, macrobiotic, "chocolate alternative" cookies.

 

 

For some reason I think of the gambit to to effect of:

If you insist on pursuing a Mercedes system for a Daihatsu price, you'll most likely wind up with a Chery system at a Lamborghini price.

[Guest]

Were you talking about Tom Lowe?

 

"Where is Landon Parks"

Where is Emanuel?

 

Oh Keith there's so much history here we need to catch you up on. ;)

 

R,

[Maxim Ford]

Just finished reading Mark Kermode's book, it had some interesting remarks about the British Film Industry.

 

"...multiplex cinema chains are sucking the very life blood out of interesting, offbeat (and often indigenous) films by glutting the market with over-produced franchise fare, turning mainstream film exhibition in the UK into a dumping ground for Hollywood's most poisonous refuse.

1) Foriegn Language films from around the world cant crack the UK multiplex market because they use subtitles.

2) English language films from Britain can't crack the UK multiplex market because the screens are already full of Hollywood movies .

3) If British movies are to succeed in the mainstream UK marketplace, they must first and foremost appeal to Americans.

[Maxim Ford]

Well Max, you have not denied that you have used camera assistants with your time lapse filming, it's all very funny, thanks for the entertainment. It's been a long time since we had such a great thread here!

 

Where is Landon Parks :D

I have shot many commercials, feature films etc and work with Camera Assistents, we were then all employees.....

 

So what?

 

I don't know what or who is Landon Parks?

 

You are not trying to say that because 1% of my income could be described as similar to capitalism that I would therefore not be allowed to criticise capitalism?

 

That really would be moronic, like comparing a person who makes their own sweets with Nestle.

[Guest]

 

Just finished reading Mark Kermode's book, it had some interesting remarks about the British Film Industry.

 

"...multiplex cinema chains are sucking the very life blood out of interesting, offbeat (and often indigenous) films by glutting the market with over-produced franchise fare, turning mainstream film exhibition in the UK into a dumping ground for Hollywood's most poisonous refuse.

1) Foriegn Language films from around the world cant crack the UK multiplex market because they use subtitles.

2) English language films from Britain can't crack the UK multiplex market because the screens are already full of Hollywood movies .

3) If British movies are to succeed in the mainstream UK marketplace, they must first and foremost appeal to Americans.

 

 

This is nothing new, same issue in Canada. Canada could impose a screen quota the way France and South Korea do. The US will surely retaliate hitting Canadian car exports to the USA. No one here is willing to risk auto sales to the US, in exchange for helping the CDN film industry. That's just the way it is.

 

R,

[Phil Rhodes]

Thus, the only sensible attitude is: bollocks to theatrical, distribute online.

[Guest]

Well that does certainly lower the P&A spend quite a bit.

 

Who knows if theatrical releasing will even be a business in 15-20 years?

 

R,

[Stephen Williams]

I have shot many commercials, feature films etc and work with Camera Assistents, we were then all employees.....

 

So what?

 

I don't know what or who is Landon Parks?

 

You are not trying to say that because 1% of my income could be described as similar to capitalism that I would therefore not be allowed to criticise capitalism?

 

That really would be moronic, like comparing a person who makes their own sweets with Nestle.

 

if you only make 1% of your income from your stock footage! you must be earning a fortune from your other work :D

[Maxim Ford]

 

This is nothing new, same issue in Canada. Canada could impose a screen quota the way France and South Korea do. The US will surely retaliate hitting Canadian car exports to the USA. No one here is willing to risk auto sales to the US, in exchange for helping the CDN film industry. That's just the way it is.

 

R,

So there we have it. There is nothing to do because the US is powerful Imperialist country. Sounds a bit like communist propaganda

 

The French have a vibrant film industry and it is possible here. Of course there are problems and the Americans want to continue there dominance.

 

There are lots of things that can be done, support for alternative distribution, funding for production, etc

 

The political will is missing and the reason it is because not enough pressure is put onto politicians to make an industry good for purpose.

[Stephen Williams]

So there we have it. There is nothing to do because the US is powerful Imperialist country. Sounds a bit like communist propaganda

 

The French have a vibrant film industry and it is possible here. Of course there are problems and the Americans want to continue there dominance.

 

There are lots of things that can be done, support for alternative distribution, funding for production, etc

 

The political will is missing and the reason it is because not enough pressure is put onto politicians to make an industry good for purpose.

 

I understand that much of the French business is made with people getting unemployment benefits. The unemployment office will pay half of the days worked, so clever producers say the shoot has twice as many days as it does, thus getting free labour.

[Keith Walters]

So there we have it. There is nothing to do because the US is powerful Imperialist country. Sounds a bit like communist propaganda

 

The French have a vibrant film industry and it is possible here. Of course there are problems and the Americans want to continue there dominance.

 

There are lots of things that can be done, support for alternative distribution, funding for production, etc

 

The political will is missing and the reason it is because not enough pressure is put onto politicians to make an industry good for purpose.

Well, you know an awful lot of smaller, minority interest but still interesting movies do get made in the US...

And it's possible for people to make them, largely because of the infrastructure that is already in place to make commercial mainstream films. It's very much like magazine publishing: Many quality magazines only get published because they can exploit the spare print time available when the presses have finished turning out The National Enquirer....

[Phil Rhodes]

This is very true and one reason I campaign constantly for a more robust commercial film industry here. It's not just employment, it's incidental benefits as well.

 

I've said it a thousand times, but it requires political will to act. There isn't any and while British politicians consider being in with the US government to be a sign of power, there never will be.

 

Personally I try not to ask for discounts from UK crew or facilities providers on the basis that you know damn well that they're trying to etch a living out of the small stuff. There is no big platform of work for everyone to make a living on.

 

P

[Maxim Ford]

I watched "Betty Fisher and other stories". very enjoyable original film.

 

Had to laugh when I saw it was Canadian French production.

[Guest]

Hmmmm, interesting, voters in Switzerland rejected Maxim's ideas. Apparently not even the Swiss want to see their country turned into a socialist wasteland:

 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/swiss-voters-reject-plan-to-cap-top-managers-pay-1.2438366

 

"This is an important decision for Switzerland as a business location," Valentin Vogt said. "The people have decided clearly that setting salaries in this country is not a matter for the state."

 

R,

[Phil Rhodes]

You're trying to use Switzerland as an example of business ethics?

[Guest]

Oh ok Phil please enlighten us all on a country that has such high "morals" that they would vote in favour of such a law as described above?

 

Kooky policies like this wouldn't even pass in the left wing fruit loop countries like Sweden.

 

R,

[Phil Rhodes]

I repeat: you're trying to put Switzerland on some sort of moral platform?

 

Switzerland?

[Stuart Brereton]

Kinda have to agree with Phil on this one, Richard. The Swiss are hardly a model of ethics when it comes to money. Where do you think all that Nazi gold ended up?

[Guest]

Ok Phil, I repeat, which country would PASS a referendum on this same question. You both think the Swiss are some sort of evil corrupt bunch, ok fine. Do you want me to believe that the British or Americans would vote in favour of an initiative like this?

Stuart as an American are you in a position to criticize the Swiss? Just off the top of my head...slavery, segregation, treatment of the Indians, the KKK, Abu Ghraib Prison, Guantanamo Bay, shall I go on?

Every nation on earth, including lilly white Canada, has a fair number of black eyes.

R,

[Maxim Ford]

Switzerland says that setting limits on earnings is not for the State.

Of Course the State takes a big interest in keeping wages down by weakening Trade Unions, ( destroyed good wages in the UK film in dusty by ending the closed shop), having mass unemployment and free movement of cheap labour.

But let greed run its course and it will end up in violence as it has in the past. On the steps of the guillotine the aristocrats could tell of how they needed to live in palaces while others starved.

So you need 100,000 dollars a year, no 200,000, 2 million, 1 billion, what is the upper limit to your greed and stupidity?

The wealth produced by a society and economy is a whole, if 1% take 80% that only leaves 20% for the 99%.

Greed will destabilize Capitalism quicker than the communist party.

[Guest]

The wealth produced by a society and economy is a whole, if 1% take 80% that only leaves 20% for the 99%.

 

 

No that is a falsehood. You have been brainwashed by the socialists into thinking that there is a finite amount to the pie and once a big piece has been taken that means there is less for everyone else. This is just plain wrong.

 

If I make 10 million per year that does not in anyway mean that others in Canada will suddenly start earning less than they do now. Likewise, if I only make $20, 000.00/year, that does not mean the poor will suddenly start earning more either.

 

If it wasn't for entrepreneurs and capitalists the standard of living in the first world countries would be a whole heck of a lot lower than it is now. I have been to many countries where people do NOT have the freedom to create wealth and they are, excuse my French, "poop holes." You couldn't persuade me to live in one of these places at gun point.

 

In fact Maxim....please tell us why you left Poland and moved to the UK?

 

R,

[Phil Rhodes]

 

 

You have been brainwashed by the socialists into thinking that there is a finite amount to the pie and once a big piece has been taken that means there is less for everyone else.

 

So why don't they pay runners anymore?

 

Er, because they want to keep all the pie.

 

Grow up.

[Guest]

 

So why don't they pay runners anymore?

 

Er, because they want to keep all the pie.

 

Grow up.

 

There isn't a single film set in film where the runners get paid? Grow up.

 

Ultimately you get treated how you allow yourself to be treated. If you are offered a job in film for zero pay, don't take it. So long as people give their labour away for free, producers will keep taking it. If enough people refuse unpaid work, paid work will become the only alternative.

 

When I was in university we had to complete an internship. I said no to all of the un-paid internships I was offered. I held out for a paid job, and guess what....I got one!!

 

R,