Deferred payment

[Brian Drysdale]

There are also plenty of instances when the paying gig comes along, it doesn't go to the person who basically worked for nothing, but to someone who's known to the funders or producer.

[George Ebersole]

 

Here's the deal, name one other industry that builds massive walls and gates around their headquarters the way the Hollywood studios do. Drive around LA, all the studios are like fortresses. It's really a sight to see.

 

I'll bet not even Apple HQ has a massive wall built completely around it. Easy access to GM's HQ in Detroit. I'm sure even the Walmart HQ in Arkansas does not have a Hollywood style wall around it.

 

So the studios send one very resounding message to the rest of the world......GET OUT! AND STAY OUT!!!!

 

R,

 

In younger days as a young 20-something, I helped shoot stuff down at Apple, Intel, AMD and so forth. I think AMD put up a rudimentary chain link fence around their corporate park (I think that was the NexGen facility before AMD bought them out), but otherwise, no.

 

I've often wondered about it, and I just think it comes down to lots of nut cases having a desire "to be in movies". When EA HQ was down the street from my home way back when, I could walk in, ask to buy a game, and the lady at the counter would give me change from the company cafeteria (pre Download of games, back in 3.5 floppy days). It was like going to the store to buy a coke or something. I can't imagine going to a movie studio and asking to buy a VHS or a copy of some film.

 

I guess at one time I had "movie fever", but I can't imagine hopping a fence to offer your services or hoping you'll "get noticed" by someone. That's crazy.

 

When I did that deferred gig all those years ago it was basically for training and networking. And, wouldn't you know it, the company in question was highly honorable, and sent letters to everyone a year later, and a follow up a few years after that as to the film's status. Very cool. Very professional. And if you're going to do deferred payment, then you do it with contracts and follow up on those.

 

I remember one time I got a call from a producer (a woman) asking me if I'd work for food ... :rolleyes:

 

Ah ... no :angry: was my reply.

[Brian Drysdale]

Only do deferred payment jobs if there's a real meaningful gain to you in doing so. You're not doing it to pay the bills, so it has to be something worthwhile. If a stranger comes to you asking for it, really grill them, read the script and check on the resources you're being given, ask about the cast, after all you're an investor in their production

[Michael LaVoie]

It's pretty easy now to vet the credentials of a "producer" asking you to work for free. Just know that if you're not getting paid, then your crew probably isn't either which means you're in for a really rough shoot, working with total newbies and probably no production staff. Not worth it 99% of the time.

[Phil Rhodes]

Other occupations in which people frequently do large amounts of unpaid work include software engineering and more or less all forms of art.

 

However, it's now normal for effectively all industries to hire unpaid "interns", due to what I've started calling the Producer Attitude.

 

P

[Tyler Purcell]

I was wondering if anybody had ever gotten a cheque out of a deferred payment gig.

Deferred payment in my eyes shouldn't be discussed unless you know for certain there is money coming your way.

 

For instance, I just wrapped on a 250k feature that has no post/finishing budget. I did them a solid favor and did all the prep work and in 4 days, cut a version of the feature they could show the producers. I also cut a trailer that will be used to get potential buyers interested. For me as an editor, it's great to be credited on a feature film, so I don't mind delaying payment. I know the director, he always pays, I know the producers, they have more money so if anything goes wrong, I could get SOMETHING from them, even if it's some used gear or something. Point being, if you know the people involved and it helps give you good IMDB credits (a product that is guaranteed to go somewhere), then it's a little less of concern for deferred payment.

 

If you're working with a bunch of rookies, without any prior success, you absolutely don't want deferred payment. In fact, I'd be so bold as to say, deferred payment is ONLY worth while if there is something to back it up. IMDB credit on a project that goes nowhere, doesn't help either. This is why deferred is really only good when there are professionals around that YOU ALREADY KNOW and have a track record of recouping on their investment.

[Phil Rhodes]

I think in general doing favours (whether discounts or freebies) is something that should come after a fully-remunerated working relationship has been established.

 

P

[Stuart Brereton]

I think in general doing favours (whether discounts or freebies) is something that should come after a fully-remunerated working relationship has been established.

 

P

Absolutely. If you work for free for someone that doesn't know you, then you are always going to be the 'unpaid guy' in their minds. As soon as they have a budget, they'll hire the person they wanted to hire in the first place, but couldn't afford.

[Ben Scott]

I think I'm more likely to work for free on a project than I am on a 'deferred' project. It just feels completely dishonest and I'd rather know at the outset.

 

My rule these days is to not work on a promise but on what the project in front of you actually offers you. That said, on some super low budget projects I've asked that they put the fee they were putting aside for me towards some better lighting gear instead.

[George Ebersole]

The two deferred gigs I did were professional enough. Chapman dolly, Arri BLIII, Mole Richardson lights ... the whole nine yards. And the footage on both looked very decent, in fact it looked impecable. The fact that neither project got picked up is a shame. But everyone has a dream, I suppose. Some are made manifest, others aren't, and that's just the way life is.

 

The first one I ever did way back in the 90s, was about what various couples did on the 4th of July in San Francisco. We shot a sequence about some woman who didn't know what she wanted and was tryhing to emotionally snare an artist after a one-night stand. Crane shots, tons of lights, ever so subtle dolly moves ... but all the professionalism in the world doesn't sell a film, so no paycheque.

 

I did a number of rock videos too when I was a youngin. Same deal. I think one client was actually arrested for some charge, so again no money. It was good experience, and I'm not sorry I did any of those jobs. I'm not sure I'd do it now as a middle aged guy, will and body just aren't there unless it's something or someone I really believe in.

 

thanks for the replies. Very insightful.