Jump to content

Late Payment


Kenny Williams

Recommended Posts

So late September I worked three days as a pa in LA to wrap up a show. I'm trying to get into the AD world, so a 2nd AD I've worked with contacted me needing someone for some scripted miniseries in riverside immediately. I showed up in the middle of the day got tested, filled out start paperwork, etc. So we finish that day and they were on day 20 of 21 but they had added a day. So the next day I show up and there was a covid scare so we all got tested and just sat in our cars for 4 hours before the day being canceled. I billed them for the full day because I was at work. Anyway fast forward to the next day we shoot like 14 ish hours and we're packing up at the end of the day. I thought this was the last day but they were adding one more for a few days later. This was my last day and from what I understand the crew hadnt been paid once yet and this was day 21 of 20. So I asked the 2nd ad who brought me on who do I talk to about getting paid. He said he'd send an email out soon. Cool I'm done I leave I wait a full week until AFTER their last day and heard nothing. I text him and he gives the EP's email from the callsheet to send my invoice/Mileage forms to. I emailed her on 9/28, but last day working was 9/23 so that's when I billed my invoice for. I primarily work reality network television so I rarely deal with invoices and still dont totally understand them. Anyway I gave them a month and sent it off. Never got a reply saying ANYTHING. As soon as I finished that show I was on a few other things so I havent been hurting for money at all. Yesterday was the due date on my invoice and I've still heard nothing. A few days ago I texted the 2nd asking him about it and nobody has been paid yet he said unfortunately this company just takes a long time. I know I'm spoiled I've never waited longer than two weeks for a payroll company like caps or ep or something to pay me. So I don't know what my options are. I've followed up with the ep and I'm a pa so I dont have a union to turn to for help. Should I contact someone else from the callsheet? I've never been in this situation and just don't know the standard operating procedures. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Kenny Williams said:

So late September I worked three days as a pa in LA to wrap up a show. I'm trying to get into the AD world, so a 2nd AD I've worked with contacted me needing someone for some scripted miniseries in riverside immediately. I showed up in the middle of the day got tested, filled out start paperwork, etc. So we finish that day and they were on day 20 of 21 but they had added a day. So the next day I show up and there was a covid scare so we all got tested and just sat in our cars for 4 hours before the day being canceled. I billed them for the full day because I was at work. Anyway fast forward to the next day we shoot like 14 ish hours and we're packing up at the end of the day. I thought this was the last day but they were adding one more for a few days later. This was my last day and from what I understand the crew hadnt been paid once yet and this was day 21 of 20. So I asked the 2nd ad who brought me on who do I talk to about getting paid. He said he'd send an email out soon. Cool I'm done I leave I wait a full week until AFTER their last day and heard nothing. I text him and he gives the EP's email from the callsheet to send my invoice/Mileage forms to. I emailed her on 9/28, but last day working was 9/23 so that's when I billed my invoice for. I primarily work reality network television so I rarely deal with invoices and still dont totally understand them. Anyway I gave them a month and sent it off. Never got a reply saying ANYTHING. As soon as I finished that show I was on a few other things so I havent been hurting for money at all. Yesterday was the due date on my invoice and I've still heard nothing. A few days ago I texted the 2nd asking him about it and nobody has been paid yet he said unfortunately this company just takes a long time. I know I'm spoiled I've never waited longer than two weeks for a payroll company like caps or ep or something to pay me. So I don't know what my options are. I've followed up with the ep and I'm a pa so I dont have a union to turn to for help. Should I contact someone else from the callsheet? I've never been in this situation and just don't know the standard operating procedures. 

Sorry this happened to you Kenny, as it’s nonunion it’s covered under the California labor agreement which means it should be paid net 30, net 45 is questionable but sometimes happens, in either case you should address this issue to the California labor board, oftentimes just threatening the EP with labor board action is enough- the way it works is that the company is on the hook for whatever they owe, plus daily late penalties so they’ll do whatever they can to avoid it, it’s not the greatest if you’re interested in preserving the relationship that being said these probably aren’t people you want to deal with anyways. Always take these issues to the labor board, I believe they have a Burbank office that deals primarily with these cases. Also good for you for standing up for yourself, this stuff happens too often in the low budget space.

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have no issue in continuing relationships with people like this. It was my very first time finally breaking into the scripted world I've spent the last 2 years of being a pa trying to get to. I just do reality tv and boy is this a negative experience to start it off. I hope all of scripted isn't like this, but I have no issue being the bad guy. I'm sick of doing it but I've been the guy to speak up for other pa's on other shows and I hound productions when my check is late. Found out once accounting threw my timecard away. After that I realized I can never stop being relentless.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Kenny Williams said:

I have no issue in continuing relationships with people like this. It was my very first time finally breaking into the scripted world I've spent the last 2 years of being a pa trying to get to. I just do reality tv and boy is this a negative experience to start it off. I hope all of scripted isn't like this, but I have no issue being the bad guy. I'm sick of doing it but I've been the guy to speak up for other pa's on other shows and I hound productions when my check is late. Found out once accounting threw my timecard away. After that I realized I can never stop being relentless.

If it makes you feel better I generally have had much better experiences regarding these issues in the scripted world than reality but there’s snakes everywhere so like you said, you kind of just have to be relentless. It’s an unfortunate byproduct of not working a 9-5 on payroll. Quickbooks has a feature that actually reminds you thirty days after you send an invoice and I find it supremely helpful, good luck.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well I'm from a little different part of the world and things are virtually the same here.

Due to the fewer project because of the corona business my girlfriend and I who run our own production company took a side job in March, April and May of 2021. We got a call from this producer that she needed an extra camera operator and a 2nd AD for a game show they were shooting.

So without knowing much of anything we showed up there and basically because of the tight schedule we worked full days for almost three months and it actually wasn't that bad. Only a couple of things sucked like the food was always cold because it got delivered early and us being too late. 

The problem was also the attitude of some of some of the top people, but at one point I got promoted to 1st AD and my girlfriend form camera 6 to camera 2 which was following the host most of the time. 

Anyway after we're done the producers tells us that the first three days are going to be counted as rehearsals and could only be billed at half price, which is BS since we were there the whole day.

Then she goes on to state that since we've never worked with them before that they wanted to pay me and my girlfriend less which is also BS since not only did they call us but we even got promoted form our original positions. Then she surprised me with the information that what we were getting payed contains tax as well which in the end means we were getting payed like a really low wage. Which is also BS since in our country tax needs to be added at the end of the invoice.

So after we got finished I talked to the producer and she told me to just write up the invoice and send it to their accountant. Which I did in about a week and got back a replay that there was a discrepancy between what the producer told me and what they have on their records. This went on for weeks which turned into months and a lot of BS that ended up even lowering the wage again.

We finally got the invoice done to their specs and the producer agreed to have me work on another project were she'd give me a higher wage to compensate for the lower wage on that project (still waiting for that by the way) and yet the invoice after 3 months still hasn't been payed.

I've sent emails to everyone including the CEO and all I get from the accountant is that their client hasn't payed them which is BS since they're obligated to pay in 30 days of the invoice, regardless of their client payment or not. 

Well we're now engaging in a law suite where I'm suing them for what they owe us and the lawyer says that we should ask for a lot more, since they went back on what they were offering initially and because of all the BS by not paying on time. 

Hope it goes well and I also hope you get payed soon too.

 

  • Upvote 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
On 10/26/2021 at 3:22 PM, Vital Butinar said:

Well I'm from a little different part of the world and things are virtually the same here.

Due to the fewer project because of the corona business my girlfriend and I who run our own production company took a side job in March, April and May of 2021. We got a call from this producer that she needed an extra camera operator and a 2nd AD for a game show they were shooting.

So without knowing much of anything we showed up there and basically because of the tight schedule we worked full days for almost three months and it actually wasn't that bad. Only a couple of things sucked like the food was always cold because it got delivered early and us being too late. 

The problem was also the attitude of some of some of the top people, but at one point I got promoted to 1st AD and my girlfriend form camera 6 to camera 2 which was following the host most of the time. 

Anyway after we're done the producers tells us that the first three days are going to be counted as rehearsals and could only be billed at half price, which is BS since we were there the whole day.

Then she goes on to state that since we've never worked with them before that they wanted to pay me and my girlfriend less which is also BS since not only did they call us but we even got promoted form our original positions. Then she surprised me with the information that what we were getting payed contains tax as well which in the end means we were getting payed like a really low wage. Which is also BS since in our country tax needs to be added at the end of the invoice.

So after we got finished I talked to the producer and she told me to just write up the invoice and send it to their accountant. Which I did in about a week and got back a replay that there was a discrepancy between what the producer told me and what they have on their records. This went on for weeks which turned into months and a lot of BS that ended up even lowering the wage again.

We finally got the invoice done to their specs and the producer agreed to have me work on another project were she'd give me a higher wage to compensate for the lower wage on that project (still waiting for that by the way) and yet the invoice after 3 months still hasn't been payed.

I've sent emails to everyone including the CEO and all I get from the accountant is that their client hasn't payed them which is BS since they're obligated to pay in 30 days of the invoice, regardless of their client payment or not. 

Well we're now engaging in a law suite where I'm suing them for what they owe us and the lawyer says that we should ask for a lot more, since they went back on what they were offering initially and because of all the BS by not paying on time. 

Hope it goes well and I also hope you get payed soon too.

 

Finally heard from them saying payment has been processed and is being sent so we'll see what happens. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...