Michele Peterson

It's very expensive to have a real baby for a scene. As the previously posted link details, babies cannot be actually working for very long, as little as 20 in newborns. As we all know, completing an entire scene (not just shot) in 20 mins is quite rare and difficult. In addition to that, a studio teacher/welfare work and a nurse have to be there. The nurse is needed because infants cannot control their own body temperatures, or tell someone when they get hot, like adults and can easily over heat when under even a few lights. I often notice that many shows don't even bother with a fake baby, but just have a blanket cover the would-be baby that is being held in someone's arms. Also, the just-delivered-seconds-ago babies look freakishly large because they can only get an older infant.

We sent your check out last week. We can send you another one, but you'll have to wait until the next pay period.

I've only every heard of IA in Canada (Toronto and Vancouver) doing this. My understanding is that you train as a loader at the bottom of the ladder in the camera department, so you aren't directly being trained by the DP any more than the 1st & 2nd AC are. Local 600 in the US does not offer an official trainee program. Interning or PAing in the camera dept is a god way to learn. I did that once, but realized I really wasn't getting much out of the deal. The 2nd AC had to miss 2 days and refused to let me move up and take his paying job those days even though the 1st suggested it and backed me and my skills. I think he was worried about me taking his job. Your best bet (if you can find it) is to work with a 2nd who is ready to move up to 1st, so he won't be worried and will be able to bring you along when he needs a 2nd.

Having a head that can be removed or slide up and down the length of the arm is something highly desired. It comes in very handy when rigging in tight spaces. Out of the big grip manufactuers, American does have it, Norms does not, but I don't recall about Matthews and Modern.

Prodcuers/Directors/Segment producers are not usually running audio mixers, setting up cameras, operating the camera and arranging lights. After I posted here, I saw your other post listing your job duties and it looks like you are handling much more than what is typically one job. I think that makes it much more important to list your duties and explain all that you do. I have worked as a segment producer for documentary shows and my job was to find stories to cover (for approval of the producer and exec producer), arrange clearances, times, dates, crew, equipment etc. While field producing, I was not the one shooting or lighting (although I started with that company doing such and would occasional on shoots I wasn't field producing). I would be the one arranging what shots would be done that day, in an efficient order, that all necessary shots got completed, making sure clearances were signed, and mostly asking the questions during interviews. It was mostly an office job because it took several days of pre-production for everyday in the field at an event. If you want to get into producing liek that, then list it as segment producer, but if you want to get into camera work, then consider adjusting you title (only if it still holds true and your employer will back you up) to something like producer/shooter, or maybe even studio technician. I personally would include more than less as far as company info. Any company is better than none. If someone can look it up, all the better. As far as people's names go, I wouldn't list anyone that isn't recognizable. IF they are student films, then be honest about them. Nothing looks worse than people trying to pass off student project as soemthing more. Even if that isn't your intention, someone reading your resume make misconstrue that.

In the US, there is not always a separate loader and 2nd AC, especially on low budget productions. (I was even asked once to load and pull focus by a cheap producer lol) Your chances of finding work have a lot to do with whether or not you have some connections in LA (from friends or people you worked within the UK). If you don't, you'll likely be working your way up through doing low budget shows.

Even though this is an old thread, I thought I'd add my 2 cents since it's already been bumped up anyway. No one should have to pay to work! An internship is a good place to start if you have no experience or connections, but you certainly don't have to pay several grand to get one. Credible companies are constantly hiring interns, since interns don't stay long. Do some basic research online and you can find hundreds of production companies, then keep contacting different companies until you find one you can intern with. There are plenty of free job sites as well. There are plenty of scams out there. Many "film schools" pop up, especially in LA, and charge a bunch of money and aren't even properly accredited to give you a real degree that with transfer anywhere else.

It depends upon the budget and what they can offer. Maybe the have a big budget and are just being stingy or maybe because it is an interest show, they aren't getting much money for it and just don't have the money. It sounds like you are filling multiple roles, which would make me think that they don't have the money to pay for the usual number of people, thus have budget constraints. Also how long have you been doing this and did you have previous experience in these functions before this job? If you feel that your job performance/skill has increased, then that is a point you can make when asking for a raise, but be prepared to back it up with facts. Even though you may feel that you've learn the job in a couple months, a boss with 20+ years experience may view that as too little time and want you to do it for a year or so. Look around for what other companies are paying in your area for similar jobs to people with your level of experience. Then if you still feel underpaid, decide if you want to take that info to your boss and ask for a raise or apply to those jobs you find and quit if you get offered something better. In the end, ask yourself if you are getting enough (experience and money) out of this job anymore?

It's appears that all your experience is on the office side of production. You state your goal on the resume as producer-director, so if I were to see your resume, I wouldn't think you'd be interested or dedicated to the camera dept or such. I'd only consider you for office jobs leading toward your stated goal, like PA, or maybe a higher up position like producer if it were a lower budget production. Your skills cover a lot of equipment that doesn't directly apply to any jobs you have done. Due to that, I suggest reformatting your skills section and instead put them into a description of each job you preformed. That way it will show your application of those skills better. As an example, if you list your duties of your segment producing job to include make call sheets, then we know that is a skill you know and have experience with. If you learned &/or assisted with the editing or use of film equipment, etc on a specific job, then I would specify that. If you learned them in school, I suggest listing the education and then you can elaborate on your experience there. You don't want a potential employer to waste too much time reading through irrelevant skills though. Make your resume concise and relevant to each job you are applying for. You also might want to consider adding more info, such as production company, on some of the lesser known projects to give it more credibility and recognition.

I completely agree. Ansel Adams didn't light his photographs himself, but he knew how to utilize natural lighting to make remarkable photographs. On set, the still photographer has to utilize lighting that wasn't done specifically for him or his angle, but he still has to & does make great pictures with it.

Many people work non-union shows too and it isn't a problem. The locals will refer jobs if they have any. But they don't get enough to sustain any person's career, let alone all their members careers. Relatively very few jobs are called into the halls and there are hundreds of members in each local. Non-roster/permits can call in too and if they don't have enough available members to fill the jobs, they will gladly send out permits. It does happen on occasion, but again not enough to sustain someone's career through that.

If you can document 100 days of work in one position, then you should call contract services csatf.org to submit your paperwork if you are seeking to get into the union. I'm not sure why you are concerned with what constitutes a company. It doesn't matter what company it is from or if it is a sole proprietorship, LLC, incorporated or whatever.. You could be an employee or independent contractor, freelance or staff. You just have to be able to prove you worked. Contract Services supposedly prefers pay stubs, but will sometimes also take call sheets or letters from production. The more documentation you have, the better.

Nothing beats working hard and being willing to do whatever is asked with a smile on your face. Enthusiasm, the way I think of it, is very much the same. Be willing to to do anything and eager to help. Always be ready and don't be sitting around when there is work to be done, and there is ALWAYS something to be done, if you look for it. Keeping quite doesn't mean don't have enthusiasm. Be friendly, but don't waste time chatting when something should be getting done. Work smarter, not harder when it comes to your job, but don't tell people how to do theirs. Even if you are right, they will hold it against you.

Each craft has a different rate for different tiers. I'd be suprised if anyone here kept track of other crafts. Most locals give a card to their members to be able to check their craft's different rates. You might have better luck to call the west coast regional office instead of just the local. Go to IATSE main website. The locals you called probably couldn't help because they don't handle and know rates for other locals.

This industry is feast or famine and goes up and down for one reason or another. I've noticed a little slow down and more haggling over prices of everything, but there are still shows out there going strong.

It's a pretty typical set-up. The stands are Hi Rolllers. Which are combo stands (have junior reciever and lollipop) on wheels and as the name implies, raise up higher. They are heavy duty stands, great for backdrops like that outside, where wind can be an issue. B&H is might not be your best bet for buying a lot of grip gear. I'm sure you can get most of it, but if you go straight to the manufacturers, you can also get a better idea of what is available and commonly used. Keep in mind that those stands are made of steel and fairly heavy, so shipping is not cheap. They are build very solid and last quite a while, so used it a viable option. The big grip manufacturers are: Modern Matthews Norms American

It is definitely a catch-22 to have to be union to work on a union show, but have to work on a union show to get into the union. You have to know someone willing give you a start and get you in. They recognize that not everyone has those connections, so they allow non-union days too. A production has to jump through extra hoops and have a good reason why they were unable to hire a union person. When you don't yet have your days you are working on a permit. The union is permitting the production to hire a non-union person to meet the needs of having enough people. When someone hires a permit, then they work under union contracts and get union wages. It is entirely feasible for people to get their days, people do it all the time. If it wasn't possible, then there wouldn't be anyone left in the union. There are many ways to get your days or ways for a production to get who they want. Any production that has the money to go union, isn't likely to hire a DP (or anyone other than entry level), that doesn't have at least 100 non-union days experience.

I'd be really surprised to find out that they accept non-union days but not union days. The people who get in with 30 Union days, have to know someone, like a father or uncle who gets them in, so it might just be that those people talk less about how they got in than the people who worked non-union first and have non-union friends that are more likely to ask them how they got in.

I'm pretty certain that contract services (who is the one to verify your days, csatf.org) requires the same for all locals: 30 union days with 1 year or 100 non-union days in 3 years. If both features were union, then the production company had to report to the union who has worked how many hours. So they should barring the usual red tape, have records of your industry experience already.

The crew members are the ones that should be doing something if they want their show to become union. They can't sit on their butts all day expecting someone else to figure out they exist and do something for them. If crew wants to try to organize, all they have to do is have one person put in one phone call to any local and start it. There is a lot that goes into it from there.

It's a scam. They lure you in with the too good to be true price and that's exactly what it is. They are fly-by-night companies and the internet makes it easier for them. They sell the body for $1000, and stuff like batteries and other basic items to make it function are absurdly overpriced priced. So in the end, you don't end up saving money. If you try to just say no to the add-ons and up-sells, then don't expect to receive your item any time soon, if at all, or get a call returned. They are often grey market items or undisclosed that they are refurbished. Warranties are not always valid or have to be sent to Mexico for repair. I have even heard of people getting Japanese NTSC cameras and all the menus and buttons are labeled in Japanese. I once bought a camera at a slightly lower price, although I research the company with better business bureau beforehand, I still got hit with up-sells for getting a battery included. I suggest call the company and cancel your order, then call your credit card company or bank and stop payment.

There is an issue if you're non-union, not because you are non-US. IATSE is international (to some extent). If non-union people work for a union signatory company, you are undercutting DP's that have banded to have the power to together to negotiate more money and more benefits for everyone, so they aren't going to like it. You can definitely work for a union signatory company, but then you will be working under the union contract and you will be working toward getting your days to qualify for the union. The production company will have to jump through more hoops to be able to hire a non-union DP, but it is possible. They will have to have a good reason why they were unable to find a union DP.

The local local that covers that area would be the one to try to do so. The most of the locals in LA only cover that craft in the local LA area. 600 is an exception. All areas are grouped into some local jurisdiction. Since IATSE covers many theater and concert venues as well, there are many locals out in areas that filming doesn't often occur. The local union office is often backing film incentives, like tax breaks, in many states, in order to create a film industry and job opportunities in their area, so they require the companies to meet certain criteria, such as hiring a certain amount of local crews and being union to qualify for the incentive (unless it's a right to work state where unions don't have as much power). As someone mentioned before, if one union rep won't bother to go 2 hours out of the way, you can't use that to accurately represent and assume that all reps won't either. They may not bother to waste time trying to turn a show if they already know that the show has way too small of a budget to afford union crew no matter what tier they put them at. The business reps at the union can't patrol the lots and streets keep tabs on the thousands of productions going on, so they often rely on crew to bring it to their attention. They also prefer to have crew that already actively participates in wanting to flip. While the business reps at the union locals want everyone to turn, because that give more bargaining power to the union, the producers want non-union workers so they have someone who will work for less. The producers ensured that they will always have a non-union labor force by requiring people to have industry experience to get on the union roster and become a member. Some people meet their experience requirement by doing the 30 days on union projects if they are lucky enough to have a connection to get them in, but some do the 100 non-union days, giving the producers a cheaper labor force. WB's production division may be signatory to IATSE, but the studio operations is a separate legal entity and incorporated separately under the parent company, thus not required to hire union exclusively. They are a for-profit business and will rent to anyone that has the money. Non-union people can also rent props and set dressing and stuff like that too from WB. Many non-union shows don't have the money to rent at major lots, so that's why you don't see them as often.

I have yet to see it in person and try it out, but I have seen the Rock 'n Roller cart online and they seem like a good cart for the price. The largest one of the Rock 'N Roller carts appears to have fairly decent wheels. It is collapsible and is also telescoping in length. There is an optional top shelf and separate option to get a solid shelf on the bottom as well. The shelf doesn't have a lip on it to keep small things, like screws, from rolling off, which is something I prefer. The largest will be around $300 with the optional shelf and tax. Manufacturer's site: http://www.rocknrollercart.com/products.htm The R12 cart at B&H http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/3572...Roller_All.html Top Shelf: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/4498...olid_Deck_.html

On your resume, I would cut it down to one page. The last page has most of the info people are seeking. When someone is going through hundreds of resumes they won't bother reading the entire first page, they just glance over it. Your resume has to be brief and get straight to the point of your experience. What you mention on the first page is the type of thing you would discuss in person during an interview. I suggest throwing out the first page and taking the last page and changing it just slightly. Move your "completed projects" to the top and then have your "other work experience" below, if at all. If Destroyer Films is your company then you should list yourself as the owner. Listing yourself as "Self employed through Destroyer Films" is unclear as to whether you are the owner or a freelance employee.