Sue May

Hi, I will ask my lawyer about posting the name. I know that all the paperwork filed in court is public record so that has her name on it. We are not at the point of a trial. If it comes to that I assume that is the next step. This only some pre-trial stuff - sorry not a lawyer and not sure of the proper terminology is! The document is good because it's notarized and provides information now that can be substantiated by an expert later and it may not have to be the exact expert. The idea was to provide info also for a civil case which I may file later on for damages. Or I may file w/another filmmaker that paid the same shooter I hired and her best friend (both NYU bach. grads. by the way!) to shoot footage in Vietnam that she produced w/her subjects. These girls did basically the same thing to this other filmmaker. They took her money, refused to give her the footage and demanded more money, when the footage was recovered they had copied it and damaged the tapes! They took another step w/the other filmmaker - they made a short and send it in to Sundance crediting themselves as director & DP! It's an f-ing mess! In fact the girl who screwed me is still sending out reels w/the Vietnam footage claiming to be the DP of a finished film that was never finished. The other filmmaker lost 40K and and is still paying the loan from this her mess w/these girls. Can you imagine they were only 24 when they did that to this filmmaker who is also a chair of a history dept. of a university, an author, and a Harvard Fellow! So, you know their nutty girls to do that to someone w/that kind of creditability! I'll ask and see what I can do. Not matter what, we may file a joint civil suit if for no other reason than to get the word out about these two camera operators - but I'm not expecting any money from my nutcase. I forgot... the girl who messed me up has no professional equip. she always shot w/my pro. equip. and no website (as well as her best friend) so they pretty much stay under the radar and use each other and friends from NYU as references. They're criminals! Sue

Hi, I don't want to argue. I only was trying tap into your community and get some information. I thought it best to discuss the details in private. The persons who wrote the documents do so in good faith w/no prejudice or bias for or against anyone - it was merely information. If I made a mistake then that was what it was a mistake. I never intended to harm or deceive. Thanks for understanding. I was doing the best I could w/the information I had and the time frame I had to work in. This is a stressful situation. I spent 3 years of my life on this film. Anyway, I'm not sure what's going to happen. I am an observer now. The decision is not mine. And I did not raise this person to be who she is and make the decisions she made in reference to me and the other filmmaker she harmed. I am only doing the best I can to protect my work and subjects. What more can I do?! Please understand that I never wished to deceive any of you so please consider the circumstances and my situation. We are all just human and trying to create in our own way. Harming others in this process is not acceptable. What ever happens in court will all be public information. If you want to know I'll email you privately if u want to know, but once it's, over it's over and I'm moving forward. I've spent a lot of time and energy on this already - I have other projects and subjects that need my attention. Sue

You're abusive and argumentative. All lawyers are not sleazy they have a job to do like every one else. Making a blanket statement? generalizing about a group of individuals based on their job/title is just as ignorant as making NEGATIVE assumptions or opinions based on race, gender, religion or nationality. My lawyer is very intelligent, does a lot of charity work for non-profits, and is highly intelligent. I am not dishonest. I wrote what I needed and have the right to discuss the facts and issues in private. Sculpting has nothing to do w/it; I only put it out there, because someone thought I was a student. Being dishonest means to lie or deceive - I did neither. Lot's of people go to school for a Sculpture degrees and there?s tons of public art all over the world and in museums to prove that. Two of my new subjects are very famous sculptors who sell their work for hundreds of thousands of dollars... and have their work in museums - maybe you've heard of those places where the keep the art and SCULPTURES. Your opinion on my creditability means nothing to me. You sound like an angry person who likes to abuse others. All the lawyers I know have high I.Q.s and are good at what they do. A ?Sleazy? lawyer is a cliché! I never said I took legal action against anyone. You're making an assumption just as you make assumptions about LAWYERS. I did not take legal action against this girl. She stole from me and that is a criminal matter. You're insulting, abusive, disrespectful, and then you infer that I?m a liar. In Psych 101, it?s called PROJECTION. It?s when someone (like you) takes their traits and PROJECTS those traits on to another (like me). I found two great DPs and once we spoke, they were happy to help. They?re adults who are smart and have good instincts ? I think they?re able to make a decision as to if they want to write an opinion on what is proper in this industry in reference to being a DP. What they wrote would not be harmful to anyone ? unless someone was trying to pull a fast one/bamboozle others who know very little about this business. I have nothing to lie about. I don?t steal from or harm other artists or filmmakers. You obviously don't have any respect for women by calling me a "broad." I did offer compensation ? I never stated that I did otherwise. You once again made an assumption. You?re full of assumptions, which means you really didn?t read and/or comprehend what I wrote because if you had, you would not be writing what you did. I?m not sure what you have to be so angry or abusive about but you are. I don?t care if you think I have no creditability. My work speaks for me: artwork, photography, film-work. You speak about me getting what I wanted? and what?s wrong w/that? Do you never get what you want? Maybe you?re to busy being angry and abusive to even know what you want. What I was looking for was simple and easy for any seasoned DP to write? so what. What I wanted was not negative or wrong or ?lawyer like.? It was what it was and that?s information. An opinion is based on experience. It is not negative or positive. It?s facts based on one?s experience no matter the field or business. It can?t hurt anyone, it can only act as a guide to show what is acceptable or customary or true based on one person?s knowledge, education, and experience in that field. It is not for one side or the other. It?s an opinion not abusive disrespectful slurs like those that you made against me. Here?s a clue for you? if you chose you can redirect all that anger and abusive energy into your work? energy is just that and if you do you?ll be a much better DP or what ever it is you do. Try it and see it work, just like magic.

Yea, no worries, it's all stressful and I was in a RUSH... Sorry to hear what happened to you friend... the redubbed stuff is extreme. I found another filmmaker (1 doc credit) who is also chair of the History Dept. at a university and a Harvard Fellow that was bamboozled by the SAME GIRL who messed w/my film and her best friend! Together they took the Professor's 40K and refused to give her the footage, copied it and made a short and claimed it as their own. She - the professor - wrote a letter for court for me. They ruined her 2nd film... it was never made by her that is. Take Care, Sue

Hi, Yea, it's understandable - I was trying to put it out there w/out trying to reveal to much and then hope to find someone... or two - like I did. No worries... I was in a RUSH cuz the original person who was gonna do it for me was hired last minute and was busy - so I was in a crunch! Take care, S.

That was suppose to be "I needed a real DP not involved or who had NOT previously worked for me to write and expert opinion." I really didn't want to write all my dirty laundry out there and felt that I would discuss the reason why per individual who answered... the guys I found were great and really helped. Sorry If you guys all thought it was for school. I put my website w/that had my projects on the "About" page and I figured that was good enough... Sorry to have bothered you all. Sue

That was suppose to be "DP's" - I'm dyslexic!

Are all u PD's this suspicious?!

Hi, NO - I have my M.F.A. in Screenwriting from USC. I also have a B.F.A. in Sculpture w/Minors in Theatre and Art History. I found 2 DPs to do what I needed - it was exactly what I asked for - basically expert opinions. The documents I needed were for court some crazy camera operator in NYC stole tapes from me because I fired her. When my attorney got the tapes back she had copied them and **(obscenity removed)**ed up the tapes. She had told the court that I gave her the tapes and it was normal for a shooter to take tapes and copy and that - even though she only shot 14 days on my doc - that she was the DP and that that I gave her the tapes. She also told the court many fallacies about the business and a DP in reference to responsibilities, common / accepted practices, pay rate, etc. For example – she under oath stated that since she it was a common practice and that if she was ONLY CAMERA operating on any given day that, that fact made her the DP, which is bullshit. I needed a real DP not involved or who had previously worked for me to write and expert opinion – and I found 2 MATTHEW MOSHER & GUSTAVO BRUM who both wrote great documents that helped me prove that the NUTCASE was lying / bull-shiting the court. This girl was hired w/a deal memo as a 2nd camera – she has no website or pro equip. Sue

Dear All, My name is Sue May. I was informed about your group from a DP in NYC named Michael LaVoie. Michael shoots narrative work thus he referred me to your site for some answers. Please note that I am looking to hire a seasoned DP (seasoned means 3 or more DP credits on the IMDb for feature docs - more is better!) to write a statement/letter/document on the proper protocol for a camera operator and DP on a feature doc. By "letter" I mean, you would answer some simple questions w/statements about the doc filmmaking process and a camera operator's role and DP's role in reference to that process. The letter MUST be finished by tomorrow evening (Sept 22nd) or early (EST) on the 23rd. YIKES! I can pay a nominal fee (to be discussed) for said statement, which would basically be your expert opinion! The document would more than likely be 3 or less pages in length and give basic information in reference to a camera operator's/DP's responsibilities, obligations, common practices, etc. Thanks!