As a follow-up to yesterdays’s post on Clients not paying, here is one from the writer’s perspective – but that one works just as well for any one who has ever worked for “deferred payment.” I’ve done that mistake as well, and of the maybe dozen (mostly short) films I’ve done that way, I ended up getting paid exactly zero times. And I have never met a single sould who did end up getting some money from a deferred payment job.

If you need the experience, you may consider working for free – just do not fall for the production assistant’s crap promising money down the line. If a film by chance should turn out to be a financial success, any self-respecting producer will immediately start a new production company, sell all rights to the film to this new company, and can rake in all profits.

And when it is time to make the next, proper budgeted, film, guess who they will not call? You. Because if you work for free, you can’t be any good, right?

Harlan Ellison with sharp, sharp teeth

Ellison is a veteran Hollywood writer, and even he get occasionally asked to do freebies. Here is an extract from the documentary “Dreams with sharp teeth”

If you are intrigued as I was, have a look at the well made trailer:

It made me order the DVD.

A few days ago I got a phone call from a producer, asking my availability for an “easy” assignment; basically a one-hour job. Well, today I filmed 12 hours, mostly standing in awkward positions, occasionally handling 2 cameras at once. And tomorrow I have another half day like that.

It is fun, and I enjoy it. Just never believe that a job will be “easy” and “just 1 hour”. (And charge accordingly.)

I love all the great detail put into this film – the bad use of keying, great handling of cameras with lenscap, timing of editing, typeface, all. Enjoy.
(via)

A Producer and the Pope died at the same time, and showed up at the pearly gates together. St Peter says to both of them, “Glad to see you. Come on in and see where your heavenly home is.” So they go inside and walk along the golden path to an area where there are glorious palaces on both sides of the street. St, Peter points to the most beautiful of them and says to the Producer, “Here’s your place. Have a nice eternity,” and he and the Pope continue to walk along the road.

After a couple of miles the gold road turns to cement, and the palaces turn to 4 bedroom estates, and they keep walking. A mile more, and the road turns into black top, and the houses become bungalows. A mile more, and the road turns to dirt, and the houses to hovels.

St. Peter stops in front of the meanest, dirtiest hovel and says to the Pope, “Here’s your heavenly home.”

The Pope goes understandably upset, saying, “What do you mean? You gave that other guy a palace, and me you stick with a shack?”

St. Peter says, “Obviously you don’t understand. We’ve got lots of Popes. That’s the first Producer we’ve had.”

Bill Stock