RICHARD SANDLING
My unsent letter to shootingpeople 11/01/2010
This was a letter I was going to add to the comments of a shootingpeople.org survey about low paid work offers. As it was so long I decided to blog it instead. Probably not worth reading unless you are someone affected by the low pay in the film industry… I am aware of the potential irony/hypocrisy in writing this given the film I am intending to make in Feb but I can’t help the timing… This is not intended to slag off shootingpeople as a company or an agency as I think what they do is wonderful. It is, as usual, people ruining it for everyone else…. ++++++++++++ Dear Sir! (I didn’t start it like that but in my head I now feel like someone who writes into the editor of The Times) I find myself conflicted in believing that I should be able to commit to a project on whatever terms are offered should I want to, but I also feel strongly that everyone should get paid for their work if money is available. I am a Filmmaker, Writer and Actor and I have been fortunate enough to build up a good base of friends and colleagues over the years who I know I can ask for free help as I am aware that giving up time to be in something is a big commitment and quite a favour. I also do a lot of stuff for free for my colleagues but this is either going to be great fun or will genuinely be worth my while. We are working media professionals, hardly rich and famous, but scraping a living from media related work (mainly comedy) and we are all fortunate enough to know that we are all, largely, in the same boat and have no problem in assisting each other with our projects. We are very lucky in that regard and I appreciate that not everyone has the luxury of professional friends to draw on for cast and crew. I have been fortunate to be part of some very interesting and career improving projects because I was available to work for free. I don’t think anyone would say that if a genuine opportunity came along they would refuse it due to lack of pay. The thing is, on shootingpeople it’s very rarely a genuine opportunity that comes along in the unpaid posts. I myself have yet to post on Shootingpeople for help in anything I am making because I would feel bad expecting a complete stranger to commit to my projects in the same way as my friends and associates. Asking someone to work for free is always largely taking the piss and I would not feel right expecting professionals unknown to me to commit to a project in which only I can really benefit from. With regards to the general unpaid work situation on shootingpeople, I think that what is most frustrating about it is that people just expect it. It is now taken for granted that whatever you do there will be a free and professional cast and crew available for it because everyone is looking for a break or an in or an opportunity. I think we need to address the attitude that pervades within the posts (and, it would seem, the industry) that we should all be grateful of the opportunity to work for free on this film because it would be good for our CV. Believe me, 9 times out of 10 the project isn’t actually going to do anything for my CV – and my CV could do with something good on it. It’s always nice to network and meet new professionals but I could do that whilst getting paid. Expecting me to be over the moon that you have chosen me out of all the others to not get paid by you is a common mistake amongst posters and I know I am not the only one who takes an immediate dislike to the project and poster because of careless wording in what appears to be a callous post. There is rarely a promise or even a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ that further work in the future will be your reward for collaboration. Most people don’t even offer a deferred payment, which is still bollocks and meaningless as I have yet to meet anyone who ever got paid out on their deferred payment contract, but at least it sounds like you give a shit about your cast and crew. It is very hard to fund, complete and distribute a feature film. We all know this but please be aware that if you are making a feature film (or even a short) and you have no one you know to crew or perform then it just sounds a bit suspect that you wouldn’t have any contacts or colleagues that could fill the roles. If you want to up your game and get experienced professionals in then you have to pay them - please stop asking for people with 5 years experience if you are only going to pay them something that would insult a first year degree student. If you are going to send out a call asking for professional crew then you have to pay appropriately for professional help. And if you are looking for actors then only ask them to give up a day or so and not commit to a whole week or more for bugger all. If you want an office manager, £12000 p/a makes you and your company look like deluded amateurs. Money is always an issue. I have lost count of the times I have seen short film winners give an acceptance speech thanking everyone for working on the project for free otherwise the project would never have been made and I remember in her BAFTA award speech for best actress in Vera Drake, Imelda Staunton thanked the producer for getting the money so that everyone could be paid for the last week of filming as the film had run out of money. Even Mike Leigh couldn’t pay his crew. The point is, it was a Mike Leigh film and I know I would not be so annoyed working for free on a Mike Leigh film because that actually is something worth putting on my CV and a genuine networking opportunity. The problem is, if we are still going to need to work on projects for free while any changes that might be made to minimum wage are put into place I personally would like a better idea of exactly how worth my while the project is going to be. One post might be for the new BAFTA winning short and one might be for an amateur to find out they can’t make films. The point is, they will both require the same thing – free cast and crew. I would like to get paid, of course, but if I have to do one of those for free I would rather do the BAFTA one. The problem when offering your services for free is working out who are the new, enthusiastic filmmakers who genuinely can’t pay and who are the lazy, cynical filmmakers who simply won’t pay. I am getting a bit of tired of applying for posts, meeting people that I am, basically, doing a favour and then realising they are not people worth doing business with. It is a lot of time and effort and money on my part to discover that they don’t know what they are doing and that I don’t want anything to do with them. Of course I want paying but I honestly don’t mind working for free as long as it is clear that the person making the project isn’t shit or taking the piss in asking for my commitment and involvement to the project. It would really be nice if there was some way in the postings a project could be flagged as ‘free but worth it’. I know that is flippant and I know you can’t do that because it would be insulting to any project not given that category and would never work within the ethos of the site, but that is really the assurance I need – some indication that the film I am offering my services for is the unpaid gig that is actually worth my while being a part of and I would strongly urge shooters to take a lot of time and care in submitting their request for unpaid assistance – we are doing you a favour after all, please ask nicely and don’t expect or demand our help. That would go someway to make unpaid work less of an irritation. +++++++++++ Well, that got a lot off my chest… Mundane details of my life to continue tomo | Richard SandlingThis is the blog for Richard Sandling for all your reviews and up-to-date information ArchivesSeptember 2011 Categories |
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