The person who wrote the IMDB posting yesterday seems pretty upset at my response. Like I said before, I don't want to get into a debate. Both of us have our opinions. I believe "after further review," you should come up with your own. There are exceptions to every rule. Research and gut feelings are important.
I was accused of not posting his response. In my defense the Blogging Company hasn't notified me as of this morning. I saw his response posted on IMDB and have copied all but some self serving advertisements.
COPY
"I posted a response on Bob Cook's blog and just in case he doesn't post it, I will post it here for everyone to read and it is as follows: I'm the one that is being referenced in this blog, I posted the post on IMDB entitled Stop Working for Free. And I stand by that, all of you that say you want the credit on the resume well that in my opinion is just foolish. I don't care who you are, if you provide sweat equity then you need to be paid for your work period, and I do have to agree with Bob Cook on one point, Scam artist are Scam artist, I don't think that the word artist should be in the confines of the same sentence as scam or con, as ripping people off shouldn't be considered an art form. Bob made mention of SAG's contract well I for one do not care about SAG's contract allowing actors to work for free on a project under 40 minutes and under $50,000.00, point being I will never ask anyone to work for free period. My philosophy is if I can't raise the funds to pay everyone I need on my production, I had rather shelf the project until I can raise the funds to pay everyone period, everyone has to keep a roof over their head and everyone has to eat, and provide for themselves and family period."
My philosophy is if I can't raise the funds to pay everyone I need on my production, I had rather shelf the project until I can raise the funds to pay everyone period, everyone has to keep a roof over their head and everyone has to eat, and provide for themselves and family period. On my productions I will even pay the non-union extras $100.00 per day for a base of 8. When I say that there is no such thing as a no budget film that means somebody is getting paid, producer, director etc somebody is getting paid trust me, I guarantee it. The only one's not getting paid are those cast and crew members that agree to work for free, and that is something that no one should ever agree to period, if you want to provide your services for a cut rate that is fine but get paid something I'll say it again stop working for free.
MY RETORT
Again, I'm not disagreeing, I'm just stating if you do have an offer to work for free or feel the need --- make sure you think about it and/or research it first. If you can get a good paying gig without experience --- by all means, go for it. There's about ten years between MR. IMDB and myself and times are a changin' every year. We're both obviously passionate about the industry and both have our own practices and opinions. We're both published authors and producers. Experts? Probably not. But experienced players and teachers, agreed, we're both saying the same thing just a generation apart.
......and cut!
Showing posts with label scam artists. Show all posts
Showing posts with label scam artists. Show all posts
Monday, April 19, 2010
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
But I'm on IMDB!!!
Internet Movie Data Base or IMDB.com, as it's called is a resource for movie fans and industry professionals. IMDB is free and the site is paid for with banner ads galore. There is also an IMDB-pro, which most industry professionals subscribe to in order to research actors, producers, directors, and scam artists.
Have you ever tried to fix or add a credit on IMDB? The red tape is frustrating. Our festival had it's own IMDB page but some how got confused with another older festival that died in 1994. I've tried to fix the problem hours at a time but there is no direct contact. No problem solvers. I've had people add names to my films for credits never earned and I've tried to correct them but it falls on deaf ears. This had me searching the IMDB files on almost every title, actor, producer, director and just about every category you can think of looking at their credits.
How does "Uncredited" help an actor's resume? Seriously, you were insignificant enough NOT to receive a credit, why should anyone other than your parents care? Some people just want IMDB credit and they will do anything to get it. I saw a writer/actress with two credits. One was an "Uncredited" role in a film that hadn't received distribution and the other was for a screenplay she optioned to be developed into a feature. However, upon further review, she also wrote the screenplay, which makes everything bogus.
Take a look at the Job Postings and openings on IMDB. Ninety-nine point nine percent of them are "no pay!" What happened to the PRO in IMDB-PRO. Everyone is looking for something for nothing. I had a script sent to me for my consideration as a director. I kind of liked the script. It was a thriller with promise. It needed some work but don't they all. There was no funding in place but she wanted my name on a LOI and for me to recruit any crew or name acting friends, and then write a business plan. When I told her I needed an agreement with a retainer and additional promises for when the film received funding, she said that's not the way it's done. She's twenty-five, I'm fifty-seven and done it twenty times. When did the industry change? Needless to say, that's another film that won't get made. Kids are coming out of film school every semester and they are hungry to work for free. The problem is they don't have the experience or contacts it takes to get a movie made. I'm not talking credit card budgeted films but movies that an audience will be able to say they watched, enjoyed and perhaps even purchased for their library. Festival filmmakers should be commended. They go out, raise money, make their film and hope for the best. The good ones move up an increase their budget next time and the bad ones get to complain how unfair the world is and either try it again or go home and take a job at the local video store or movie theater.
Have you ever "Googled" yourself to see what people are finding out about you? Try it, it's fun. And remember, if I wanted to work for free, I would have started a film festival! Oh, crap, did I say that!
.....and cut!
Have you ever tried to fix or add a credit on IMDB? The red tape is frustrating. Our festival had it's own IMDB page but some how got confused with another older festival that died in 1994. I've tried to fix the problem hours at a time but there is no direct contact. No problem solvers. I've had people add names to my films for credits never earned and I've tried to correct them but it falls on deaf ears. This had me searching the IMDB files on almost every title, actor, producer, director and just about every category you can think of looking at their credits.
How does "Uncredited" help an actor's resume? Seriously, you were insignificant enough NOT to receive a credit, why should anyone other than your parents care? Some people just want IMDB credit and they will do anything to get it. I saw a writer/actress with two credits. One was an "Uncredited" role in a film that hadn't received distribution and the other was for a screenplay she optioned to be developed into a feature. However, upon further review, she also wrote the screenplay, which makes everything bogus.
Take a look at the Job Postings and openings on IMDB. Ninety-nine point nine percent of them are "no pay!" What happened to the PRO in IMDB-PRO. Everyone is looking for something for nothing. I had a script sent to me for my consideration as a director. I kind of liked the script. It was a thriller with promise. It needed some work but don't they all. There was no funding in place but she wanted my name on a LOI and for me to recruit any crew or name acting friends, and then write a business plan. When I told her I needed an agreement with a retainer and additional promises for when the film received funding, she said that's not the way it's done. She's twenty-five, I'm fifty-seven and done it twenty times. When did the industry change? Needless to say, that's another film that won't get made. Kids are coming out of film school every semester and they are hungry to work for free. The problem is they don't have the experience or contacts it takes to get a movie made. I'm not talking credit card budgeted films but movies that an audience will be able to say they watched, enjoyed and perhaps even purchased for their library. Festival filmmakers should be commended. They go out, raise money, make their film and hope for the best. The good ones move up an increase their budget next time and the bad ones get to complain how unfair the world is and either try it again or go home and take a job at the local video store or movie theater.
Have you ever "Googled" yourself to see what people are finding out about you? Try it, it's fun. And remember, if I wanted to work for free, I would have started a film festival! Oh, crap, did I say that!
.....and cut!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
To Scam or Not to Scam! What kind of question is that?
I got accused of scamming some film maker today. He enter our film festival and his film didn't get accepted. Our entry fees for featured shorts is forty dollars. Thirty dollars if you enter via http://www.withoutabox.com/ and we furnish a detailed critique giving reasons why any film is rejected. I became a scam when he didn't agree with our critique. "You're just like all the rest of them," he wrote, "You take our money and don't care about the film maker." This kid (and I'm assuming because of his demeanor) couldn't be further from the truth.
As a film maker myself, I've entered many a film festival and received generic form letters that say pretty much "Thanks but no thanks." I've often wondered how a film could enter a top twenty five festival and go on to win best picture but be rejected by several other film festivals? I've been lucky enough on a couple of occasions to win something or better yet just be accepted to attend film festivals. I have no understanding what other festivals look for in accepting a film. So I started my own film festival (http://www.centralfloridafilmfestival.com/). Not so that I'd have something to enter for myself but to give other film makers a place to showcase their work. I have a selection committee with different tastes. A writer, a director, an editor, a composer and a producer should give a fairly diversified review of each film. I personally want production value, some commercial value (would be nice), good acting, a strong script and some signs of creativity and not you're just going through the motions as a film maker.
From there the films are ranked on a scale of 1-10 in ten categories or 100 points being perfect and no points being Ed Wood caliber (although some of Ed's work would have scored in the 50's). we're a three day event with approximately eighty hours of screening time. We receive about one hundred and fifty films for consideration. Obviously I can't accept forty, two hour features, it would use up all the screening time. So, we are forced to place limits to how many shorts, features, documentaries, mini features and even 'Gay & Lesbian" films to accept and have a good representation in our program.
If a were scamming, I'd take the money, not give a critique, not show the submitted films to anyone and place a listing of accepted films on a website and never respond to complaints. The best way to avoid scams is to educate yourself. Do some research. Who are these people involved? Why do I care about their opinion? How will it help me or my film if I am accepted. Just because some hick town in Iowa is holding a film festival and loves your film, it doesn't mean that a major market should. All film festivals fight for their share of good films and we all wind up with our share of clunkers too. Did you know Sundance received five THOUSAND entries in their short program for only eighty-five spots? That's 4915 rejects! However, many of those rejects are excellent films in their own right. Those film makers have to find a festival willing to showcase their project. Fight the battles you can win and understand if you can't stand rejection you've selected the wrong industry and profession.
See you at the movies!
...and cut!
As a film maker myself, I've entered many a film festival and received generic form letters that say pretty much "Thanks but no thanks." I've often wondered how a film could enter a top twenty five festival and go on to win best picture but be rejected by several other film festivals? I've been lucky enough on a couple of occasions to win something or better yet just be accepted to attend film festivals. I have no understanding what other festivals look for in accepting a film. So I started my own film festival (http://www.centralfloridafilmfestival.com/). Not so that I'd have something to enter for myself but to give other film makers a place to showcase their work. I have a selection committee with different tastes. A writer, a director, an editor, a composer and a producer should give a fairly diversified review of each film. I personally want production value, some commercial value (would be nice), good acting, a strong script and some signs of creativity and not you're just going through the motions as a film maker.
From there the films are ranked on a scale of 1-10 in ten categories or 100 points being perfect and no points being Ed Wood caliber (although some of Ed's work would have scored in the 50's). we're a three day event with approximately eighty hours of screening time. We receive about one hundred and fifty films for consideration. Obviously I can't accept forty, two hour features, it would use up all the screening time. So, we are forced to place limits to how many shorts, features, documentaries, mini features and even 'Gay & Lesbian" films to accept and have a good representation in our program.
If a were scamming, I'd take the money, not give a critique, not show the submitted films to anyone and place a listing of accepted films on a website and never respond to complaints. The best way to avoid scams is to educate yourself. Do some research. Who are these people involved? Why do I care about their opinion? How will it help me or my film if I am accepted. Just because some hick town in Iowa is holding a film festival and loves your film, it doesn't mean that a major market should. All film festivals fight for their share of good films and we all wind up with our share of clunkers too. Did you know Sundance received five THOUSAND entries in their short program for only eighty-five spots? That's 4915 rejects! However, many of those rejects are excellent films in their own right. Those film makers have to find a festival willing to showcase their project. Fight the battles you can win and understand if you can't stand rejection you've selected the wrong industry and profession.
See you at the movies!
...and cut!
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