Fwd: [NEohioPAL]I need a Surgeon - will you work for FREE???

Tue Feb 8 20:05:55 PST 2005

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As a filmmaker who is perceived as asking for free talent, this is as
good a point as any to bring up some numbers.

The major guilds (SAG, WGA, DGA, etc.) recently LOST a negotiation to
set aside 15 cents ($.15) of the sale of every DVD studio release into
an account from which cast and crew get paid beyond their agreed upon
salaries and stipends.  FIFTEEN CENTS!!!  I, while I make little if
anything from the sales of my productions, am proud to say that I enter
into contracts with actors, an agreement that sets aside 40% of my
aftermarket gross to residual payment for actors and crew.  The average
price for a studio DVD sale is $14.95.  You do the math.

While I count on the largess and gambling spirit of actors to help me
realize visions that at the very least offer mutual experiential and
creative benefit, I would feel cheap, if not unclean, were I not to
share as fully as possible in whatever profits, if any, that a
production reaps from the hard work of all involved.

I don't mean to make comparisons or disparage against filmmakers who
stipulate from the outset that projects are unpaid.  I respect those
producers who make clear what is offered up front, and I believe the
original author of this topic does as well.  However, I would like to be
considered a part of the community who gives when he gets, and I hope
other producers of independent productions would be willing to do the
same.

When you know for a certainty that the project you're working on (a
production with advertisment content, for example,) is going to manifest
itself in profit, then the talent that helps you realize that profit
should benefit accordingly.  Actors who help you make money should get
money.  It doesn't take hardline unionism to understand that, and I
don't feel I undermine my own, or any other producers' ability to
negotiate for talent without direct financial compensation by saying
that.

Christopher K. Young
www.shallowfocus.com

Smarks7969 at aol.com wrote:

>
>    ----------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Subject: Re: [NEohioPAL]I need a Surgeon - will you work for FREE???
> Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2005 18:53:22 EST
> From: Smarks7969 at aol.com
> To: memakefilm at yahoo.comApparently you are unaware of who I am.I am
> not misinformed in any way. Your examples of Doctors without Borders
> and the Peace Corp. were juvenile at best. Any idiot would know that
> your examples do not pertain to the issues of which I speak.I know the
> difference between volunteering services for the good of other people/
> to give back to the community and being taken advantage of by people
> who have the means to pay for services. Actors get used because of
> people who want their "fifteen minutes of fame" and equate that with
> being in some local rote tv commercial. I also know the difference
> between doing a job with the chance of an upgrade and simply giving
> talent away for free.  I wish others did as well.Your example of
> "Volunteering" on a SAG sanctioned job is also out of the realm of
> which I speak. And you know it.

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As a filmmaker who is perceived as asking for free talent, this is as good
a point as any to bring up some numbers.
The major guilds (SAG, WGA, DGA, etc.) recently LOST a negotiation to
set aside 15 cents ($.15) of the sale of every DVD studio release into
an account from which cast and crew get paid beyond their agreed upon salaries
and stipends.  FIFTEEN CENTS!!!  I, while I make little if anything
from the sales of my productions, am proud to say that I enter into contracts
with actors, an agreement that sets aside 40% of my aftermarket gross to
residual payment for actors and crew.  The average price for a studio
DVD sale is $14.95.  You do the math.
While I count on the largess and gambling spirit of actors to help me
realize visions that at the very least offer mutual experiential and creative
benefit, I would feel cheap, if not unclean, were I not to share as fully
as possible in whatever profits, if any, that a production reaps from the
hard work of all involved.
I don't mean to make comparisons or disparage against filmmakers who
stipulate from the outset that projects are unpaid.  I respect those
producers who make clear what is offered up front, and I believe the original
author of this topic does as well.  However, I would like to be considered
a part of the community who gives when he gets, and I hope other producers
of independent productions would be willing to do the same.
When you know for a certainty that the project you're working on (a
production with advertisment content, for example,) is going to manifest
itself in profit, then the talent that helps you realize that profit should
benefit accordingly.  Actors who help you make money should get money. 
It doesn't take hardline unionism to understand that, and I don't feel
I undermine my own, or any other producers' ability to negotiate for talent
without direct financial compensation by saying that.
Christopher K. Young
 www.shallowfocus.com
  
  
  
Smarks7969 at aol.com wrote:
<blockquote TYPE=CITE>  
<hr WIDTH="90%" SIZE=4>
Subject: Re: [NEohioPAL]I need a Surgeon - will you work
for FREE???
 Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2005 18:53:22 EST
 From: Smarks7969 at aol.com
 To: memakefilm at yahoo.comApparently
you are unaware of who I am.I
am not misinformed in any way. Your examples of Doctors without Borders
and the Peace Corp. were juvenile at best. Any idiot would know that your
examples do not pertain to the issues of which I speak.I
know the difference between volunteering services for the good of other
people/ to give back to the community and being taken advantage of by people
who have the means to pay for services. Actors get used because of people
who want their "fifteen minutes of fame" and equate that with being in
some local rote tv commercial. I
also know the difference between doing a job with the chance of an upgrade
and simply giving talent away for free.  I wish others did as well.Your
example of "Volunteering" on a SAG sanctioned job is also out of the realm
of which I speak. And you know it.</blockquote>

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