A SERIOUS CALL TO VIDEOGRAPHERS, CAMERAMEN AND AMATEUR DPs.

Date: 2012-05-21, 4:14PM PDT

DO NOT WORK FOR FREE.

SERIOUSLY, DON'T DO IT.

YOU ARE ONLY AFFECTING YOURSELF.

IF THEY CAN'T PAY FOR YOUR SERVICES, THEN THAT IS THEIR PROBLEM.

HAVE DIGNITY AND PRIDE FOR CHRIS SAKE!

THEY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOU BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT YOU WANT THE SO-CALLED "DREAM".

A SURGEON, AN ACCOUNTANT, EVEN A DISHWASHER HAVE DREAMS TOO; BUT, WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU FOUND A SURGEON, AN ACCOUNTANT, OR EVEN A DISHWASHER WORKING FOR FREE?

YOU NEED TO BE REALISTIC ABOUT IT.

THIS IS A MARKET ECONOMY. DEMAND AND SUPPLY RULE.

(THEY TAUGHT YOU THAT IN HIGH SCHOOL, REMEMBER?) 

SO WHY ARE YOU GOING AGAINST IT?

THINK.

THAT'S IT.

NO MORE FREE WORK.

BE A MAN AND CHARGE A MIN OF X PER DAY.

THEY SAY THEY WILL NOT HIRE YOU? FINE.

SOMEBODY ELSE WILL BECAUSE THEY NOTICE YOU HAVE VALUE.

DEMAND AND SUPPLY. 

ADAM SMITH KNEW BETTER THAN THE CHEAP PEOPLE.

DON'T SCREW IT.

• Location: CALIFORNIA
• Compensation: OF COURSE

Re: May 23 - Documentary Crew Needed

Date: 2012-05-18, 9:44PM

If he or she is such an experienced producer then its common knowledge that you don't pay your crew with screen credit, food and gas money. Try paying a real fee. A day's pay for a day's work. When is Craigslist going to set up a separate classification for no pay work and "intern", so ripoffs and posers don't waste our time.

• Compensation: credit, copy, meal, and a major pile of BS

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May 23 - Documentary Crew Needed 

Shooting a "day in the life" type documentary on Wednesday May 23rd. Looking for help on small crew. Using the Panasonic HPX370 P2HD, wireless Sennheiser boom, wireless lavs, etc.

Looking for additional help with camera, sound, general production assistance.

You will be working with an experienced producer who treats crews with respect and makes the job fun. To be paid with screen credit, food, gas money. More info to qualified candidates. 

Location: El Segundo

Compensation: no pay 

RE: To those who insist that they get paid...

Date: 2012-05-17, 9:42PM

Firstly no-one denies that this is a difficult business to get started in, and most of us begun doing no and low paying gigs. What really upsets us professionals is the unrealistic postings that keep showing up here- The expectation of so much for so little- You guys want $80,000 camera rigs $60,000 sound packages, 3-10 ton G and E trucks, and all types of 'Experienced crew' for free or almost nothing. When we've made that kind of investment in time and money then you should expect to pay for it- If you want free go to a rental house for your gear and advertise for folks who are looking for experience- you'll learn much more from your mistakes as you learn together than you will by treating professionals like they are your slaves. 

STOP ASKING For FREE GEAR and Ridiculous Rates

Date: 2012-05-17, 5:47PM

I encourage all real crew to AGREE to these retarded beggar ads

then not show up-- claim a car problem

stiff them over and over they will stop

so SAY YES and then cut their blls off

happy happy happy 

• Location: YourButt
• Compensation: market rates not insults

Gaffer/Key grip with equipment

Date: 2012-05-17, 12:09AM PDT

I dont get how people can ask for a Gaffer or Key grip with a truck for 100 or 150 dollars a day. Even seeing 250 a day is a joke, for that you should expect a small arri kit with a handfull of flags and a few stingers. 250 a day should be a BASE day rate for this position. You want to rent my truck that iv spent 10s of thousands of dollars filling then plan on paying another 300-500 a day. Please people, if you can not afford to make a film, dont do it. These promises of future jobs are a joke. If your film is that good, and ur that talented then go out and get the funding for your project then come ask for a proper crew. If not then go to film school and get access to there equipment. Stop wasting our time. 

• Location: LaLa Land
• Compensation: Hopes and Dreams

Is "exposure" a good thing?

Date: 2012-05-11, 6:48PM PDT

It's amusing how many ads -- which are too cheap to offer actual money -- offer you "exposure." Let's not forget that the word "exposure" has more than one meaning, and they are not all beneficial.

Here are a few of my favorites:

1. The condition of being exposed, especially to severe weather or other forces of nature: "he died from exposure."

2. To deprive of shelter or protection; lay open to danger or harm: "troops that were exposed to gunfire."

3. Susceptible to attack or criticism; vulnerable.

4. Something (as a condition, situation, or action) that creates a risk of financial loss, esp. for which one may be insured: "the company's exposure could be in the millions."

5. The extent to which one is at risk.

The next time someone offers you "exposure" think about what that could mean.

In God we trust, all others pay cash. 

• Compensation: Pay a fair wage for professional work

the daily reach-around

Date: 2012-05-10, 9:58AM PDT

the daily reminder to the cheapskates-

get some goddamn money!!!! 

• Location: bendoverville

Re: Director of Photography for Short

Date: 2012-05-09, 10:21PM PDT

Please, give me some of the Kush you guys are smoking. You want a Red/Scarlet/Alexa package and me for

50 a day, to beef up my reel? WTF! Why would I be interested in donating my tens of thousands of dollars

of gear and years of experience for your shitty little film. Get REAL. Get a job, make some money

and pay people what they're worth for their skills and gear. Say no to these people that think films

are "just made" with smiles and 50 a day. Say no to these f'ng idiot blood suckers.

Location: La La Land

Compensation: Yes, bend over and grab your ankles for a 50 pay check

------------------------------

Director of Photography for Short

Seeking a Director of Photography with a RED/Alexa/equivalent package for short, slightly silly, slightly sad, video.

It's a very small production, just a 6 person crew for a three day shoot the first week of June, with one day of prep. Compensation is $50/day, plus of course meals and mileage. I wish I could offer more, but as mentioned, it's a very small production. Probably ideal for someone who needs to beef up their reel, and make a little bit of money doing so.

We're looking for someone with a nice camera setup, who can operate, and work with a grip to move the camera along tracks. The more gear you can bring the better, and there's the possibility of a kit rental depending on what you can provide.

More than that, we'd like someone with a strong sense of style, and love of film, especially 70s American New Wave, Czech puppet films, and Howard Hawks comedies.

If all that sounds good, email with a little about yourself, your gear, and a reel or some sort of representation of your visual style.

IMDB credit is not payment

Date: 2012-05-09, 10:08AM PDT

To all those pinheads who offer IMDB credit as if it was some sort of payment, get a clue!

Credits are not compensation -- they are expected. Payment comes in the form of MONEY! Offering food as compensation is only acceptable if you hire someone standing by the freeway off-ramp with a "Will work for food" sign.

Credits, food, copies of the film, the "opportunity" to work with cool people, your eternal gratitude, and other such things are not payment. Don't pretend they are.

Get out your checkbook if you want to compensate someone. Otherwise, you are a beggar! And if you're going to beg, at least have the decency to show a little humility and don't demand experience or "amazing" skills. You get what you pay for.

If you pay peanuts, you'll only attract monkeys. 

• Compensation: pay a fair wage for professional work

no pay?

Date: 2012-05-08, 3:35PM PDT

no pay.. ok

lets make a deal then.. i will work for you for free. then you sign a release allowing me to beat the shit out of you for 5-8 hours?

sound good.

great 

• Location: anus land
• Compensation: no pay

Free work for free reach-arounds.

Date: 2012-05-08, 12:14PM PDT

ill tell ya what, every single person who asks for free work on here, I am going to spam all of you ..

with propositions for a free reach around.. 

you want to metaphorically fuck the creative world in the ass, then i will do the same to you.. 

and I'm not the only one..

• Location: in your anus
• Compensation: anal beads

Catch - 22

Date: 2012-05-04, 10:02PM PDT

Is anyone else getting sick of these catch 22 ads??? Sure they happen every day and have been going on since Craigslists inception but this is getting down right ridiculous.

We have on the one hand real "productions' that only look for STUDENTS to work for free and we have a bunch of Students looking for professional film crews to work for free??

None of us are in the upper echelon of the Hollywood system, hence why we get on CL for paid gigs. We have experience. We have reels but unfortunately just haven't hit that big break.

BUT it's time to stop this bullshit where students need us for free and the so-called 'real' productions just want students ...for free. This never ending cycle gets us nowhere and hurts the industry as a whole.

The graduating classes of USC, UCLA and the like have learned nothing in this industry aside from hopping on CL to find free crew members - NOT to budget a project. yea, great job film schools!

I know, it's tough getting money and investors because most movies coming of CL will never make a penny but you gotta try people!!!! It's a recession and free labor doesn't WORK!

My two cents. 

• Location: ALL LA
• Compensation: Hoping one day CL is 80% percent paid and 20% seeking free labor

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re: catch 22

Date: 2012-05-04, 10:33PM PDT

AGREED! 

Talented, experienced, reliable, easy to work with - I come here for the paid gigs, leave frusterated. 

CL should make a new "talent bartering" section or something. 

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