Blog_15

 For the "Hiring Crew" assignment, what considerations were at the front of your mind? What wheels were turning after doing the above readings and reviewing the resources? (100-150 word response)

Hiring crew is fun, I like being able to give someone a job that they are capable of doing. Doubling down on that, it is nice to be the reason that someone got a paid job in the industry. The worst part of hiring someone is making sure your ducks are in a row with all of the paperwork. I know contracts are important... I have learned this the hard way. But though contracts are difficult to facilitate, they are 100% necessary.  

I lost out on a job in 2019 after months of prep with a client. Only for them to cancel on me twice and then the third time, the night before the shoot, I was sending an email letting me know that they moved forward with another filmmaker. I didn’t have a contract signed and missed out on a $5,000 job… oh well. You live and you learn. 

The readings this week were great! I personally really liked the The Hollywood Reporter's piece about Nope's diversity below the line on set. I love Jordan Peel's work. I can't wait to see what he makes next. 


Comments

  1. Chenita Adé - Twenty13 ProductionsApril 25, 2023 at 9:38 AM

    I've never done contracts. What type of project were you doing? What was in the contract? How did you know that you needed them? How did you miss out on 5k?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ashley HatcherApril 25, 2023 at 11:44 AM

    A $5,000 job?! I felt your pain in my soul Dusty. What ways do you keep your contracts organized and prepped when preparing for a job? Or when preparing to hire crew?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dusty AbernathyApril 25, 2023 at 11:57 AM

    Chenita – It was a corporate documentary that promised 5k for the shoot, edit, and delivery of the project. If I had a written contract stating that I was due payment for the services provided, I would have had leverage when receiving the email that they basically fired me and hired someone else.

    Ashley – I usually just have a brief contract with the dates I am being hired for and spell out the job description. This covers me legally but also makes the client feel like I am more legit with a contract in hand. If they had fired me the night before and I had a contract, I could have taken them to small claims court... though this was unlikely to happen either way, I could have at least asked for some money for the preparation of the shoot.

    ReplyDelete

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