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Dear Production Company that I've never worked for.


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Hey Production Company I've never worked for,

    For future reference, if you are hiring a day player who has never worked for you before, 1130pm is not an adequate time to call someone to tell them they have a 7AM call time the next day.  Thanks don't call me ever again.

juan

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Haha! I've had a few of these. They spent so much time ringing around trying to get the lowest price, they forgot to tell the person who actually had the job (me) until 10pm. Call time was 6am. I got there on time, then sat around until 8am as they struggled with a RED. Charge accordingly.

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Haha! I've had a few of these. They spent so much time ringing around trying to get the lowest price, they forgot to tell the person who actually had the job (me) until 10pm. Call time was 6am. I got there on time, then sat around until 8am as they struggled with a RED. Charge accordingly.

Usually the biggest problem is they have a West Coast person doing call sheets who works till 9pm and I am on the east coast. I have had the above happen many times too. It is the blind leading the blind sometimes

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Haha! I've had a few of these. They spent so much time ringing around trying to get the lowest price, they forgot to tell the person who actually had the job (me) until 10pm. Call time was 6am. I got there on time, then sat around until 8am as they struggled with a RED. Charge accordingly.

I had a job exactly like this last summer, only they called me at 8PM (just as I was hitting the hay, to wake up at 4AM). Too much of this amateur crap going on. At least with the Red camera being so problematic, it gave us time to leisurely set up, do a full wireless sweep, and relax.

--Marc W.

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Did one last year.

Phoned at 9.00 pm

We need sound for a shoot tomorrow! - a 4 hour drive away.

Got there, a load of amateurs fluffing around.

Recorded an 80 year old lady sitting in a chair eating and an ice cream and saying 1 line.

Dinner on production - good nites sleep - decent invoice + mileage.

Hey that's show BUSINESS

mike

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Yeah, amateurs that PAY are fine... Loved turning up on one of these sets (day-player fill in on feature) to find out my agreed rate was deferred. Found that out with 2 hours to go in the day. Brilliant.

Agreeing to a deferment up front is one thing.  But finding out with 2 hours to go.  That's when I inform them that they have 15 minutes to pay CASH or I walk. (with the day's audio)

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of course there is another side of the last minute coin, as I have been pleased to cover for a friend who needs to be replaced at a very last minute, like say waking up and being sick!  but that is a professional situation, and definitely a special case...

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Whilst there are times when these last minute call times are understandable, it has become common practice where I am, to receive the final call sheet or call time after 6pm the day before the shoot.  This happens 90% of the time.  I have expressed my frustration at this with the culprits.

The worst is when you know you are starting later, i.e after 11am but still haven't received the call time until the morning off the shoot.  I refuse to call to find out the call time, and I know this to be unprofessional, but given that I constantly ask to know details earlier than the evening of the night before of the job and nothing has changed, maybe this tactic will help.  As they are the main player in town, and every other crew member has the same complaint, they need an education on courtesy.

Sorry to vent,  good subject!!

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" it has become common practice where I am, to receive the final call sheet or call time after 6pm the day before the shoot.  "

You are correct, sir... in fact that has been common practice for many, many years!  There are numerous reasons,

"  I refuse to call to find out the call time, "

while that is a bad attitude, the fact is, productions call the cast and crew as soon as they decide & know the call time for certain.

The bottom line is: "get over it!"

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Yesterday's job was one of those. It was going on 10p for an expected call of 7am the next day. I just started hounding her. I'm going to hope that these people just didn't know what they were talking about... but they were looking for a person who would do audio playback and VTR on a music video. They told me that on the west coast they can find people who do this - I told them good luck finding that in Chicago. Have you guys heard of this? This is ONE person for VTR and Music Playback.

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They told me that on the west coast they can find people who do this - I told them good luck finding that in Chicago. Have you guys heard of this? This is ONE person for VTR and Music Playback.

No even on the worst low budget Rap videos it is ALWAYS two people. Plus I usually try and convince production to hire a Utility we can share. However since I live in a smaller market and on the East Coast I often have LA folks use the line, " Well that is how we do it on the West Coast" When they are trying to pay me less or make something my responsible for something the sound dept shouldn't have to do. My usually reply is well that isn't how we do it on the East Coast

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At the risk of catching a lot of flak, I'll say this:

I'm sure your attitude will change after an extended bout of unemployment.

Actually it hasn't and won't. If they have no professional respect for you then you don't want to help them lower the bar.

Eric

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Well have them send it my way next time.  All my contacts took all their jobs out of country.  Don't know how to pay next months mortgage and my kids are hungry.  I'll stoop a little for some relief.

Perspective is a wonderful thing.

Excuse me while I put my flame suit on.

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Well have them send it my way next time.  All my contacts took all their jobs out of country.  Don't know how to pay next months mortgage and my kids are hungry.  I'll stoop a little for some relief.

Perspective is a wonderful thing.

Excuse me while I put my flame suit on.

I'd like to refer "Mirror".  I don't know his/her name, location, experience, or contact info. He/she posts on this website I frequent and has stated a willingness to not complain about last-minute call time information. That's about all I know.

So who are you, "Mirror"?  You're free to remain anonymous, of course, but since you're asking for work...

Paul

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Reading this thread earlier I couldn't help post about this since it's related.

It's 10pm here and my phone rings. I don't recognize the number but it turns out its a number from the same state (ie: same timezone).

The guy proceeds to ask my availability for a job mid JUNE.

Really? 10pm and the guy feels its ok to call someone at that time to book a job over 3 weeks away?

Glad I was already booked otherwise I would have had to make up a reason to turn it down.

Sorry for the rant.

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Reading this thread earlier I couldn't help post about this since it's related.

It's 10pm here and my phone rings. I don't recognize the number but it turns out its a number from the same state (ie: same timezone).

The guy proceeds to ask my availability for a job mid JUNE.

Really? 10pm and the guy feels its ok to call someone at that time to book a job over 3 weeks away?

Glad I was already booked otherwise I would have had to make up a reason to turn it down.

Sorry for the rant.

Seem's you can't please everyone. Some complain about last minute calls while others complain about calls 3 weeks in advance. Better a call than no call. Personally a call at 10pm is not a problem, but that's just me.

Eric

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Seem's you can't please everyone. Some complain about last minute calls while others complain about calls 3 weeks in advance. Better a call than no call. Personally a call at 10pm is not a problem, but that's just me.

Eric

My favorite is the midnight call from someone in LA who works till 9pm. I usually don't answer but will return the call at 9am my time :)

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