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Absolutely flabergasted! 25 y.o. crew member gives my client his business card
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Yes, field production is quite different. It is not a calm, temperature controlled office environment. Every work day is usually at a different address, a different start time, searching for a different parking garage, locating a different loading dock, etc. It takes a unique personality to function in this end of the biz. If someone is just 30 minutes late it can become a disaster, especially for a live event shoot. There’s a stress level that starts a little before call time. I am the one looked at with a raised eyebrow when someone I hired messes up. I have brought along many young up and comers, many who are now my competitors…
But Walt you were right earlier. Him handing my client his card was not a danger to me, he would never be hired. I was merely insulted, and wondering if this is now OK to do. So many things have changed in our biz in a downhill direction I thought handing the client your card might now be seen as normal, a difference in generations, like neck tattoos.
And Terry, yes I do have many “bizarre” rules. For instance, I never shoot pool with someone who grew up with a pool table in their house. I insist the band aid box is always in the same place so I don’t bleed all over the counter while looking for it. DVDs needing to be returned must be placed where we keep the car keys in a bowl to reduce overdue fees. Never hire a crew member or editor who also likes to shoot especially is they own camera rig(s). And… don’t hire anyone who risks my relationship with the client. That’s why I developed the “rules” and I’ve survived and thrived thus far.
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I don’t think there is a problem with him giving his business card in that situation. You don’t own that person and plus, his profession is sound…what is your job description?
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No Sebastian, it is NOT OK to give your card offering your production services to a client of the person who introduced you, at least among my generation. We were taught it is unethical. That is why I started this thread. I assume you are under 28 years of age. You have to work to get your own clients, not poach the clients of the person who brought you.
Geeesh….this is the kind of attitude I have been experiencing the last five or six years with the new people entering the biz. I attribute it to what several of the posters mentioned: there now is no formal training/education/apprenticeship system where a young person learns the ropes, or “rules”.
I think I am done with this thread, Sebastian confirmed my observations.
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[Sebastian Schmid] “I don’t think there is a problem with him giving his business card in that situation. You don’t own that person and plus, his profession is sound…what is your job description?”
Sebastian, the point here is that Ned had to advertise for the position, interview applicants and organise everyone and everything involved in the shoot. It’s a lot of work. For that he will likely be charging some kind of production fee, and probably marking-up the sound recordist’s rate – a kind of agency fee, so to speak.
By the sound recordist handing out his business card to Ned’s client, he’s effectively saying “come direct to me and you can save on Ned’s production fee and mark-up.”
That’s not a very cool thing for the sound recordist to do after Ned was good enough to hire him after investing all that time and effort in pre-production. It’s also a pretty stupid thing to do, because he won’t be hired by Ned again, nor anyone that Ned cares to tell.Alex Elkins
@postbluetv
http://www.postblue.tv
View my new colour grading reel -
Then he should have formed a business contract to safe guard against it. I understand that he would be frustrated but its an unfortunate bi product of buisness
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See you assume to much. You don’t know me or my age. You should be mad at yourself for not making a binding contract with the guy. You have been doing this how long? And still haven’t grasped that concept?
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Wow, some of you have a really whacked out view of things. Only hire someone over the age of 30? I feel bad for your clients. Your production will be limited. And I think some of you are holding on to an “analog” world. The industry changes, just like most things in life. If you can’t accept change than perhaps your in the wrong industry. (This post is more of a general statement) in reference to film school and arbitrary age requirements for hiring.
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[Sebastian Schmid] “Wow, some of you have a really whacked out view of things. Only hire someone over the age of 30? I feel bad for your clients. Your production will be limited.”
I completely agree. However, I don’t think anyone should be trying to poach clients from their employers, so I do agree with the initial complaint. It’s a real shame to feel that they only way to stop people acting like jerks is by making them sign a contract where they agree not to be a jerk.
Alex Elkins
@postbluetv
http://www.postblue.tv
View my new colour grading reel -
It is. Unfortunately that’s the ways it goes.
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No, it’s completely unacceptable. If you have to pay someone’s wages for the day, they are NOT allowed to hand out business cards, unless they ask you and there is no clash of services. I’m 31 and have been doing this for over 9 years. I would never have dreamed of giving a client a business card for anyone I freelanced for in the past, even when I knew they were doing a poor job. This industry is small. People talk, and behaviour like that might steal you 1 client in 50, but lose you 99 of 100 freelance jobs. Try handing someone $250 (at least) for a day, giving them a job to put on their reel and then see whether you are happy at them handing out cards.
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