profileseries

[Malcolm Matusky]

Well,

This was a great response! Thank you all for the input, this is a valuable forum and if my client is not completely nuts, will save them a lot of money. I am already producing a film about their business, cutting “b” roll to distribute to cable affiliates for free will be alot cheaper than the $30k the profileseries was willing to do the job for.

Thanks’ again.

M

Malcolm

[Alan Lloyd]

[Mark Suszko] “There’s an outfit I think in Florida that specializes in creating health-related segments that can be customized to look like the local station has produced them. These I think are mostly bankrolled by pharma megacorps, insurance companies, or manufacturers of particular devices that might happen to be seen in the footage.”

MaxWorldNews, if memory serves.

Did some work with them a few years ago.

[Ned Miller]

Anything with the words VIDEO & BOCA RATON in the same sentence: run!

OK where do I start…This particular company MAY be legit but this area is what we freelance shooters call the epicenter of the “Boca Bandits”. We call them bandits because they rack up a LOT of bills, get sued (often by the celebrity host), spend down their assets, declare bankruptcy and then move across the street under a new name, owing freelance shooters like myself our money.

These are production companies that mainly produced infomercials but have moved into “Pay-for-Play” PR videos like they are pitching your friend. They do a pretty good job of making a video but seldom can get you the airplay they promise. It’s usually ROS (Rotation-of-Station) which means the station randomly chooses a time slot which often means no one sees it.

They contract C List celebs usually on their way down. Joan Lunden, High Downs, Walter Cronkite, former quarterbacks…they lend an air of credibility.

My theory is that they are in Boca because that is, or was, the center of stock market “boiler rooms” for 20 years, so there’s lots of great phone salespeople there. There are a dozen companies doing this, a scam, you’re paying a lot for the airtime you get. I did one for Titans of Industry or something and their segment appeared at 5AM! It was hosted by famous quarterback Terry Bradshaw. PBS has sued these firms because they usually promise to get you on public TV. See:

https://www.scpr.org/news/2010/04/20/sold-documentaries-on-public-tv-firms-get-ads/

https://floridapayforplayexposed.blogspot.com/

https://www.mountainx.com/news/2008/local_business_owner_sued_for_20_million_over_blog_post

https://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2006/02/27/daily22.html

https://www.scam.com/showthread.php?p=903821

https://www.ogletreeseo.com/399.html

In sum, since they are Boca based this seems to be the same thing as before, not a full out scam but a massive abuse of money for little if any return. Just being based in Boca means they’re one of those types of companies. Among us freelance DPs we have traded information as to Boca based companies that run up bills to crews knowing they will have to fold due to lawsuits. Beware!

Ned Miller
Chicago Videographer
http://www.nedmiller.com
http://www.bizvideo.com

[Mark Suszko]

Ned, thanks so much for collecting that stuff. Took me a while to go thru it all, but man, does IT raise the blood pressure. Hope you didn’t get stung by one of these guys. WHat they do hurtS the rep of everyone in tHe business and makes it harder for all of us to make an honest living. I was particulalrly appalled by the counter-suit the one company filed against the clothing store owner for blogging about the sca
CARRIER LOST

[Malcolm Matusky]

Wow!

I saw the article about the blogger, at least they could not crush the news agency’s story!

I did not realize the “Boca” connection to stock swindles, there must be a huge labor force there to scam people all over the country not that most people have been burned by anything to do with “financial instruments” Same swindle, different day.

Thanks’ for all the reply’s.

M

Malcolm