Talk me down, I’m about to blow a gasket

[David Roth weiss]

[Mike Cohen] “David, take the rest of the day off. “

Yep!!! That’s it. Just what I’m going to do. I’m gonna refer all calls to you Mike.

THNX

David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles

POST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™

A forum host of Creative COW’s Apple Final Cut Pro, Business & Marketing, and Indie Film & Documentary forums.

[Mike Cohen]

Thanks Dave – I can be very diplomatic.
Aggressive negotiations works too.

Mike

[Mark Suszko]

We tell every newbie first-timer that asks this question, the same thing: ‘no tickie, no laundry’. Do not give away the master until the check is in your hand.

Still, I understand how hard it is to hold to those convictions when a grande fromage client tries to grind you, in a down economy, with the bills piling up at home… Like we say all the time: to be able to negotiate, you have to be able to walk away from the deal, and they have to know that you’re able. Or they own you.

I say you hire Zelin to make your collections for you. He might even be able to scare them into paying just thru an email, never mind a face-to-face negotiation:-)

Your only “nuclear option” (assuming first you’ve re-read the contract and are sure you are 100 percent airtight right) is to hand their waiting messenger a copy of the invoice to deliver, instead of the tape, and if the deadline is blown, its blown. At the same time you call the biggest cheese in their shop and explain that you need a check cut and in hand to release the tape. A dirty secret many companies have is that they have special accounts where they can make an emergency draw, for things like emergency plumber service when the bathrooms are emptying out over their server room. They *have* the money, generally, they need a strong enough trigger to let it go, instead of dragging it out like they do for all the other shmucks. In the final analysis, *somebody* is going to blink at that point. They are counting on it being you.

I know it feels like anathema to deliberately blow a deadline; we in this business are not like that, we are not built that way: we generally would run over grandmas and children, forgo food and sleep and a companion’s comforts, just to make that deadline, even an impossible one. So we can be “the miracle worker”. Just remember, Grinders *count* on that work ethic of yours, to force your hand and make you accept their bad terms. When you get to that stage, you have to be able to say “no”, and mean it.

Risk analysis: Worst case: they sue you. If you’re in the right, this will cost you time and money in court, eventually you win, hopefully you can collect. Outcome: you spend resources to fight them, you get your money, or you don’t, but either way they never use you again. Since you’re working for them now but not getting paid, how is that a huge loss? Their bad-mouthing of you in court or in public may be good PR, in that the buzz will be you drew a line and stood by it. Other grinders and competitors will at least know you can only be pushed so far. Nobody else that knows that is likely to push you that far again. If this client relationship has gotten so poisoned that this is worth considering, maybe you should just “roll the hard six”, and just say no.

But its easy for armchair critics with nothing to lose to make these calls; it is entirely different when it is you personally making them. The decison has to be right *for you*, no matter what I or anybody else thinks. Whatever you decide, I wish you all the good fortune in the world.

[David Roth weiss]

[Mark Suszko] “Whatever you decide, I wish you all the good fortune in the world. “

It worked Mark… Your blessing I mean. Amazing!!!

Another client’s check just arrived with the mail, right on time, or even a little early. So, now I can just take the high road with the client that had me so pissed-off. Plus, I gave myself the rest day off, Augie got his walk in the sun, and of course, next time the doctor orders-up new work I ain’t liftin’ a finger until I see their chips on the table.

THNX everyone, I’m very glad I asked for help here before proceeding to blow that gasket.

David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles

POST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™

A forum host of Creative COW’s Apple Final Cut Pro, Business & Marketing, and Indie Film & Documentary forums.

[Brendan Coots]

It seems that ripping off production companies is a favorite pastime for accounting departments across the country…

We have taken to calling our client contact the week before the job wraps and reminding them to submit the invoice right away so that the check is ready on delivery. Then we call them two days before delivery and remind them again, mentioning that we can’t deliver the product without the check. At that point, we don’t deliver if there is no check and the client has no one to blame but themselves. It’s worked 98% of the time.

Brendan Coots
Splitvision Digital
http://www.splitvisiondigital.com