[David Rodney]

I also meant to add that one of the networks in particular attempts to pull the old stunt of “if you work for all four networks today, then we will all share your fee” In other words, they expect they should pay 1/4 of my rate each.

I understand there is an industry-standard discount for multiple-sales, but not that much.

Additionally, if we consider the rates I listed as examples, we are not being paid much more now as freelancers, than we were 10 years ago.

[David Rodney]

Thanks for that.

I am talking about a camera operator with his own Broadcast HD Kit and doing own sound. Complete pack, ready to go. 20 years experience (does that count?)

I can’t see how it could be different for different operators – there MUST be a standard otherwise some would be getting more work than others based purely on their rate. Especially if we are talking freelance ENG.

At this point in time, for ENG, I am gathering rates are as I stated for the example setup I used above, ie: $495/$795.

Well that’s what the networks are telling me, anyway.

Would be great to clarify this so as to avoid being ripped off.

[David Rodney]

Wow! “Bullshit!”

If I had known I could resort to swearing on this forum, I would have lowered myself to that much earlier.

I thought it was obvious to those reading – especially after my attempt to clarify my point of view in subsequent posts – that I wouldn’t expect anyone to RESPOND in ten seconds and that – once they got the message – that it would only take them 10 seconds or so to type a response once they found the time to do so.

I am not that stupid as to entertain the thought that I would get a response from ANY email in ten seconds.

Ok, so if it wasn’t obvious to some, my apologies. I need to be able to improve my gesticulation. What I meant was this:

Email is a big part business communication. It is simple to use and fast when you choose to use it. It can – if used wisely and correctly – make our day productive. More productive than interrupting people on the phone all day for something that could be dealt with with a simple “yes/no” via email. Seeing it is so simple and fast, what a shame some people just choose to ignore it, seeing as it could be dealt with in, say, ten seconds. When convenient. When they have time.

People who ignore emails completely – especially business-related emails with direct questions – shit me.

There. That’s better.

[David Rodney]

That’s right, Mike.

As I said in my last message…

I use email when dealing with simple things and the phone for more complex/time-sensitive.

The ignoring of emails – those requiring simple yes/no answers, or answers including minor details – turns them from a simple, effective way of communicating into an ineffective one.

Phonecalls are not always the be-all-and-end-all answer, either. They can be time-consuming and disruptive.

And what if the phone is not answered and the voice mail message left is ignored? Well, that’s another story.

In all, I make sure – no matter how busy I am – to respond to every email and SMS that I get when I can. Out of courtesy. So the sender knows I have the information. That saves them ringing me asking if I got the information they sent through. After a while, my clients learn that if I don’t respond to their message, even with a simple acknowledgment of its receipt, that something is wrong…perhaps I didn’t get it.

Courtesy, etiquette, manners, a sign of respect. Call it what you will.

If I ask a question, I ask it because I need an answer. Not necessarily quickly, but I do need an answer.

Business involves communication. Ignoring business-related communication is bad business.

[David Rodney]

To me, it is simple. Perhaps to others it is not so.

“Ok, thanks for that”

“That will be fine, see you there”

Actually, each of those took me less than ten seconds to write. The whole dealing with the message might have taken me a whole minute compared to maybe 5 or 10 minutes using the phone. Ten of those each day makes a big difference to my productivity.

Then again, if you are not getting responses, it is not productive at all. But the lack of response is the problem.

Anything requiring more complex or time-sensitive responses, I make the call.

[David Rodney]

No I don’t find it harsh, I know ehere you are coming from, but I was indeed talking about “our” or “my” experiences – bit hard not to write that way when you are talking about something that affects me/us, personally.

I am completely aware that others have commitments. What I hate is people REGULARLY refusing to respond to direct questions.

I have a friend who does it ALL the time. He rarely responds to DIRECT questions via email or SMS. And he is not a busy man by any shake of the stick. He just does not feel it necessary to answer my questions, which peeves me no end, especially when we are trying to get productions completed between us.

I am not really saying people are WRONG, I just find it annoying and a tad on the disrespectful side, seeing as I/we/anyone else has taken the time to actually ASK the question.

Again, I was talking about my PERSONAL experiences.

[David Rodney]

Yeah, I guess I am somewhat anxious, but the anxiety comes from the fact that we have at our disposal on an everyday basis, forms of INSTANT communication that will not divert us for very long. ESPECIALLY if a project is time-sensitive.

Technology allows us to be efficient, if we allow it to, that is.

Plus, a non-response could perhaps reflect that your effort/opinion/request is just not worth responding to.

I am very busy too, but out of courtesy, respect and so the sender knows I have received the message, I always have/make time to type “ok, thanks for that”.

It takes ten seconds and they know I have the info.

[David Rodney]

Yeah, agreed. Just a pain when you are expecting answers (or needing them, more importantly) and the message(s) get ignored. I always thought email/sms would be less intrusive in their day than having to take phonecalls all the time.

I understand everyone is busy – so am I – but ignoring specific questions (on a regular basis, I am talking about) is anti-productive and painful.

Looks like I should learn to love the phone more, I guess.

[David Rodney]

Ok, I am going to re-word the question:

If I am asked to quote on a shoot only as a camera-operator, what are the current, acceptable rates for freelances in Australia with their own broadcast HD equipment/kit?

1/2-day and full-day I have been told $495 and $795 + GST respectively by some, but others tell me more and others tell me less. All around the same amounts, just different.

Is there an Australian standard?

You know, for half a day of news as a freelancer, you get $XXX, for a full day you get $XXX

[David Rodney]

Certainly wasn’t meant to be insulting by any shake of the stick. Probably a bad choice of words and my apologies for that.

What I should have said was that News had been the majority of my workload for nearly twenty years. During that time I had done some corporate work, but it had not been as dominant as news. The last five years of that time I had been contracted to a particular network and had been out of the “freelance loop” for that time, and on returning back into the world of freelance out of necessity (the supporting budget for our services at that network had been removed) found it difficult to confirm what the real rates where. I had different people telling me different things, whih was confusing when trying to quote on jobs.

“Oh, you should have charged more” and “I think you might have quoted too much for that”.

All I am trying to do is get it right after being out of the loop for some time. Not quote too much so as to not get the work, but charge what I should be charging so as to not do myself out of money and fairly compete with others who will be tendering for the job.

Again, apologies.