[Mads Nybo jørgensen]

Hey Mark,

[Mark Suszko] ” But I don’t like your RFID idea’s wider implications for free speech.”
So has mobile phones, tap’n go payment cards, GPS tracker, anything with a microchip really. So yes, RFID might seem extreme, but not that different from any other technology that we employ. I think that the point I wanted to make was that not enough is done to make it difficult for the criminals to use the kit.

If not using RDIF; an old friend of mine once suggested that when the VTR got unplugged from the mains, that it could automatically require a password before being operational again. It is just a question of getting the manufacturer to implement the security.

In the UK we had a period in 2002-2004 where over £14,000,000 worth of high-end kit got stolen, most to order. Even with serial numbers logged, descriptions etc. still none or very little of it has been recovered. I suspect that the ‘buyers’ of that kit has been able to continue to get maintenance and spare parts, despite the manufacturers also being able to monitor those same lists of stolen kit – maybe a bit harsh, but if there has to be an incentive for a buyer and/or supplier to check the kit before handling.

Bottom line IMHO is that the owners of kit are most often on their own when it comes to security and recovery.

All the Best
Mads
London, UK

Please do visit our faceBook page here: https://www.facebook.com/MacMillionProductions

Mac Million Ltd. – Digital Media Production
Blog: https://macmillionltd.blogspot.com

[Mads Nybo jørgensen]

Hey Nick,

Yes, sadly there is quite a few entities that are allowed to work in the UK. Our company was plagued for years by unwanted elements trying to gain access, in the end it was cheaper not to carry the equipment, but many of our UK colleagues has gone out of business as a result of fraud and/or theft.

In my opinion: Often we find that the UK Police does know the identities of or can easily find the person(s) responsible. But either they will not co-ordinate their efforts between various departments or won’t allocate resources to lock them up. There has been allegations of the Police not reacting, because the same people doing the crime are doubling as informants. The real question is, how can soo much equipment be stolen without the authorities taking action?

I had one very recent example of attempted fraud where the fraudster gave me a delivery address for the goods and 2 stolen credit cards for payment. Neither the Police or the Bank in question were interested. The Police operators opinion was that until the crime had been committed, it would be down to the bank. The bank stopped the card(s) and told me that they were not interested either – my take is that they, the banks, are making to much money to bother about the “bit” that they loose – i.e. crime pays when it comes to Credit Card and Identity theft.

So who wins?
The manufacturers gets to supply equipment to people who will not pay a full price for it.
The end client for our productions, because someone using stolen equipment can and will undercut our rates. (And don’t get me started on people using pirated software…)
The Insurance company because they can inflate our insurance. And when they took a bit hit on it, like AXA in the early noughties, they just up and leave the industry.

In this day and age of smart chips such as RDIF there should be no reason for why Broadcast kit cannot be produced in the same manner, like when you can’t use a car or a mobile without having the right authorization for it. This unfortunately won’t happen as long as the authorities, insurance companies, banks and manufacturers do nothing… – and they will keep doing nothing as long as they are the ones who don’t have to pay for it.

My 25p for today 🙁

All the Best
Mads
London, UK

Please do visit our faceBook page here: https://www.facebook.com/MacMillionProductions

Mac Million Ltd. – Digital Media Production
Blog: https://macmillionltd.blogspot.com

[Mads Nybo jørgensen]

Hey John,

It sounds crazy, but there are still places on this planet where they cannot view a DVD or use a USB stick – hence why we just before Christmas delivered 50 CD-Roms for a charity, all destined to be distributed in Africa.

Make sure that any programming that you do can be read on old operating systems.

All the Best
Mads
London, UK

Please do visit our faceBook page here: https://www.facebook.com/MacMillionProductions

Mac Million Ltd. – Digital Media Production
Blog: https://macmillionltd.blogspot.com

[Mads Nybo jørgensen]

Hey Lisa,

No problem, I really wish you the best of luck.

Please keep in mind the warning that is at the top of this forum. Your producer (and ex-friend) might decide to search on your full name and PBS (Just try this for your number 1 spot: “lisa serman” pbs). You might not invite her, but Google will.

The person that got you your first PBS credit and I suspect your first broadcast credit is the one that you should make friends with.

As much as it sounds like a trivial line out of the nearest self-help book, the following absolutely works for me: Treat other people, like you want to be treated. Eventually you’ll be aligned to only be working with people who is of same mind and same integrity as you are.

All the Best
Mads
London, UK

Please do visit our faceBook page here: https://www.facebook.com/MacMillionProductions

Mac Million Ltd. – Digital Media Production
Blog: https://macmillionltd.blogspot.com

[Mads Nybo jørgensen]

Hey Scott,

You better go back and read my previous post, because something clearly passed you by.

I don’t like being misquoted: For the record, I don’t own any clients and have never said so.

I do however make the strong choice of not re-hiring people or companies who decides to work around my company and thereby loose us revenue – that opinion is my prerogative to have, and I dare you to find anyone, including yourself, who would not do the same?

It is true to say, that I in this discussion have taken the moral high-ground and aimed more at the ethical behaviour rather than the legalities of the situation. From what I’ve deduced from your postings, you’ve in my opinion chosen the gravel-pit, and that is OK. Let’s just agree to disagree, and then leave it at that.

I wish you the best of Luck – thank you.

All the Best
Mads
London, UK

Please do visit our faceBook page here: https://www.facebook.com/MacMillionProductions

Mac Million Ltd. – Digital Media Production
Blog: https://macmillionltd.blogspot.com

[Mads Nybo jørgensen]

Hey Scott,

I noticed that you didn’t vote..?

So far we have only got Lisa’s story, so everything else is pure speculation.

But here is an opinion:

I do freelance from time to time and I do understand the concept of desperate and hard times. I’ve never said that anyone owns any client, I’ve merely pointed out the ethical way of how one should be doing business with ones current clients. And according to Lisa, she did not fire her client before accepting her client’s client. She didn’t even discuss it – that shows intent. But it is true to say that her “old friend” has got no legal claim on the client.

But Scott, as a professional freelancer: Would you ever work the same hours at the same rate that Lisa (and her producer) did? Because that is what has become central to this whole discussion.

Lisa feels that her actions is OK, because in effect Lisa did not ask for proper money in the first place. Question is whether Lisa had ever worked for PBS before? We know that is a no.

And whether without her friend’s help, we don’t know if she would ever had had the chance to work for PBS or how long it would have taken her to get through that door?

What we do know is that Lisa is not a loyal freelancer, and to support her claim she is quite happy to go through other peoples private notes, including publishing them – whether the producer forgot them, is not an excuse to do such a bad thing – because in the end as I understand it, Lisa did get paid the rate she agreed to do the job for.

If not or if the hours was out or what-ever, Lisa could have re-negotiated for a better rate or walked away – but she didn’t. So no, Lisa has only got herself to blame. And two wrongs, certainly don’t make a right.

Before offering the same low rates to PBS I think that Lisa should read the https://magazine.creativecow.net/article/clients-or-grinders-understanding-the-three-market-types article. Because there will always be a hungry freelancer around the corner ready to take her slot.

Anyway, I’ll get off my high horse now. However, what I do find interesting about this, is the discussion of ethics and ethical behaviour. In the UK we have new, and tougher than the US, laws coming into force in May (Anti-Bribery Act). Some people call it a crusade for the West to be righteous; due to the simple fact that we within the next 10 years won’t be able to compete on innovation, manufacturing, population, growth etc., but Ethical Behaviour is something that we in the West can always win on. (That was an attempt to include sarcasm, before anyone gets going)

Never the less, a UK based CEO will from 1st of May be liable for something that an employee did wrong in another country half way around the globe, even if that was to “offer a packet of cigarettes”. So there is on our side of the pond a lot of evaluations going on about how one as a person and a company behaves ethically. I shall be the first to put my hand up and say that I don’t always get it right, but I’m happy to amend my ways and I always learn from my mistakes. But we are facing a new world order, and that not only includes treatment of freelancers and contractors, but also how they behave.

Interesting times ahead – but please do vote above on my question in the previous post. I’m very interested in discussing it either in the forum or off-line.

my 1p…

All the Best
Mads
London, UK

Please do visit our faceBook page here: https://www.facebook.com/MacMillionProductions

Mac Million Ltd. – Digital Media Production
Blog: https://macmillionltd.blogspot.com

[Mads Nybo jørgensen]

Lisa, oh dear, you did not just go and disclose one your clients confidential contracts to the public? You are past the 6 feet, if you dig any deeper you’ll hit lava.

Serious joke aside; There has been quite a few comments about freelancers making a living etc. But none what-so-ever covering the fact that you did not get off your own butt to win that new client. In fact, it seems like some people are conveniently, to suit their own needs, forgetting the cost of marketing, networking, winning and keeping a client.

I won’t comment on yours or your original clients rates. But with all due respect, $62/hour is not a lot of money when you take negotiations, insurance and all the other stuff that goes with being a producer. So congratulations, you screwed over your own client, you offered to do the job cheaper (with kit I presume?) than anyone else would, and by so, you screwed yourself over.

In my opinion: your client is better without you and PBS, if that is what they are paying her and if they then screw her afterwards. In my opinion, PBS should have “chat” with their in-house person about ethical behaviour.

Anyway, enough of my rant. Do the decent thing and give your client a payment of 10% – that only seems fair, and you seem to be up for doing that. So good on you.

For the rest of the “yeah” sayers in this thread, lets see if there amongst the readers here are any producer, production company or facility here, who would employ a freelance or full/part-time person, whom has been known to previously steel clients from their own current clients/employers before asking you for a job?
A “Yes” or a “No” vote in the subject line will suffice.

My 5p just became 2p…

All the Best
Mads
London, UK

Please do visit our faceBook page here: https://www.facebook.com/MacMillionProductions

Mac Million Ltd. – Digital Media Production
Blog: https://macmillionltd.blogspot.com

[Mads Nybo jørgensen]

Hey Lisa,

Allow me to disagree with the others on this one: Any one of my freelancers that takes up work directly with anyone of my clients that has been introduced through me, without getting my blessing first, seize with immediate effect to work for me (and being my friend).

Likewise, I extend the same principle to my own clients, hence why they are happy for me to work directly with their clients, because they know that I won’t steal them and they know that I’ll look after their interests. It has not been uncommon for me in one particular situation to phone up a client and tell them that they need to invoice XYB corporation for a XYZ job that I’ve already done and delivered directly on their behalf. Even recently I had a major government contractor phoning me because they could not get hold of my client, same principle applied, I took the order and passed on the paperwork. My client is now even more happy to use my company’s services.

And no, there is NO such thing as a small job, a job is a job, and you should respect the hand that has fed you previously. Mark my words: Soon, one day PBS will talk with your digitizing assistant and find that they are cheaper than you to use… So shame on you and more shame on PBS for pulling this stunt.

Sorry to be harsh, but if you approach your business dealings from a point of honesty and integrity you won’t need a non competition agreement. All you had to do, was ask your client whether it would be OK, and she might just have said yes. Instead, PBS got you to organise a reduction on their editing fees…

Hope this point of view helps you.

All the Best
Mads
London, UK

Please do visit our faceBook page here: https://www.facebook.com/MacMillionProductions

Mac Million Ltd. – Digital Media Production
Blog: https://macmillionltd.blogspot.com

[Mads Nybo jørgensen]

Hey David,

As Scott says, go direct.

Alternatively, why not get a sponsor on board or a PR/Advertising agency? So if a Broadcaster won’t bite, maybe go straight for an Youtube audience part funded/part in partnership on advertising with Google.

It would be a shame if Amanda the lead grew up and became a 22 year old woman before you made it to air…

However, I would also suggest that you get a brand expert on board – not sure that your current branding on Facebook is as optimal as it can be, that is obviously down to the individual’s taste.

But none of your videos have a intro graphic or an ending with your contact details? And where is the website? + the recipe? OK, Banana in peanut butter is not that difficult to make – but the Mad Professor’s cook-book for the 5-12 year old might even get the boys in the kitchen + get you a slot on Amazon and iPad…

For now, start populating the FaceBook page and get some one else than the Brubaker girls to review it + and do get them to use longer sentences 🙂

There is soo much that you can do to earn money, that does not require you to take the long way around.

Good Luck

All the Best
Mads
London, UK

Please do visit our faceBook page here: https://www.facebook.com/MacMillionProductions

Mac Million Ltd. – Digital Media Production
Blog: https://macmillionltd.blogspot.com

[Mads Nybo jørgensen]

Hey Michael,

Without Prejudice and without knowing the finer details:

I would agree with most comments here: don’t give up the day job. In short, it is what we in the UK call “Constructive Dismissal” – depending on how many years you’ve worked for the company, it can get very expensive.

You might even have a claim against the previous owner – i.e. once you lawyer threatens to sue both parties, its gets messy and tend to bring people to the table for a suitable settlement. At which point you are likely to find that it is a overzealous HR person who is trying to get you to sign the contract, where as that both senior management and the legal department will be happy to “talk” to fix this situation – no new owner of a business are interested in bad publicity from one of there most avid fans 🙂

Maybe even appeal to the group CEO before going full out legal – again, if that person doesn’t know about this and if you explain that you’ve no interest in competing or generating competing products and that this is a passion more than a job for you, they might just decide to come to an arrangement that suit both parties.

My 5c

All the Best
Mads
London, UK

Please do visit our faceBook page here: https://www.facebook.com/MacMillionProductions

Mac Million Ltd. – Digital Media Production
Blog: https://macmillionltd.blogspot.com