Steve Wargo
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COW Coins
4
Premiere Pro Coins
Forum Replies Created
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So, Jacki, exactly WHAT are you complaining about? Are you unhappy that other women don’t work hard to get ahead in this business? Do you think men make what they make just because they’re men? What a load of crap!
I hire and pay based on JOB SKILLS, not gender. I don’t care if the best man for the job is a woman. I also don’t look at color. After all, how many blacks work in this business? Hispanics? Asians? It certainly has nothing to do with race or ethnicity. We don’t care about that. My two most talented camera operators are both women and they make the same money as any of the guys I hire.
If women are as talented as men but settle for less money, that is their problem. Join a union and notice that the chicks work for 50% of what the overpaid guys get.
I do tons of corporate work and there are a lot of female CEOs out there who have a lot of men working under them. I have worked for far too many women to even begin to agree with your notions.
If you are a qualified professional, contact Ron or Kathlyn and request a spot on the top of the page. But, be ready to be treated like one of the guys.
But before anything else, fill out that profile or we will simply consider you a newbe or someone with no background.
All kidding aside, we don’t care about the gender of the heads on top of the page. Why would we? We are beyond that.
By the way, I just read two industry magazines tonight, Studio Monthly and P3 Update. Studio’s editor is Beth Merchant and P3’s editor is Sally Kemper. They probably got those jobs by agreeing to work for less money.
Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It’s a dry heat!Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut Pro systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck -
Our DVX tapes always have TC breaks. Not so with our higher level DSR 300/500 cameras. Tell FCP to ignore them.
Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It’s a dry heat!Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut Pro systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck -
Just a few comments
If we only make a phone call – 15%
If we have to manage the person 25 to 40%
If I have to pay the person and bill the client – 50%
If I know that I can get away with it and it’s a good deal for everyone – 100%Clients don’t want to pay more than 50%
Clients are usually pretty reasonable.
Whos insurance is covering the hired help?
Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It’s a dry heat!Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut Pro systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck -
Mark
I keep a bunch of hard drives available for client’s projects because that has happened to me 20 times at least.
We could keep it our drives for 5 years and they will still call the day after we dump it and want just one more tiny change.
I am so anxious waiting for the blu-ray storage burner. TDK says they will have 200 gig discs by Christmas.
Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It’s a dry heat!Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut Pro systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck -
People make mistakes every day and we have to hold ourselves responsible for those mistake. As company owner, you eat what your people feed you. Sounds like this last minute guy fed you a dose of liver (no human should ever eat that).
So, let’s see: you initially had a disc compatibility problem which you rectified in time. I don’t think you owed them anything at all. What harm was done? Any?
Some jerk just wanted to flex his muscle and be the company hero. The problem now is that you let him get away with it once so plan on that being his way from now on. He will hold this thing over your head till the end of time.
Any time you deliver a disc, it will be something like “So Bob, what are the chances that this disc will play?” I would be sorely tempted to stick that disc where the sun doesn’t shine.
IMVHO, by the way.
Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It’s a dry heat!Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut Pro systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck -
We’ve had those. We’ve recenty instituted a “Rush Charge” and it amazing how much stuff can now wait till Monday. Also, I charge double time for Saturday and triple time for Sunday. All of a sudden, what absolutely, positively had to be done on the weekends can now wait till Monday.
My most recent beef is with a producer that came to us with a project in Mexico. He negotiated a sweet deal with me based on getting cash for the job while still in Mexico. The clients are Americans who are land developers. The producer had claimed that the client was afraid of breaking the law by transporting more than $10K across the border. He says that they gave him a check that took a month to clear the bank. Also, he said that he was only charging them what he was paying us.
It took 3 months to get my money and he never gave any footage to the end client (I still have it). I also found out that he charged them 2 1/2 times what my rate was for my my services.
We have sworn this guy off and have spread the word. Others have been calling us to tell us equal horror stories about this person.
Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It’s a dry heat!Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut Pro systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck -
For a free consultation:
More info:
https://www.bzrights.com/101.htm
This is who we use. They are right on the money.
Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It’s a dry heat!Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut Pro systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck -
Brendan,
What’s with the “beenyweenies” thing? Everytime I see that I die laughing. I am laughing like hell, right now and will continue to do so for some time.
Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It’s a dry heat!Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut Pro systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck -
A few years ago, Kyra Sedgwick was invited to Phoenix to the Phoenix Film Festival. When it was time for her presentation, she strolled up on stage and looked a little “medicated”. She received her lifetime achievement award and then stepped off to the side of the stage with some other recipients.
A pizza party followed. When cleaning up that night, the workers found her award stuffed into a pizza box. Her hubby, Kevin Bacon and his band played in the tent and afterward, as they were getting into their limo, she had to be carried to the car.
It’s kind of hard to watch The Closer without thinking about that award wrapped in a slice of pepperoni pizza.
Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It’s a dry heat!Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut Pro systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck -
[David Roth Weiss] “#1. How do you bill for digitizing on an hourly or daily basis vs. your standard editorial rate? Is your answer universal for all clients or on a case by case basis?”
If we are digitizing everything as complete tapes, we cut the rate by 50%. A “helper” or student does this and will sometime log scenes as they go. If a technical person is required, it’s full rate. Because we have 5 systems, we usually digitize on one of our units that sits off to the side and does not occupy a suite.
[David Roth Weiss] “#2. How do you bill for holding vs. working? The client comes three hours late because their dog stubbed a toe, do you/can you charge the client full rate? What are the variables you consider in making your decision? Would you ever let them slide?”
This depends on the client. We will give them the first half hour and then they are on the clock, usually. However, we have several who abuse the system and they are clocked in at their appointment time. This depends entirely on who it is and their history. Our prime clients would never abuse the privilage and they are given the red carpet. Some have walked in late and said “Bill me from the scheduled time”.
[David Roth Weiss] “#3. If you start a job on a daily rate based on your standard rate card, would you consider adjusting to a weekly rate if the job stretches out to five days?”
Again, this depends on how much work they do with us and how they pay. One of our defense contractors pays in 5 days, while others take 45 days. The client has no right to expect a discount unless thay know that they are the ONLY client.
What irritates us is when someone is scheduled from say, 9am till 2pm and they walk in at 10;30 and can’t understand why someone else is wanting in the room at 2:30. They just think that the world will shift or adjust to their bad habits.
Anymore, when people pull that type of crap, I send them elsewhere. I Recently dumped all of my clients who caused me grief. Now, I just feel better.
I could also mention the morons who know that we close from 12-1 every day for lunch and they will show up at 11:45 and say “You’re going to lunch? But I need something right now.” I don’t understand how these idiots function from day to day. Or, how about the ones who call and insist that my office person get me on the phone because it is very important. I stop what I’m doing, everyone takes a break while I make my way to a phone to answer the 911 call and the person on the phone says “Hey man. Are you gonna be around for a while? I want to come by and borrow some gaff tape.” I hang up on them immediately.
Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It’s a dry heat!Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut Pro systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck