[Steve Wargo]

I had Albertson’s Grocery stores for a client a few years ago. I did 2 $3500 jobs for them and they asked if I would wait 45 to 60 days for my money. I replied that my wife was going to be thrilled that we could now get groceries and not have to pay for two months, long after the food product turned to —-. They said “Oh no. We can’t do that. When you shop at our store, you have to pay before you take the product home”. I replied “Great! Let’s do that. You set the policy and we’ll go along with it. They paid me. I left. We haven’t spoken since.

Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It’s a dry heat!

Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut (not quite PRO) systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck
2-Sony EX-1 HD .

[Steve Wargo]

the new Red Rock rig is really nice.

We own 2 EX-1s and I love them. And the EX-3 is even more functional and easy to use. But, if I were going to spend a lot of time with a camera on my shoulder, I would buy a shoulder mount camera. But, quite frankly, I would go with Sony XDCAM. That BluRay technology is the cat’s ass, for now.

Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It’s a dry heat!

Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut (not quite PRO) systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck
2-Sony EX-1 HD .

[Steve Wargo]

Welcome to the business.

1. Get paid 100% up front.
2. Be such a bad ass that they don’t dare make you wait.
3. Take credit cards and get their card number at the agreement stage of the job.
4. repeat of number 2 above.

DO NOT give them the finished product without being paid first.

Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It’s a dry heat!

Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut (not quite PRO) systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck
2-Sony EX-1 HD .

[Steve Wargo]

Of course. let’s put the “fun” back in funeral. We could have Jesse James build a hearse straight out of Monster Garage. The gals from Sex in the City could do an episode called “Necrophilia. How about if we resurrect the “Dead Zone” TV show…and, and, and the “dead zone” campaign from Verizon would fit right in.

I had an audition here last week and two of the guys were certified “Stiffs”. There’s some leading role material fer shure.

Maybe we can get an effects house to bring Billy Mays back to be our barker.

This could be BIG! Is channel 13 available?

I wonder how many bells are ringing in Ron’s “bad word” filter….

I;m going to bed.

Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It’s a dry heat!

Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut (not quite PRO) systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck
2-Sony EX-1 HD .

[Steve Wargo]

This is nothing new, Mark. I’ve been using it for years.

Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It’s a dry heat!

Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut (not quite PRO) systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck
2-Sony EX-1 HD .

[Steve Wargo]

$50 an hour, John. But, be honest with your time, both to you and the “client”. But, try to determine how many hours it’s gonna take and figure a dollar amount. Once you both agree, get 1/3 in advance and give it your best effort. Get the second third when you have it all roughed out. Get the final 1/3 upon delivery.

Good luck.

Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It’s a dry heat!

Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut (not quite PRO) systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck
2-Sony EX-1 HD .

[Steve Wargo]

The new JVC camera is the answer to what you’re looking for. See it at

https://pro.jvc.com/prof/attributes/features.jsp?model_id=MDL101851

For sports, you MUST have a shoulder mount camera. Those little hand held cameras are great for about 5 minutes. You need something that will rest on your shoulder and give you rock solid steady shots, that is if you can pull it off. Most shooters suck at hand held.

I have a rig that is a belt and a post that goes up to a mount that the camera sits on.

I have one made by Tiffen https://www.tiffen.com/displayproduct.html?tablename=davissanford&itemnum=SSPROSI2

and another made by

Peter Lisand https://www.peterlisand.com/LCS.htm — You’ll want option 3.

Do not get a small camera and then a shoulder mount kit and then a bunch of crappy add-ons. Get a shoulder mount camera and a stabilizer like a professional camera owner, not a filmmaker wannabe.

Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It’s a dry heat!

Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut (not quite PRO) systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck
2-Sony EX-1 HD .

[Steve Wargo]

And, figure up what it would have cost them if they were paying your rate. Write an invoice for the difference and, if an appropriate time comes, hand one to the new company and one to the go-between. And if they don’t pay, sue them both. verbal contracts are completely legit. The go-between will immediately offer to take your side. You got nothin’ ta lose.

Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It’s a dry heat!

Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut (not quite PRO) systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck
2-Sony EX-1 HD .

[Steve Wargo]

I have this problem all of the time and it usually has to do with, of all things, spelling. My last editor declared “It’s not misspelled! It’s just a typo”. But that was his attitude – he could do nothing wrong.

Doesn’t anyone care enough to simply check their work? I’ll even pay them to do it. It seems like this is something that has really come up in the last 5 years. Before that, I saw a lot higher level of professionalism. We have a policy that nothing goes out without hitting a second set of eyes and it still happens. Jeez.

And the really tough part is this: the client will call me on the phone and I get the riot act, but, when they come in and talk to the editor, it’s as if nothing ever happened. Then, the editors think that I am exaggerating, lying or I’m just wimping out.

Like I said earlier, JEEZ!

Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It’s a dry heat!

Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut (not quite PRO) systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck
2-Sony EX-1 HD .

[Steve Wargo]

[Tim Kolb] “did anything about this operation seem ‘odd’ at the time?”

Hey Tim

I was Second Unit DP and didn’t get exposed to the “money guys”. Met Burt Reynolds and almost met Raquel Welch (does that count?). I did find a photo of Paloma and actor Richard Greico on my own website at https://www.sntvideo.com/pictures.asp?id=studio

In the first pic on the second row, that’s Paloma on the bench and Greico is snapping away. When the flick was done, Paloma decided to insert several new shots and I shot those. It was one day. He gave me a post dated check and I paid my crew. I was never able to find him again. But, I know where he’s at right now. Sweet! He has the dough and I think I’ll be waiting for him when he gets out. That should make his day.

Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It’s a dry heat!

Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut (not quite PRO) systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck
2-Sony EX-1 HD .