IF THE SHOE FITS...

As I had predetermined, there has been a bit of a back lash from my last post.
This is to be expected as it is a very fragile topic which creates a lot of “passionate” reaction.
While most people who have commented on the post have been in agreement with it and have sent their kudos to me for saying what is on everyone's minds, there have been some people who still cannot see the error of their own ways.
If you are one of the people who were completely outraged by the post then I suggest you attempt to discover why this has affected you so negatively and others so positively.
This is something that only you can do and it will probably take you some time and research in order to resolve it.
You can make a start by visiting the government website for the arts and viewing the latest submissions regarding the recent review of the Australian Independent Screen Sector, you can find them here.
Some of these submissions are from individuals and companies who are well known and viable resources in the Industry and if you have any consideration you will be heart broken at what they have to say about the current state of the Industry and what they have had to endure.
These are your Seniors and you should be listening to what they have to say – it's called respect.
Of course there will be those of you who simply do not care and only care about yourselves, to you I say, “The Industry that you are working towards getting into will no longer be there when it comes to your time to shine. If you don't start being more considerate of what is happening and your involvement in it's future then you are not going to have the chance to work in it.”
Please try to understand that the majority of talented and professional people who work in this Industry are no longer going to tolerate professional lacklustre and the demise of their Industry due to the select few who simply cannot, or refuse to, understand.
To anyone who has taken the last post to heart I sincerely apologise, I was very careful not to mention any names so if you feel as though you have been “outed” then please realise that it is you that have “outed” yourself by reacting the way you have.
There is a massive change happening at the moment, you have the choice to be a part of that change or be left behind continuing on a broken path.

ANNOYED AND KEEPING IT REAL

I have to write this because if I don't I'm going to explode so please excuse me for being rude and arrogant but someone has to say this.
There are so many people out there at the moment who are claiming to be 'Directors' and 'Producers' that, put simply, are complete idiots.
All they do is whine about how crap everything is and that they can't get any support or government funding so they have to resort to acting like complete dick heads. Blah Blah Blah.
Get over yourselves! You are not even a zit on a real Directors/Producers arse.
You think that you can ask me to work for no money or deferred payment (which never happens) in substandard conditions and live in a shanty town on set where I have to bunk up with smelly wankers because we can't have a decent shower, I have to live on bloody 'subway' for weeks and take a dump in the nearest public restroom.
Get it together you pack of losers!
Just because you are living in a fantasy world of making pretentious little films for no money that are never going to be released and acting as though it's like a fun little school camp, doesn't mean you are in any way going to compete with real films, with real budgets and real professionals involved.
I had one little producer tell me that “Until the government is going to fund his little genre flicks that he has two options, one, to keep pushing shit up a hill or two, get a 9 – 5 job and wait until some viable opportunity comes his way”.
Well sweetheart,
1.The government will give you funding the day you prove to them that you have a commercially viable project – not some half arsed amateur art house crap which nobody wants to see.
2.Until such time you are definitely only “pushing shit up a hill” and you should refer to yourself as a “shit pusher”.
3.Instead of waiting for a viable opportunity to come your way how about you use your supposed creative intellect and entrepreneurial skills to create one yourself and maybe think that a 9 – 5 job is your answer to any money woes.
(Or how about you actually complete the two films you have already shot, sell them, pay the money you are owing to cast and crew then do it again and again until you actually have some decent capital.)
I had another silly little part time “producer” tell me that “the Australian Film Industry is only a cottage Industry and that until it changes there is nothing she can do”. She also said that “she supports the Industry the best way she can by allowing people the opportunity to showcase their skills”.
What a f%@#ing joke!!
The reason this Industry is this way, is because of complacent little users like you.
Try making the change yourself by acting like a professional and treating other professionals with respect and paying them what they deserve.
You are not supporting the Industry by using slave labour and you are not showcasing their skills if you are producing amateur crap that is only going to end up half edited and collecting dust in the Directors cupboard.
No wonder the Australian Film Industry is absolute bull shit at the moment with angry little wankers like this at the helm.

Big breath...

...calm blue ocean...

There, I said it.

I feel better now. :)

DEFERRED PAYMENT

Any one who has been reading my blog may have noticed how I feel about performing unpaid work – I think I have made it pretty clear.
However, I have not really discussed deferred payments.
Deferred payment is definitely an option for you and basically it means that instead of being paid a weekly rate per week to perform work on a film you keep record of all hours worked and once the film has been completed you are paid the money which is owing to you.
Seems like a simple concept doesn't it?
But, there seems to be a lot of very confused producers out there though, either that or they're simply dodgy, as I have been handed contracts which do not abide by the rules outlined by the 'Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance of Australia'.
You see, in order to offer deferred payments you have to apply for permission to do so and even if you are granted the right to offer this type of compensation there are many laws which govern your actions.
So that everyone is well aware of their rights and responsibilities I have included a link to the document that lists these details.
For anyone who has performed work on a deferred payment deal you may be shocked at what you read and for anyone thinking of entering into a deferred payment deal please keep a record of this document so you know what you are getting yourself into.

Here is the link,

Low/No Budget