Ramon

any other related advice is welcomed, 

thanks, Matan

I’ve got a Tier 0-1 feature coming up as B Cam/Steadicam op and trying to decide what to pitch to production.

Does anyone have a good referral for a contract attorney in the Atlanta area?

Thanks,

Mark

I'm buying my first steadicam next week and I'm trying to get all my paperwork ducks in a row before I start operating. I will be joining the SOA and obviously insuring my gear. 

Had a couple of questions about starting an LLC and whether or not the necessity of having one. Should every operator have one? Do you bill labor and gear through the LLC? Just one? Or should I start as just an individual?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Anyone have a recommendation for a great source for website creation, ability to edit video & reasonably priced?  Need to spice up outdated web page.

Thanks,

Mark

thanks

I’m just getting started on here and in my Steadicam career, and am just starting to try and book jobs. I got referred for a web commercial. The rate is not great ($800 or $900 for gear and rate) but I want to make sure that I’m not out there undercutting anyone if I take the job. How do I go about ensuring that I’m not screwing over my fellow Knights of the Green Screen and giving myself a bad name in the process?

Thanks!

Ben Van Cleave

Budgeting, not often a happy subject for most but as we both work into tax season and a new year, its worth discussing.

The media industry matures and changes we should revisit this subject. There is no doubt the industry, the union, and the world is changing.  We mostly work freelance and there are few safe guards, let alone financial ones....

I know many, many freelancers (maybe most) who are in deep …… because they are underprepared.  

The ideal was always, for me, 15% for taxes over what I had taken out of my check because lots of things get paid throughout the year without taxes deducted and box rentals etc..  Next, 20%, ideally for retirement, and often auto deductions was the most sensible and least painful way to be reminded of its very important place in our life.  Lastly, anything to 20% for savings for those inevitable months when you have no or little income.

I've been both good and terrible at this over the decades.  

Simple math, I've now made 30-50% of your every paycheck less.  Yikes!  

I think its rare that we all do that and certainly life events prevent it but its time to at least start with something, 5-20% into some of those accounts would certainly fill holes we all know about.

I'm raising this to make us all think.  I certainly wish someone had brought it up when I got big paychecks and thought it was all mine or I was putting out the current financial fire!  (There is always a big bill on the horizon in my world.)

Janice

On another website, I've been reading a topic regarding Steadicam Operators accepting scale on a Tyler Perry show based on what the producers SAY they have. It got me thinking.

Over the years, UPMs, Producers have told me the money the DONT have, and what the cable and broadcast companies WONT pay for because of low budgets. Then, as the show goes on you find out that they were wrong or flat out lied to you. Or, they proceed to throw bags of money out the window due to poor planning. We are all told different lies, sob stories and fairy tales about the budgets, and policies of shows and companies (FULL VALUE replacement insurance cert.!!?)

So I thought let's create a topic where we all could see and share all in one place, the budgets and policies of the networks and cable companies! We can't change or fight for something if we don't have as much info as possible! My hope is that this begins a helpful conversation for the well deserved enrichment of us all!! Cheers!

I emailed the person back and asked that I be listed on the cert.

I just now saw and I'm not sure what the "supplement $250" is?

Has anyone come across this type of certificate with virtually no info on it and only good for the one day it's being rented?

Thanks!