I'm amazed at the completely delusional nature of some people. For some reason, the last people I'd expect to want to deal with me have been sending me LinkedIn connection requests. One came from someone I filed a lawsuit against in small claims court. In fact, I could have appeared on TV if I'd kept that case going & not gotten my money; I did get a call from The People's Court over it.
Yesterday's was a doozy, though. It came from someone who headed an enterprise I later learned was illegal to engage in in one of the states where I have a law license.
I told the grievance committee of that state the owner's name & offered to give them whatever they wanted to keep this guy from getting another attorney there to violate ethics rules. Why on earth would he want to have me as a LinkedIn connection?
Who does this to people? What would possess you to be a LinkedIn connection with someone who disapproves of you, sued you, or did something heinous to you or your business? I refuse all these since there's that saying "Birds of a feather flock together." Why would I let you be my connection & fuck up MY reputation with your general fuckery?
I'm sure people get these requests on Facebook as well. Again, I ask why. Plus, I'm pretty direct when I don't want to deal with someone. I don't leave that stuff in the air or make you think things could be cool between us someday after the tempest has passed. If you've done something truly awful to me, I'll tell you. I will also tell you that you're dead to me or not to bother contacting me ever again. It takes real effort to make me feel that way but once you do, there's no turning back. My dislike & general hatred on someone who's wronged me is legendary: you can ask around. In fact, I'm so direct with people on that stuff precisely so I don't have to get their Facebook friend request or their LinkedIn connection request. LinkedIn really needs a block button, I swear. Situations like this are why we need block buttons; there are some severely delusional people on this planet.
Today, I actually went to my first 2 social events since my father died. Something told me to go to the second one even though I found out about it hours before the other one. The subway schedule told me to go to that one first so I did. Turned out to be a good move on my part. Did have some good conversations & hopefully will have new contacts from it. Got home really late & I'm sure to be fucking up my sleep before going to the doctor who handles girly parts tomorrow.
I've not had a check-up in years since my last one dropped off the face of the earth, literally. His number was disconnected, his website vanished, all trace of him was gone (which sucked). A childfree person like me doesn't have an easy time getting one & even though I already had a tubal, I don't need anyone foisting the Church of Baby on me. Spare me! I've got a total of 6 nieces & nephews. More kids is the last thing my family needs; I also have zero patience so maybe not such a good idea to tell me about the joys of motherhood & how I'm incomplete as a person unless I breed. I only look at providers in Manhattan since the jerks in my area kept telling me they were going to talk me out of getting a tubal like I was 15 years old; it's weird that there are people in Queens who act like they live in rural Kentucky or something. That bothers me on multiple levels & makes me feel isolated from it.
The office I called was able to see me tomorrow so I was like "Okay." I also got my assurance I wouldn't be getting harassed on that issue. I think if I did, I would have to point out the latest attempts to turn women into barefoot, pregnant baby factories with no brains or ambitions of their own. Sorry but I'd have to kill myself in that world or become a prostitute/comfort girl. I'm sure those who know me could totally see me being a hooker in that society. Maybe I'd become the hooker who killed the biggest offenders of sexism in her off time using creative methods.
So, why is unconditional love a myth? I was telling this to a friend of mine today in describing something personal about me I was pretty sure he didn't know. Not sure if he agreed with me on it but if you disagree, I'm going to break it down for you if you hear me out.
I was telling him of my long established policy of telling any guy who wanted to be serious with me that I wasn't going to relive my childhood of living with an alcoholic & that it would be unfair to ask me to do so. Selfish, cruel, those words could fit as well. If you lived through things in your childhood or a prior relationship, there's no way you'd regress to that experience if you'd fully made it out.
"Unconditional" means you take someone regardless, no matter what. But most of us wouldn't say that means you have to stay with a domestic abuser. Well, living with an alcoholic or a drug dealer would be for me the equivalent of suffering domestic violence except you're living that mentally & emotionally. If you haven't lived it, you can't really grasp what it's like.
To avoid worrying about anyone I cared about becoming an alcoholic, my policy was not to marry a drinker. My mom even told us not to do that & used her own story as proof of what happens if you do. She didn't marry him as an asshole drunk who had blackouts, damaged her property & made her fear for her personal safety. He progressed to that. I live my life with passion & if you're my friend, I care a lot about you. Imagine how I feel about my husband. Luckily, he's not given me that fear.
I think everyone's got a breaking point, an area where they'd say "Enough is enough! I'm out of here." To love unconditionally would be irrational in my book since that means you're taking the domestic abuser for life, you're giving up everything for someone (including your identity, your friends, your interests, anything you hold dear) & you become a doormat. Maybe I'm just not as good a person or am more selfish but I think people shouldn't be condemned or punished for refusing to give up who they are or let their "love" abuse them, whether it's physically, mentally, sexually, whatever. For me, that's not love. It wouldn't be love for me if my husband ignored me on that whole alcohol thing & started acting just like my father did when I was younger.
I tolerated much more from guys I simply dated than anyone I wanted a future with. Drinking wasn't a big deal to me from dates since I didn't have to live with them or deal with shared finances. I also avoided asshole drunks & only went out with social drinkers. A big difference but when you go through something like that, you feel like you've survived a long battle. I definitely did and freedom was (and still is) a huge thing for me. When you haven't had it, you cherish it when you get it.
Find me someone who's got unconditional love for someone & I'll show you how it isn't unconditional. I'd definitely put you in the severely delusional category if you in fact had unconditional love for someone; it would mean you have no personal identity or only have it at your spouse's leisure.
Showing posts with label reputation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reputation. Show all posts
Friday, June 21, 2013
Thursday, March 8, 2012
What the Holy Fuck?!?!? Craig's List Ads, Part 3
Before I end up getting busier (meaning even less frequent updates), I've seriously seen some ads lately that make me scratch my head & wonder what drugs these people are on.
First off, some demands for full time internships:
Commercial Casting Internship (Midtown West)
Date: 2012-02-15, 5:27PM EST
Reply to: telseycommercialinternship@gmail.com [Errors when replying to ads?]
Telsey + Co. is seeking commercial interns for the winter/spring! PLEASE NOTE: we are currently only looking for interns to work exclusively with our commercial department.
Interns will be exposed to all aspects of commercial casting and will get a lot of experience in the audition room. Duties include organizing scripts/commercial copy, researching potential talent, helping set up and run sessions, putting out appointments and assisting with administrative tasks.
We are looking for interns who are good with technology and have a strong desire to learn and an interest in commercial/television/film casting. You must be comfortable using a Mac. Knowledge of QuickTime Pro, Toast and Microsoft Word are also a big plus. You should be a team player who is detail-oriented and displays strong communication skills. Directing skills also a big plus.
There is a very high level of responsibility in this internship program. We are looking for full-time, Monday through Friday, 10am-6pm, and a 3- or 4-month commitment, beginning between now and early March. This is full-time, unpaid internship.
To apply, please send your cover letter and resume to David Morris at telseycommercialinternship@gmail.com and put "Commercial Internship" in the subject line.
Compensation: Unpaid
This is an internship job
Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
Please, no phone calls about this job!
Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.
PostingID: 2853384582
Prop/Art Intern Needed (Greenwich Village)
Date: 2012-03-06, 3:37PM EST
Reply to: djwwm-2888052091@job.craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
I am searching for a prop intern to help full time on a feature film shooting in the city. We're looking to fill this position immediately. Experience is desired but not necessary.
You will be assisting the props department on an independent feature film. The work will include both research/shop work as well as On-Set work. The position requires you to be independent, aggressive and patient. Common sense and problem solving under pressure are critical. The compensation will be credit for your work as well as all the contacts and experience that you'll make working on the project itself. The position is FULL TIME only (with weekends off) unfortunately. Please submit a resume and cover letter.
Thank you.
Compensation: Experience, credit, and contacts
Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
Please, no phone calls about this job!
Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.
PostingID: 2888052091
And just today, I saw yet another ad seeking a full time intern for help on a feature film shoot. Telsey + Co. is supposed to be legit as I've actually heard of them. That ad just tells me not to deal with them since clearly, they're either into exploiting people or haven't bothered to consult with a lawyer before posting ads that violate state & federal labor laws (aside from being insulting to the 99% who have to pay bills). Neither possibility looks good. No sane business person should strive to be incompetent or a total asshole.
Seriously, folks. Think before you post. Do you want the public to read them & say "Hmmm, how would this company treat ME if they're expecting a total stranger to PAY for the privilege of working full time for them? I bet they'll screw me over as well."
I understand the good of the team and all that but civilized people realize that if someone isn't being given equity, they're just not going to be motivated to do all that much.
To the second company, which is in my turf so definitely something I'll take personally as someone in this business doing the same thing & not wanting my rep harmed by this shit I had this to say:
Are you brain dead? Read up on state & federal laws. FULL TIME internships, which is what you posted here, are illegal. Clearly you're trying to couch this as an "intern" position to weasel out of paying someone who has skills & a financial value in the marketplace.
Saying you want "experience" is further evidence of you trying to exploit people. We aren't stupid.
I have my own entertainment company & when there's lots of work to be done & no $ to pay someone, we don't expect a stranger to work FULL TIME HOURS for us. The CEO doesn't even expect the partners to give up paying work for unpaid work. Most people aren't independently wealthy & have to pay their bills.
There are also plenty of opportunities to network in the entertainment field, get experience & credit for projects without having to work FULL TIME for NO PAY. In fact, I see nothing of travel reimbursement so not only are you insulting people by telling them they are worthless you are adding financial injury by making the person pay $104 a month for a MetroCard to travel for YOUR benefit. My company would never, in a million years, expect someone to PAY to work for us.
Maybe you should consider 2-3 people for 10-20 hours each instead of risking a well deserved crackdown on your business by state & federal labor authorities. There HAVE been crackdowns on this kind of thing.
Want to work with some trust fund baby who lives off their parents & can do this at their expense? Good luck. Even that person would resent you & not care. You may also want to start shelling out for a lawyer since you're going to need one if you think the labor laws don't apply to Craig's List ads.
Oh, and would YOU pay to work full time for a business you didn't own as an INTERN? Would you even work for free FULL TIME for that business (getting your travel costs reimbursed)? If you wouldn't, why should anyone else?
Signed, A Professional Who Knows the Law & How This Industry Actually Works
Yes, ad posters! If you would get mad at me for asking you to work for free or spend money to do something mostly benefiting me, then don't expect others to do it.
Oh, and here's an example of a moron in the legal field with the same attitude:
Assistant to help with paperwork (Midtown)
Date: 2012-02-29, 2:23PM EST
Reply to: rpxkp-2877459060@gigs.craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
I'm a young lawyer with a small practice. I need help with tasks such as going to the post office, filing papers in court, retrieving papers from court, making photocopies, drafting letters, etc. In exchange I will train you as a proper paralegal and give you excellent references. The time commitment is 5-10 hours a week.
This is a great opportunity for someone who wants first-hand legal experience without a huge time commitment. The right candidate may evolve the position into something more permanent. In the meantime, all I can offer is training focused on the technical aspects of private law practice.
If you are considering law school, this is a great way to see what you are in for as a lawyer in the "new legal economy."
You must have your own laptop and Metrocard.
Location: Midtown
it's ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
Compensation: no pay
PostingID: 2877459060
Sorry but my altruism has long since evaporated. I definitely responded to this one.
Clearly, you are a younger lawyer than I am or just incredibly naive. I've been an attorney for over 4 years & I'm not arrogant enough to think someone wants to be my assistant FOR FREE. My field is probably also far more exciting than yours & more likely to compel someone to use their personal resources to work for me.
However, the difference b/t you & me is I have integrity. I would not demand someone use their PERSONAL laptop or demand them to have a monthly Metrocard to work for me since that's them PAYING to work for ME; in fact, no one has any business getting an assistant (who's not volunteered to do it) unless they can pay him/her. Those cards cost over $100 a MONTH & only people who already have full time jobs can typically afford them. Think for a second: if someone's got a full time job paying a salary, then why would they work for YOU for FREE?
This is not even an internship in the strict sense of the word: this is just asking for free labor. Even in college, I earned money at my part time jobs & applied for legal jobs offering to PAY for these tasks. This doesn't even sound like something a student could get course credit for.
Maybe I'm horribly jaded since I've dealt with scammers first hand & read some tales about attorneys behaving no better but I would never advise someone do this. If you can't even provide a computer/phone & travel reimbursement, you need to grow up & get used to how life in business actually works.
You're better off asking a friend or family member that gives a damn about you instead of expecting total strangers to fall all over themselves to spend their money to work for YOU. Do YOU like working for free (no CLE credit & not even a travel reimbursement or deduction in taxes)? Would you work for minimum wage for clients? If not, read your ad again & tell me why anyone would want to pay to do this for you when they could do it for free at a legitimate law firm (through a temp agency or applying directly to law firms). Oh, and people DO read these ads & make judgments on you based on how you're treating prospective employees. Expecting them to pay says to me that you're probably shitty to your clients.
Yeah, the Angry Redheaded Lawyer may be many things but an exploiter I am not. I have to wonder who has the balls to post this type of ad; I noticed it was gone very quickly from Craig's List. Hopefully, some other attorneys felt the same way.
Oh, and if I didn't already have motivation not to work in a law firm after reading about the guy who died at 35 due to working constant 20 hour days at a mid-sized firm this ad symbolizes even more why most firms are messed up in their hiring practices:
Stellar-Credentialed Litigation Associate (NYC)
Date: 2012-01-13, 7:18PM EST
Reply to: job-e6hwp-2798757567@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
Top litigation firm has a need for a Midlevel Litigation Associate with 3-4 years of litigation experience. You will have the opportunity diversity of matters and a lot of responsibility as the matters are staffed leanly. The firm's attorneys work hard but are very collegial with each other. The candidate who is hired for this position will have top academic credentials (see below) and will also be the right personality fit (though a good personality, alone, will, unfortunately, not make up for less-than-stellar credentials). Please have a JD from a Top 25 law school and a 3.5+ GPA. Please submit resume/law school transcript to be considered.
Location: NYC
Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
Please, no phone calls about this job!
Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.
PostingID: 2798757567
At least in the entertainment field, your personality matters more than if you were on law review or went to Yale. This sounds like you could be a total fuck up as a litigator practicing law in real life but if you were a law school superstar, it's a-okay. Way to live up to the negative stereotypes, folks!
Then there's the blatant sexual harassment ads:
MODEL SECRETARY - ASSISTANT TO CEO EXECUTIVE $1000 PER WEEK (Midtown West)
Date: 2012-01-06, 10:02PM EST
Reply to: gigs-uvvzz-2787302933@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
Professional Executive CEO seeking model assistant for everyday needs.
Must Be Open Minded, Young & Fun. Must be able to mix "business and pleasure"
Please send your recent photos, available start date & what are you ready to offer.
Serious Inquires Only
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
Compensation: $1000
PostingID: 2787302933
Please God, let this guy end up with a wicked STD or a woman who'll bite off his dick as soon as look at it (because how many women have you seen posting such ads)! Creeps like that totally deserve such things. As long as we have the Village Voice personal ads & prostitutes, there's no excuse for using secretary & assistant jobs to harass women who need money & don't want to become strippers or prostitutes. I'd like to see a return to the adult section for this smut instead of Talent Gigs. "Professional Executive?" Ha! Maybe "Professional Predator."
It also makes me wonder if we'd see less of this crap if prostitution were legal. Personally, I'm in favor of legalized prostitution with some regulation like mandatory testing for STDs, access to contraceptives (since you don't want your prostitutes getting pregnant & having to take maternity leave), no minors, no kidnapping or forcing women into it & fair splits. You can't deny that people have always & will always have sex + it could be a money maker. Done right, maybe it would make politics more honest if we got over this puritanical mindset & ethos that's threatening to ruin the U.S. as we know it. Even the pimps could be like franchisees & have their own offices.
Finally, we come to people who just have no freaking clue. Consider this budding genius:
Need idea for a new project? ~~Stock Trading Documentary (Financial District)
Date: 2012-03-06, 2:44AM EST
Reply to: rsfpr-2887088642@job.craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
I am 20 years old and coming to New York City for the first time this summer to be an intern at two different currency trading firms.
I have been a day trader with real money since high school. I have been dealing mostly in currencies and stocks however i have also traded bonds and commodities.
I will be living in an apartment and commuting to 7 World Trade Center to intern at one firm, while working for another firm all while continuing to day trade in my free time.
This is a very high paced industry and a documentary following my time in the city this summer could make for a great project if you are up for the task. No compensation is provided.
Compensation: None
This is a part-time job.
Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
Please, no phone calls about this job!
Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.
PostingID: 2887088642
This utterly clueless tone compelled me to respond. Here goes:
You need some lessons in how the entertainment industry works:
Lesson 1 - Filmmaking costs money. There's expensive equipment involved, permits, editing, etc. Saying "I'm not offering any pay" isn't going to cut it. Professional company = professional pay. Get the funding if you want this to happen.
Lesson 2 - Offering no money means you will not get interest from a quality film company & this little project won't go anywhere. Hope you've got a friend with a camera. Better yet, you should probably just do a video diary on You Tube since unless you can get permission from these employers to document your exploits, no one's going to care. I find it unlikely that these trading firms are going to let an intern bring in a filmmaker to tape him/her & the insides of their business.
Lesson 3 - If you have no skin in the game, you get no say & no ownership. Everyone has "an idea"; you'll also be signing a release & have no control over the final product unless you are a producer (meaning YOU have to get financing, fund it yourself & otherwise make sure it all comes together). People submit ideas ALL THE TIME. If you have no funds, a stranger's not going to care & if they do work with you, the final product might not be as you'd want it.
If you want this little documentary, go find a friend to do it. They might not mind buying film, renting equipment, doing editing, etc. on your behalf but the rest of us sure would. We have bills to pay & PAYING clients to concern ourselves with.
Signed, Someone Who ACTUALLY Works in the Entertainment Industry
If any professional filmmakers disagree, please let me know. Maybe YOU'D like to pay to work for this guy.
Then there's this person who thinks men are going to get naked for free:
Natural Redheads
Date: 2012-03-06, 8:19PM EST
Reply to: hsx8r-2888569775@gigs.craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
I want natural Redheads for a photography project. Men only.
There is NUDITY involved. 21+
This is a non-paying gig. TFP (trade for photos).
Send headshot and brief note if interested and want more information.
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
Compensation: no pay
PostingID: 2888569775
I think even men would want money to disrobe. Here's my response:
You expect strangers to do a TFP with NUDITY for NO PAY & you want natural redheads? Why not just ask for unicorns that can sing the score to Avenue Q? That's how realistic your ad is. Nudity is a special event & requires at least travel reimbursement.
Every ad here asking for nudity offers a few hundred dollars for it & that's not necessarily for a group that makes up around 1% of the world's total population.
Yeah, if you want natural redheads (male or female) to get naked for you you'd better be offering at least double the standard rate. Perhaps quadruple. Give the doubles & triples to other minority groups that are less rare but not as common as white folks.
If that redhead isn't Caucasian, the rate goes even higher. Same for natural redheads who qualify as little people. That's basic economics. Rare things cost more.
If you manage to find mentally competent strangers willing to be photographed or videotaped naked for free & never demanding limits on public exhibition of the photos or video, then you're either a genius or have a talent for finding extremely apathetic people (you have to have done this while they were sober). Everyone will clamor for your secret & probably want to be your business partner since you'd likely make a fortune.
Between this & the lunatic fringe lately, it's probably a good thing I've got activities to occupy my time and incentives to use my brain for good vs. evil.
First off, some demands for full time internships:
Commercial Casting Internship (Midtown West)
Date: 2012-02-15, 5:27PM EST
Reply to: telseycommercialinternship@gmail.com [Errors when replying to ads?]
Telsey + Co. is seeking commercial interns for the winter/spring! PLEASE NOTE: we are currently only looking for interns to work exclusively with our commercial department.
Interns will be exposed to all aspects of commercial casting and will get a lot of experience in the audition room. Duties include organizing scripts/commercial copy, researching potential talent, helping set up and run sessions, putting out appointments and assisting with administrative tasks.
We are looking for interns who are good with technology and have a strong desire to learn and an interest in commercial/television/film casting. You must be comfortable using a Mac. Knowledge of QuickTime Pro, Toast and Microsoft Word are also a big plus. You should be a team player who is detail-oriented and displays strong communication skills. Directing skills also a big plus.
There is a very high level of responsibility in this internship program. We are looking for full-time, Monday through Friday, 10am-6pm, and a 3- or 4-month commitment, beginning between now and early March. This is full-time, unpaid internship.
To apply, please send your cover letter and resume to David Morris at telseycommercialinternship@gmail.com and put "Commercial Internship" in the subject line.
Compensation: Unpaid
This is an internship job
Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
Please, no phone calls about this job!
Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.
PostingID: 2853384582
Prop/Art Intern Needed (Greenwich Village)
Date: 2012-03-06, 3:37PM EST
Reply to: djwwm-2888052091@job.craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
I am searching for a prop intern to help full time on a feature film shooting in the city. We're looking to fill this position immediately. Experience is desired but not necessary.
You will be assisting the props department on an independent feature film. The work will include both research/shop work as well as On-Set work. The position requires you to be independent, aggressive and patient. Common sense and problem solving under pressure are critical. The compensation will be credit for your work as well as all the contacts and experience that you'll make working on the project itself. The position is FULL TIME only (with weekends off) unfortunately. Please submit a resume and cover letter.
Thank you.
Compensation: Experience, credit, and contacts
Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
Please, no phone calls about this job!
Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.
PostingID: 2888052091
And just today, I saw yet another ad seeking a full time intern for help on a feature film shoot. Telsey + Co. is supposed to be legit as I've actually heard of them. That ad just tells me not to deal with them since clearly, they're either into exploiting people or haven't bothered to consult with a lawyer before posting ads that violate state & federal labor laws (aside from being insulting to the 99% who have to pay bills). Neither possibility looks good. No sane business person should strive to be incompetent or a total asshole.
Seriously, folks. Think before you post. Do you want the public to read them & say "Hmmm, how would this company treat ME if they're expecting a total stranger to PAY for the privilege of working full time for them? I bet they'll screw me over as well."
I understand the good of the team and all that but civilized people realize that if someone isn't being given equity, they're just not going to be motivated to do all that much.
To the second company, which is in my turf so definitely something I'll take personally as someone in this business doing the same thing & not wanting my rep harmed by this shit I had this to say:
Are you brain dead? Read up on state & federal laws. FULL TIME internships, which is what you posted here, are illegal. Clearly you're trying to couch this as an "intern" position to weasel out of paying someone who has skills & a financial value in the marketplace.
Saying you want "experience" is further evidence of you trying to exploit people. We aren't stupid.
I have my own entertainment company & when there's lots of work to be done & no $ to pay someone, we don't expect a stranger to work FULL TIME HOURS for us. The CEO doesn't even expect the partners to give up paying work for unpaid work. Most people aren't independently wealthy & have to pay their bills.
There are also plenty of opportunities to network in the entertainment field, get experience & credit for projects without having to work FULL TIME for NO PAY. In fact, I see nothing of travel reimbursement so not only are you insulting people by telling them they are worthless you are adding financial injury by making the person pay $104 a month for a MetroCard to travel for YOUR benefit. My company would never, in a million years, expect someone to PAY to work for us.
Maybe you should consider 2-3 people for 10-20 hours each instead of risking a well deserved crackdown on your business by state & federal labor authorities. There HAVE been crackdowns on this kind of thing.
Want to work with some trust fund baby who lives off their parents & can do this at their expense? Good luck. Even that person would resent you & not care. You may also want to start shelling out for a lawyer since you're going to need one if you think the labor laws don't apply to Craig's List ads.
Oh, and would YOU pay to work full time for a business you didn't own as an INTERN? Would you even work for free FULL TIME for that business (getting your travel costs reimbursed)? If you wouldn't, why should anyone else?
Signed, A Professional Who Knows the Law & How This Industry Actually Works
Yes, ad posters! If you would get mad at me for asking you to work for free or spend money to do something mostly benefiting me, then don't expect others to do it.
Oh, and here's an example of a moron in the legal field with the same attitude:
Assistant to help with paperwork (Midtown)
Date: 2012-02-29, 2:23PM EST
Reply to: rpxkp-2877459060@gigs.craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
I'm a young lawyer with a small practice. I need help with tasks such as going to the post office, filing papers in court, retrieving papers from court, making photocopies, drafting letters, etc. In exchange I will train you as a proper paralegal and give you excellent references. The time commitment is 5-10 hours a week.
This is a great opportunity for someone who wants first-hand legal experience without a huge time commitment. The right candidate may evolve the position into something more permanent. In the meantime, all I can offer is training focused on the technical aspects of private law practice.
If you are considering law school, this is a great way to see what you are in for as a lawyer in the "new legal economy."
You must have your own laptop and Metrocard.
Location: Midtown
it's ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
Compensation: no pay
PostingID: 2877459060
Sorry but my altruism has long since evaporated. I definitely responded to this one.
Clearly, you are a younger lawyer than I am or just incredibly naive. I've been an attorney for over 4 years & I'm not arrogant enough to think someone wants to be my assistant FOR FREE. My field is probably also far more exciting than yours & more likely to compel someone to use their personal resources to work for me.
However, the difference b/t you & me is I have integrity. I would not demand someone use their PERSONAL laptop or demand them to have a monthly Metrocard to work for me since that's them PAYING to work for ME; in fact, no one has any business getting an assistant (who's not volunteered to do it) unless they can pay him/her. Those cards cost over $100 a MONTH & only people who already have full time jobs can typically afford them. Think for a second: if someone's got a full time job paying a salary, then why would they work for YOU for FREE?
This is not even an internship in the strict sense of the word: this is just asking for free labor. Even in college, I earned money at my part time jobs & applied for legal jobs offering to PAY for these tasks. This doesn't even sound like something a student could get course credit for.
Maybe I'm horribly jaded since I've dealt with scammers first hand & read some tales about attorneys behaving no better but I would never advise someone do this. If you can't even provide a computer/phone & travel reimbursement, you need to grow up & get used to how life in business actually works.
You're better off asking a friend or family member that gives a damn about you instead of expecting total strangers to fall all over themselves to spend their money to work for YOU. Do YOU like working for free (no CLE credit & not even a travel reimbursement or deduction in taxes)? Would you work for minimum wage for clients? If not, read your ad again & tell me why anyone would want to pay to do this for you when they could do it for free at a legitimate law firm (through a temp agency or applying directly to law firms). Oh, and people DO read these ads & make judgments on you based on how you're treating prospective employees. Expecting them to pay says to me that you're probably shitty to your clients.
Yeah, the Angry Redheaded Lawyer may be many things but an exploiter I am not. I have to wonder who has the balls to post this type of ad; I noticed it was gone very quickly from Craig's List. Hopefully, some other attorneys felt the same way.
Oh, and if I didn't already have motivation not to work in a law firm after reading about the guy who died at 35 due to working constant 20 hour days at a mid-sized firm this ad symbolizes even more why most firms are messed up in their hiring practices:
Stellar-Credentialed Litigation Associate (NYC)
Date: 2012-01-13, 7:18PM EST
Reply to: job-e6hwp-2798757567@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
Top litigation firm has a need for a Midlevel Litigation Associate with 3-4 years of litigation experience. You will have the opportunity diversity of matters and a lot of responsibility as the matters are staffed leanly. The firm's attorneys work hard but are very collegial with each other. The candidate who is hired for this position will have top academic credentials (see below) and will also be the right personality fit (though a good personality, alone, will, unfortunately, not make up for less-than-stellar credentials). Please have a JD from a Top 25 law school and a 3.5+ GPA. Please submit resume/law school transcript to be considered.
Location: NYC
Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
Please, no phone calls about this job!
Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.
PostingID: 2798757567
At least in the entertainment field, your personality matters more than if you were on law review or went to Yale. This sounds like you could be a total fuck up as a litigator practicing law in real life but if you were a law school superstar, it's a-okay. Way to live up to the negative stereotypes, folks!
Then there's the blatant sexual harassment ads:
MODEL SECRETARY - ASSISTANT TO CEO EXECUTIVE $1000 PER WEEK (Midtown West)
Date: 2012-01-06, 10:02PM EST
Reply to: gigs-uvvzz-2787302933@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
Professional Executive CEO seeking model assistant for everyday needs.
Must Be Open Minded, Young & Fun. Must be able to mix "business and pleasure"
Please send your recent photos, available start date & what are you ready to offer.
Serious Inquires Only
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
Compensation: $1000
PostingID: 2787302933
Please God, let this guy end up with a wicked STD or a woman who'll bite off his dick as soon as look at it (because how many women have you seen posting such ads)! Creeps like that totally deserve such things. As long as we have the Village Voice personal ads & prostitutes, there's no excuse for using secretary & assistant jobs to harass women who need money & don't want to become strippers or prostitutes. I'd like to see a return to the adult section for this smut instead of Talent Gigs. "Professional Executive?" Ha! Maybe "Professional Predator."
It also makes me wonder if we'd see less of this crap if prostitution were legal. Personally, I'm in favor of legalized prostitution with some regulation like mandatory testing for STDs, access to contraceptives (since you don't want your prostitutes getting pregnant & having to take maternity leave), no minors, no kidnapping or forcing women into it & fair splits. You can't deny that people have always & will always have sex + it could be a money maker. Done right, maybe it would make politics more honest if we got over this puritanical mindset & ethos that's threatening to ruin the U.S. as we know it. Even the pimps could be like franchisees & have their own offices.
Finally, we come to people who just have no freaking clue. Consider this budding genius:
Need idea for a new project? ~~Stock Trading Documentary (Financial District)
Date: 2012-03-06, 2:44AM EST
Reply to: rsfpr-2887088642@job.craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
I am 20 years old and coming to New York City for the first time this summer to be an intern at two different currency trading firms.
I have been a day trader with real money since high school. I have been dealing mostly in currencies and stocks however i have also traded bonds and commodities.
I will be living in an apartment and commuting to 7 World Trade Center to intern at one firm, while working for another firm all while continuing to day trade in my free time.
This is a very high paced industry and a documentary following my time in the city this summer could make for a great project if you are up for the task. No compensation is provided.
Compensation: None
This is a part-time job.
Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
Please, no phone calls about this job!
Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.
PostingID: 2887088642
This utterly clueless tone compelled me to respond. Here goes:
You need some lessons in how the entertainment industry works:
Lesson 1 - Filmmaking costs money. There's expensive equipment involved, permits, editing, etc. Saying "I'm not offering any pay" isn't going to cut it. Professional company = professional pay. Get the funding if you want this to happen.
Lesson 2 - Offering no money means you will not get interest from a quality film company & this little project won't go anywhere. Hope you've got a friend with a camera. Better yet, you should probably just do a video diary on You Tube since unless you can get permission from these employers to document your exploits, no one's going to care. I find it unlikely that these trading firms are going to let an intern bring in a filmmaker to tape him/her & the insides of their business.
Lesson 3 - If you have no skin in the game, you get no say & no ownership. Everyone has "an idea"; you'll also be signing a release & have no control over the final product unless you are a producer (meaning YOU have to get financing, fund it yourself & otherwise make sure it all comes together). People submit ideas ALL THE TIME. If you have no funds, a stranger's not going to care & if they do work with you, the final product might not be as you'd want it.
If you want this little documentary, go find a friend to do it. They might not mind buying film, renting equipment, doing editing, etc. on your behalf but the rest of us sure would. We have bills to pay & PAYING clients to concern ourselves with.
Signed, Someone Who ACTUALLY Works in the Entertainment Industry
If any professional filmmakers disagree, please let me know. Maybe YOU'D like to pay to work for this guy.
Then there's this person who thinks men are going to get naked for free:
Natural Redheads
Date: 2012-03-06, 8:19PM EST
Reply to: hsx8r-2888569775@gigs.craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
I want natural Redheads for a photography project. Men only.
There is NUDITY involved. 21+
This is a non-paying gig. TFP (trade for photos).
Send headshot and brief note if interested and want more information.
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
Compensation: no pay
PostingID: 2888569775
I think even men would want money to disrobe. Here's my response:
You expect strangers to do a TFP with NUDITY for NO PAY & you want natural redheads? Why not just ask for unicorns that can sing the score to Avenue Q? That's how realistic your ad is. Nudity is a special event & requires at least travel reimbursement.
Every ad here asking for nudity offers a few hundred dollars for it & that's not necessarily for a group that makes up around 1% of the world's total population.
Yeah, if you want natural redheads (male or female) to get naked for you you'd better be offering at least double the standard rate. Perhaps quadruple. Give the doubles & triples to other minority groups that are less rare but not as common as white folks.
If that redhead isn't Caucasian, the rate goes even higher. Same for natural redheads who qualify as little people. That's basic economics. Rare things cost more.
If you manage to find mentally competent strangers willing to be photographed or videotaped naked for free & never demanding limits on public exhibition of the photos or video, then you're either a genius or have a talent for finding extremely apathetic people (you have to have done this while they were sober). Everyone will clamor for your secret & probably want to be your business partner since you'd likely make a fortune.
Between this & the lunatic fringe lately, it's probably a good thing I've got activities to occupy my time and incentives to use my brain for good vs. evil.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Extra Gig #6: An Enforcer NEVER Accepts Abuse. Don't Forget That.
As you've probably read, most of my extra experiences have gone fairly well. This is an exception. You'll soon learn why.
Normally, I've done my extra gigs through Central Casting. No matter what you may think of Central Casting (and I've heard actors say various things about them), they deserve credit for a few things:
1. Central Casting has NEVER lied or omitted material information about a shoot they scheduled me for or that I submitted for. When they say "it's going to be cold" or "it's an overnight shoot," that's what you get. They even tell you if food is going to be in limited supply.
2. Central Casting does PAID extra work. I'm not sure if they handle no pay extra gigs but if they do, I've never submitted for them or been asked to do one.
3. Central Casting has NEVER given me an issue on getting paid or cashing their checks. As long as you've filled out your paperwork correctly, you'll get your check and you don't have to worry about it bouncing.
Overall, Central Casting is a professional entity. I feel that I have a professional working relationship with them so I would never do what I did on Friday night on one of their sets.
The story begins with me going to a talk with casting director Amy Gossels at 36th Street Studios this past Thursday. One of my friends has given talks there and aside from some recent political rants veering a bit toward the crazy fundie cousin zone, he's generally a solid person who knows a thing or two. I expected to see that at this talk, which I did. I also ended up missing a good chunk of a City Bar event I'd signed up for ahead of time to go to this thing.
During this talk, she mentioned a non-union unpaid extra gig her office was staffing for that would be the next day. She said it was going to last until about midnight & you'd get IMDB credit. I already have IMDB credit for other things but not acting work (yet). She also mentioned it in the spirit of "going out & doing things in order to find new opportunities." Solid, sound words that I certainly don't disagree with.
Despite having a doctor's appointment earlier in the day, I had nothing to do that evening so I figured "why not?"
The next day, I get a call from her assistant about the event & got an e-mail to confirm (and by the way, I'll show you the text of the e-mail with personal details omitted if you doubt this story). Her assistant as well as this e-mail reiterates that the extras will be needed "approximately 6-7 hours" from the "5:00 sharp" call time. 5:00 pm + 7 hours = 12 am, right???
At no time was this stated any differently so I had no suspicion of what was going to happen. Plus, I'd not gotten to do extra work where I had to wear upscale club attire (I was going in as a VIP). I have so many outfits I never get to wear; extra work is one good way to get to wear that stuff if you have it.
I show up to the shoot in Long Island City, an area I'm not so familiar with & hiked to the holding area wearing my most comfortable dressier shoes (which still hurt if you walk for great distances in them). I sign a release giving consent to use my image.
After some time, we are taken to the official holding area at a nearby hotel. Those plentiful "meals/snacks & beverages" were nonexistent. I don't consider having to pay for my own food to be a benefit to me on one of these assignments; in fact, I consider it a form of servitude since if you tell me in advance about lack of food, I'll bring my own so I'm not having to waste my limited money.
The wardrobe person liked my outfit, which seems to happen often on these shoots & I had to change my shoes into my strappies (which I'd brought since they look more "clubby"). We go in and get to dance & all like we're in a real club. I had no problem with shooting & it seems I was put in areas near where the speaking actors were (as I'm a natural redhead & am usually the only one around who remotely looks like me, this tends to happen often--I see no problem with it since it just means I'm earning that non-union pay).
As is customary, there was more of the actors talking when being told to be quiet. I didn't really speak to anyone since, first off, heard the name of someone I didn't want to deal with arriving on the set. This was yet another actor from that whole TV network fiasco who I remember as annoying the hell out of us because you could explain something to him a hundred times & he'd still ask you the very same question you just answered a minute ago. I tried to make sure that guy didn't see me; he also wasn't someone I contacted personally about the whole thing or said a word to later on. Second, I would hate someone doing that on one of our film sets. I would want to kill him/her. Little thing called courtesy & respect for other people's sets.
When you're just listening and no one knows who you are or just what you do (as there really wasn't time to talk & I'm selective in who I deal with anyway), you hear some interesting things. First off, a couple comes up near where I'm at and starts chatting up the guys near me. It seems the man played some non-speaking best friend role on Gossip Girl and they were inquiring about getting credit on IMDB; they went so far as to ask the 1st Assistant Director about it & learned that those who were getting it knew about it. The guy decides to leave since he's convinced he's not getting it, which I found unprofessional. I thought "I'll make sure to look this guy up & make sure we don't work with him." His girlfriend, to avoid drama with him, also decides to leave a short time later. I find leaving a set in the middle like that to be super tacky since you're gone in the middle of filming & that can be very bad for the filmmakers.
While I'm thinking this, I hear that we're going to break for lunch at midnight & there's more work to do.
When I'd arrived, we'd been told we'd be getting food after working. I thought "Okay, so you're giving us that meal & then we're leaving, huh?" Again, this is only my 6th gig & most of mine were for established TV shows where starving was rarely (if ever) an issue.
As I was waiting in the long line for lunch (consisting of sub sandwiches where I only saw mayo, not mustard), I decided to find out about this time inconsistency.
I overhear some actors say that they were told the extras were working until 3 a.m. (constituting 10 hours of UNPAID work).
Uh, hell no!!! I decided it was time for me to leave so I took my gear, changed into something warmer & got out of there.
You may think this sounds like I'm being a hypocrite or a liar to have done this but I disagree. Here's why:
1. I was lied to about a material fact. Leaving at 3 a.m. is very different from leaving at 12 a.m. Working 7 hours is different from working 10 hours.
For one thing, I'd have a very hard time trying to get home on public transit at 3 a.m. vs. 12 a.m.
Second, working until 3 a.m. is practically an overnight shoot. One needs to be apprised of & prepared for that situation. Guess what? People have LIVES. They have FAMILIES. I personally have a SPOUSE & better things to do with my time.
Third, that casting office had more than enough time to tell people about it. They could have called me or sent an e-mail telling me of such a change & ASKING me if I could do it or not. Had I been asked, I'd have said "no" and they could have found someone else.
Instead, they made themselves look bad if people walked out.
2. I'm not some little nobody actor trying to make it here. Regardless of what I say to anyone, I am STILL an entertainment attorney & still have my own damn film company. That mindset & what I see doesn't get shut off because I'm doing something else! Everyone I've encountered in this business who knows what I do is well aware of that fact; I would also think they'd know better than to piss off someone who can affect their career in some measure.
Oh, and your conduct toward me makes me question how you treat your clients. How honest are you with them? How good is your word?
3. They don't call me the enforcer because you can get away with sexually harassing me or put me into involuntary servitude. I'm called that because I don't take shit & will knock your block off for even trying it.
I felt it was not just my duty but a responsibility to that enforcer cred that dictated my getting the hell out of there. I wasn't going to cater to that BS or allow anyone to think I'd do it.
4. It's all about respect. If you aren't professional with me (that is, telling me pertinent details, proving me with notice of changes, etc.), don't expect me to be professional with you.
When you're not even PAYING someone for their time, you'd better be giving heavy respect to everyone. I say this from real life experience. If you take advantage or act entitled to something, people will abandon ship faster than you can take a good, deep breath. 10 hours of unpaid work from background actors is the height of entitlement, especially after your representative told the same people they'd be there for 7. Oh, and when you're not paying transportation costs, you're making the actors PAY to work for you.
So when I'm paying $4.50 to be on a set for 7 hours and I find you've lied to me? Shove it up your butt!
That respect rule is about triple for attorneys. I don't know who this Amy Gossels thinks she is but she'll learn fast that you don't piss off someone who's got a lot of friends in indie film & will be telling all of them not to waste their time hiring her for a project. Clearly, her office isn't professional when it comes to background actors so do you want YOUR production to be associated with furthering negative perceptions of non-union work? Believe me, I'll be looking for her name & making sure to steer clear of any project she's associated with since this experiences leads me to conclude she's shady.
Remember, in this business you're known by the company you keep. My company doesn't play that shadiness.
5. Finally, this was an unprofessional casting office. I'd never walk if it was a professional outfit like Central Casting where all material details were given to me in advance (long before I walk onto the set) & I'd been able to make an informed decision on being able to commit. Plus, I'd have been paid for it with Central Casting.
A professional employer wouldn't slap 3 extra hours on your shift without telling you ahead of time or at the very least ASKING if you could do it. Nor would you be expected to take that extra time unpaid. If I encountered that in the workplace & it had nothing to do with a time sensitive matter that I had to do ASAP (like a last minute issue in a court case or getting papers signed before the signer leaves for months), I would tell that boss where to stick it & walk off.
I don't blame the film production for this since I'm sure they knew their schedule & they aren't the ones who lied to me. None of them were unprofessional to me & I didn't see any rude or nasty behavior from their folk. I felt slightly bad for leaving but the majority of me feels that if you can afford casting people, you can afford to at least cover the extras' transit costs if not pay SOMETHING. You get what you pay for & if you want 10 hours of work from people, you'd better start paying or you'll get walk outs. I believe this same production is using Craig's List to seek out extras so that tells me volumes.
At no time in our projects did we ever expect extras to work unpaid for 10 hours. We also never had a casting person so you can spare me any poverty arguments. They also got my release & I don't care if they use my image.
Besides, my gripe isn't really with them. It's with Amy Gossels Casting. So that makes me heavily rethink going to hear anyone at 36th Street Studios.
Upsides to doing this were that I shaved & removed hair, got to wear a skirt I've never really worn & learned a little more of Long Island City.
Some take home lessons, both for me & perhaps for those of you in the industry:
1. I will never, under any circumstances, do unpaid work or pay to work for anyone unless it's for a close friend or someone who is highly vouched for by my friends. This experience illustrates precisely why you should never pay to work for anyone. Self-respect & personal dignity are far more important than anything else in my opinion.
I also resent doing it when the cost is greatly outweighing the reward. Want me to be passionate about your work? Make me feel like you value me! Respect my time! Respect my expertise! Take what you can get. If it's not that person's project & you're not paying them, don't expect them to care like you do.
You want things like priority on your work or extra time? Pay up or shut up. That's what you get from people whose altruism has long been spent elsewhere. Lawyers in particular aren't that altruistic; see how many provide free legal work (especially entertainment law). Now see how many with experience will do it for free.
2. If you choose to do unpaid work for someone, you need to be strategic about it. What are you getting from it? Will you get viable networking from it? A good credit? I think extra work is a waste time for networking considering the hierarchy involved & the perception by many that background actors are lower than cockroaches. Unless these name actors are personally talking to extras or hanging out in the same holding area as background, I don't give a shit whose there.
I'm not going to interrupt someone's work & I'm not going to approach people since I have issues with rejection; I also don't want to be mistaken for some sex starved groupie. Plus, I'm not very forgiving & certainly won't forgive those who don't even apologize for rudeness toward me.
Actors are also some of the last people I need to network with. I know plenty of them & know non-actors who can make recommendations or get me some.
If you're a newbie, just register with Central Casting. At least then you'll get paid for doing extra work.
3. You do non-union work with unreliable sources at your own risk. If you work with friends or friends of friends, there's less chance of BS since the social cost of doing it is very high. Most people don't like pissing off their friends (whether it's you or the friend that recommended the project). If you work with a professional outfit, you'll get professionalism so if you don't give that back, it's your fault.
4. No one working with my company is ever going to have to put up with that type of lie or omission from me. I'm not going to stand for it & I expect managers or anyone else to tell me or one of my colleagues if there's ANY shadiness going on on set or elsewhere. It's my cred as an attorney & professional at stake if folks are breaching contracts.
I also refuse to have my company be known as that trash hole that abuses actors or cheats, lies, etc. to anybody, not just the investors or name actors. Sitting back & letting someone else do it is also unacceptable to me & while I'm around, it's not happening.
You can't be a legitimate player in this business if you do that stuff & if you are doing it, you're eventually going to be found out or run out of town.
5. You never know who's working as an extra on a project. What if you've just lied to some name actor's relative? What if you're lying to a business owner who could have given you work? What if you're lying to some potential investor or their best friend?
Everyone should be treated with basic respect & dignity. If you can't do that, then you don't need to be in the entertainment industry. You should probably be a bill collector instead. Maybe even some lackey to a financial CEO on Wall Street. Then, you can be a jerk to the general populace & not get fired for it. If I'm wrong, let me know but that how those jobs look to me.
This is probably my last extra gig since I feel I've already learned all I need to from doing it. I can't see any new experience compelling me to do it again & I stand by what I did. I'd rather keep my self-respect & dignity than allow anyone to treat me like a chump. I have to face myself in the mirror, you know.
Normally, I've done my extra gigs through Central Casting. No matter what you may think of Central Casting (and I've heard actors say various things about them), they deserve credit for a few things:
1. Central Casting has NEVER lied or omitted material information about a shoot they scheduled me for or that I submitted for. When they say "it's going to be cold" or "it's an overnight shoot," that's what you get. They even tell you if food is going to be in limited supply.
2. Central Casting does PAID extra work. I'm not sure if they handle no pay extra gigs but if they do, I've never submitted for them or been asked to do one.
3. Central Casting has NEVER given me an issue on getting paid or cashing their checks. As long as you've filled out your paperwork correctly, you'll get your check and you don't have to worry about it bouncing.
Overall, Central Casting is a professional entity. I feel that I have a professional working relationship with them so I would never do what I did on Friday night on one of their sets.
The story begins with me going to a talk with casting director Amy Gossels at 36th Street Studios this past Thursday. One of my friends has given talks there and aside from some recent political rants veering a bit toward the crazy fundie cousin zone, he's generally a solid person who knows a thing or two. I expected to see that at this talk, which I did. I also ended up missing a good chunk of a City Bar event I'd signed up for ahead of time to go to this thing.
During this talk, she mentioned a non-union unpaid extra gig her office was staffing for that would be the next day. She said it was going to last until about midnight & you'd get IMDB credit. I already have IMDB credit for other things but not acting work (yet). She also mentioned it in the spirit of "going out & doing things in order to find new opportunities." Solid, sound words that I certainly don't disagree with.
Despite having a doctor's appointment earlier in the day, I had nothing to do that evening so I figured "why not?"
The next day, I get a call from her assistant about the event & got an e-mail to confirm (and by the way, I'll show you the text of the e-mail with personal details omitted if you doubt this story). Her assistant as well as this e-mail reiterates that the extras will be needed "approximately 6-7 hours" from the "5:00 sharp" call time. 5:00 pm + 7 hours = 12 am, right???
At no time was this stated any differently so I had no suspicion of what was going to happen. Plus, I'd not gotten to do extra work where I had to wear upscale club attire (I was going in as a VIP). I have so many outfits I never get to wear; extra work is one good way to get to wear that stuff if you have it.
I show up to the shoot in Long Island City, an area I'm not so familiar with & hiked to the holding area wearing my most comfortable dressier shoes (which still hurt if you walk for great distances in them). I sign a release giving consent to use my image.
After some time, we are taken to the official holding area at a nearby hotel. Those plentiful "meals/snacks & beverages" were nonexistent. I don't consider having to pay for my own food to be a benefit to me on one of these assignments; in fact, I consider it a form of servitude since if you tell me in advance about lack of food, I'll bring my own so I'm not having to waste my limited money.
The wardrobe person liked my outfit, which seems to happen often on these shoots & I had to change my shoes into my strappies (which I'd brought since they look more "clubby"). We go in and get to dance & all like we're in a real club. I had no problem with shooting & it seems I was put in areas near where the speaking actors were (as I'm a natural redhead & am usually the only one around who remotely looks like me, this tends to happen often--I see no problem with it since it just means I'm earning that non-union pay).
As is customary, there was more of the actors talking when being told to be quiet. I didn't really speak to anyone since, first off, heard the name of someone I didn't want to deal with arriving on the set. This was yet another actor from that whole TV network fiasco who I remember as annoying the hell out of us because you could explain something to him a hundred times & he'd still ask you the very same question you just answered a minute ago. I tried to make sure that guy didn't see me; he also wasn't someone I contacted personally about the whole thing or said a word to later on. Second, I would hate someone doing that on one of our film sets. I would want to kill him/her. Little thing called courtesy & respect for other people's sets.
When you're just listening and no one knows who you are or just what you do (as there really wasn't time to talk & I'm selective in who I deal with anyway), you hear some interesting things. First off, a couple comes up near where I'm at and starts chatting up the guys near me. It seems the man played some non-speaking best friend role on Gossip Girl and they were inquiring about getting credit on IMDB; they went so far as to ask the 1st Assistant Director about it & learned that those who were getting it knew about it. The guy decides to leave since he's convinced he's not getting it, which I found unprofessional. I thought "I'll make sure to look this guy up & make sure we don't work with him." His girlfriend, to avoid drama with him, also decides to leave a short time later. I find leaving a set in the middle like that to be super tacky since you're gone in the middle of filming & that can be very bad for the filmmakers.
While I'm thinking this, I hear that we're going to break for lunch at midnight & there's more work to do.
When I'd arrived, we'd been told we'd be getting food after working. I thought "Okay, so you're giving us that meal & then we're leaving, huh?" Again, this is only my 6th gig & most of mine were for established TV shows where starving was rarely (if ever) an issue.
As I was waiting in the long line for lunch (consisting of sub sandwiches where I only saw mayo, not mustard), I decided to find out about this time inconsistency.
I overhear some actors say that they were told the extras were working until 3 a.m. (constituting 10 hours of UNPAID work).
Uh, hell no!!! I decided it was time for me to leave so I took my gear, changed into something warmer & got out of there.
You may think this sounds like I'm being a hypocrite or a liar to have done this but I disagree. Here's why:
1. I was lied to about a material fact. Leaving at 3 a.m. is very different from leaving at 12 a.m. Working 7 hours is different from working 10 hours.
For one thing, I'd have a very hard time trying to get home on public transit at 3 a.m. vs. 12 a.m.
Second, working until 3 a.m. is practically an overnight shoot. One needs to be apprised of & prepared for that situation. Guess what? People have LIVES. They have FAMILIES. I personally have a SPOUSE & better things to do with my time.
Third, that casting office had more than enough time to tell people about it. They could have called me or sent an e-mail telling me of such a change & ASKING me if I could do it or not. Had I been asked, I'd have said "no" and they could have found someone else.
Instead, they made themselves look bad if people walked out.
2. I'm not some little nobody actor trying to make it here. Regardless of what I say to anyone, I am STILL an entertainment attorney & still have my own damn film company. That mindset & what I see doesn't get shut off because I'm doing something else! Everyone I've encountered in this business who knows what I do is well aware of that fact; I would also think they'd know better than to piss off someone who can affect their career in some measure.
Oh, and your conduct toward me makes me question how you treat your clients. How honest are you with them? How good is your word?
3. They don't call me the enforcer because you can get away with sexually harassing me or put me into involuntary servitude. I'm called that because I don't take shit & will knock your block off for even trying it.
I felt it was not just my duty but a responsibility to that enforcer cred that dictated my getting the hell out of there. I wasn't going to cater to that BS or allow anyone to think I'd do it.
4. It's all about respect. If you aren't professional with me (that is, telling me pertinent details, proving me with notice of changes, etc.), don't expect me to be professional with you.
When you're not even PAYING someone for their time, you'd better be giving heavy respect to everyone. I say this from real life experience. If you take advantage or act entitled to something, people will abandon ship faster than you can take a good, deep breath. 10 hours of unpaid work from background actors is the height of entitlement, especially after your representative told the same people they'd be there for 7. Oh, and when you're not paying transportation costs, you're making the actors PAY to work for you.
So when I'm paying $4.50 to be on a set for 7 hours and I find you've lied to me? Shove it up your butt!
That respect rule is about triple for attorneys. I don't know who this Amy Gossels thinks she is but she'll learn fast that you don't piss off someone who's got a lot of friends in indie film & will be telling all of them not to waste their time hiring her for a project. Clearly, her office isn't professional when it comes to background actors so do you want YOUR production to be associated with furthering negative perceptions of non-union work? Believe me, I'll be looking for her name & making sure to steer clear of any project she's associated with since this experiences leads me to conclude she's shady.
Remember, in this business you're known by the company you keep. My company doesn't play that shadiness.
5. Finally, this was an unprofessional casting office. I'd never walk if it was a professional outfit like Central Casting where all material details were given to me in advance (long before I walk onto the set) & I'd been able to make an informed decision on being able to commit. Plus, I'd have been paid for it with Central Casting.
A professional employer wouldn't slap 3 extra hours on your shift without telling you ahead of time or at the very least ASKING if you could do it. Nor would you be expected to take that extra time unpaid. If I encountered that in the workplace & it had nothing to do with a time sensitive matter that I had to do ASAP (like a last minute issue in a court case or getting papers signed before the signer leaves for months), I would tell that boss where to stick it & walk off.
I don't blame the film production for this since I'm sure they knew their schedule & they aren't the ones who lied to me. None of them were unprofessional to me & I didn't see any rude or nasty behavior from their folk. I felt slightly bad for leaving but the majority of me feels that if you can afford casting people, you can afford to at least cover the extras' transit costs if not pay SOMETHING. You get what you pay for & if you want 10 hours of work from people, you'd better start paying or you'll get walk outs. I believe this same production is using Craig's List to seek out extras so that tells me volumes.
At no time in our projects did we ever expect extras to work unpaid for 10 hours. We also never had a casting person so you can spare me any poverty arguments. They also got my release & I don't care if they use my image.
Besides, my gripe isn't really with them. It's with Amy Gossels Casting. So that makes me heavily rethink going to hear anyone at 36th Street Studios.
Upsides to doing this were that I shaved & removed hair, got to wear a skirt I've never really worn & learned a little more of Long Island City.
Some take home lessons, both for me & perhaps for those of you in the industry:
1. I will never, under any circumstances, do unpaid work or pay to work for anyone unless it's for a close friend or someone who is highly vouched for by my friends. This experience illustrates precisely why you should never pay to work for anyone. Self-respect & personal dignity are far more important than anything else in my opinion.
I also resent doing it when the cost is greatly outweighing the reward. Want me to be passionate about your work? Make me feel like you value me! Respect my time! Respect my expertise! Take what you can get. If it's not that person's project & you're not paying them, don't expect them to care like you do.
You want things like priority on your work or extra time? Pay up or shut up. That's what you get from people whose altruism has long been spent elsewhere. Lawyers in particular aren't that altruistic; see how many provide free legal work (especially entertainment law). Now see how many with experience will do it for free.
2. If you choose to do unpaid work for someone, you need to be strategic about it. What are you getting from it? Will you get viable networking from it? A good credit? I think extra work is a waste time for networking considering the hierarchy involved & the perception by many that background actors are lower than cockroaches. Unless these name actors are personally talking to extras or hanging out in the same holding area as background, I don't give a shit whose there.
I'm not going to interrupt someone's work & I'm not going to approach people since I have issues with rejection; I also don't want to be mistaken for some sex starved groupie. Plus, I'm not very forgiving & certainly won't forgive those who don't even apologize for rudeness toward me.
Actors are also some of the last people I need to network with. I know plenty of them & know non-actors who can make recommendations or get me some.
If you're a newbie, just register with Central Casting. At least then you'll get paid for doing extra work.
3. You do non-union work with unreliable sources at your own risk. If you work with friends or friends of friends, there's less chance of BS since the social cost of doing it is very high. Most people don't like pissing off their friends (whether it's you or the friend that recommended the project). If you work with a professional outfit, you'll get professionalism so if you don't give that back, it's your fault.
4. No one working with my company is ever going to have to put up with that type of lie or omission from me. I'm not going to stand for it & I expect managers or anyone else to tell me or one of my colleagues if there's ANY shadiness going on on set or elsewhere. It's my cred as an attorney & professional at stake if folks are breaching contracts.
I also refuse to have my company be known as that trash hole that abuses actors or cheats, lies, etc. to anybody, not just the investors or name actors. Sitting back & letting someone else do it is also unacceptable to me & while I'm around, it's not happening.
You can't be a legitimate player in this business if you do that stuff & if you are doing it, you're eventually going to be found out or run out of town.
5. You never know who's working as an extra on a project. What if you've just lied to some name actor's relative? What if you're lying to a business owner who could have given you work? What if you're lying to some potential investor or their best friend?
Everyone should be treated with basic respect & dignity. If you can't do that, then you don't need to be in the entertainment industry. You should probably be a bill collector instead. Maybe even some lackey to a financial CEO on Wall Street. Then, you can be a jerk to the general populace & not get fired for it. If I'm wrong, let me know but that how those jobs look to me.
This is probably my last extra gig since I feel I've already learned all I need to from doing it. I can't see any new experience compelling me to do it again & I stand by what I did. I'd rather keep my self-respect & dignity than allow anyone to treat me like a chump. I have to face myself in the mirror, you know.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
In Defense of Ok Cupid & Calling Out a Hypocrite
But not just any hypocrite...a special one by the name of Alyssa Bereznak. If you want to know why she's a hypocrite, check out this story.
I'm not going to give the little bitch press or money by directly linking to what she wrote but you can find it very easily in an online search. Basic capsule of the events: she creates a profile on Ok Cupid while carrying on a smug attitude that "only losers use online dating profiles" and goes out with a guy who plays the card game Magic: The Gathering (Jon Finkel, who is apparently a former world champion at the game). She acts as though Mr. Finkel murders puppies or molests little boys & decides to get even by writing an article on Gizmodo.com about how he should have disclosed his bad ass abilities at this game beforehand.
Oh, and in the meantime, she ends up winning the shallow bitch Hall of Fame. You can go Google her, btw. Apparently her Twitter feed says she's a former intern of Gizmodo, a tech blog (the very same blog where she goes on an anti-geek kick). Her LinkedIn profile lists her as a current intern so I imagine the powers that be didn't appreciate her little whiny rant and the attack on their geek readers. If it were me, I'd have certainly gotten rid of her post haste (pun intended). His response is here.
Okay, a few things:
1. Alyssa is the archetypical Cosmo girl. Seriously, she's the living embodiment of a typical Cosmo reader who'd turn her nose up at anyone with a sense of imagination or who dares to use online dating.
2. Alyssa is also living in dream land. Seriously, I saw your pic honey. You aren't hot shit. I, along with numerous actors & actresses I know in this business, are about a trillion times better looking than you by industry standards & dating standards. But, funny thing: those hotties I know in this business? They're also into "geek" things like video games, comics, sci-fi, and the list goes on. Undoubtedly, they'd also have friends into such things.
3. Alyssa has no class. Take it from someone who's been told she has it: there's a right way and a wrong way to reject a guy. You can politely tell someone you aren't interested. This sure wasn't the way to do it.
4. Alyssa has now screwed up her life. She'd better hope that a hiring manager doesn't Google her name or have any kind of interest in so-called "geek" things. If you wanted to work with my company, I'd toss your materials in the trash. After all, my husband is an avid comic book collector. I don't look down on him for that; I may not go to the conventions or want to do role playing games so much but I don't go around thinking I've got the right to tell others how to live.
Oh, and I am a really good video game player. As in, I've played since I was young & will do it until they pry the controller/remote/whatever we have in the future from my cold dead fingers. Maybe not world champion material but good enough to consider you a stupid little whiny bitch who's probably living off Mommy & Daddy and whining about the "scary minorities" in NYC.
5. Alyssa had also better hope a hiring manager never used online dating or met their mate in that way. I'll have you know I met my husband through Ok Cupid & as I said, I'm far better looking that this little bitch (and not just saying that because of anti-blonde prejudice).
When I did online dating, the line of guys contacting me was not short. I had enough interest to generate a line, even on the old Friendster. I tried online dating since I was in law school (which is a time consuming activity leaving little time to go out), had a policy against dating guys I was in class with and might have to work with in the future, & had no luck meeting a cute guy who'd actually stick around to date me for an appreciable amount of time. I was also in a section with older students and most of them were married or in relationships so that was not going to be my dating pool.
You want to talk about "date rapey scenes?" I went to sing karaoke at a place and met some interesting characters, including one guy who may have been married & tried to bother me for romantic overtures while claiming he had a friend who could get me a legal job. Ok Cupid sure wasn't a "dark, date rapey scene." Online, you can block people who annoy you or piss you off. Can't do that in real life.
I'm also an introvert by nature & never approached guys first unless I had to in order to avoid a creep that bothered me. I met a LOT of creeps in Connecticut (though still had guys approach me without me making any real effort). I couldn't even go back to that karaoke place by myself for fear I'd run into that jerk again.
So I met a few guys on Ok Cupid & never had a problem. I actually met my husband at a time when I was about to just give up on guys since I'd had enough of their bullshit. We met in NYC and forged our relationship gradually, having all that "getting to know you" talk out of the way before we ever met in person.
I'm still with this man & will be celebrating 5 years of marriage with him this year. Bet your face will be red from that one considering more people are marrying folk they met online! You probably should try online dating since any guy who hears of you now will run like Hell. Even if you aren't into geek things, guys, you really should run since the archetypical Cosmo girl types are only going to abuse you, emasculate you & make life a living Hell. See that Cracked article on what happens if you actually followed Cosmo's advice.
Plus, as this Alyssa will have no job prospects, she'll likely just chase you for money. This will likely cause her to wise up & become a gold digger.
6. Jon is a classy guy who will likely have a very full dance card from all this. Sir, you may also be well served to talk with a lawyer on this to see if you could have a case against her little whiny butt. Also might not hurt you to make sure you have a pre-nup should you find yourself nearing marriage since one has to protect one's self from gold diggers.
At the very least, let's hope she learns a valuable lesson about reputation, respect for others and how powerful the "geek" culture is. While I'm not a player of Magic: The Gathering, I would certainly have some respect for someone who was a world champion in it. I'd expect that guy to have some stories. Even Comic-Con has become a celebrity filled event so I have to wonder where Alyssa Bereznak has been for the past 5 years or so.
Plus, being a gamer does NOT = murdering puppies/molesting children/beating up homeless people-former girlfriends-parents-etc. or some other truly deplorable, despicable act you should refuse to put up with in a guy. It doesn't even = having unprotected sex with everyone in NYC.
Geek has become chic honey, but shallow bitchiness from someone who's a 6-7 at best has never been cool (it's not even cool from a 10+ but it's even less cool from someone who isn't anywhere in that stratosphere). The bitchiness is posting a story on the website.
Let's see what happens to her later on, shall we?
I'm not going to give the little bitch press or money by directly linking to what she wrote but you can find it very easily in an online search. Basic capsule of the events: she creates a profile on Ok Cupid while carrying on a smug attitude that "only losers use online dating profiles" and goes out with a guy who plays the card game Magic: The Gathering (Jon Finkel, who is apparently a former world champion at the game). She acts as though Mr. Finkel murders puppies or molests little boys & decides to get even by writing an article on Gizmodo.com about how he should have disclosed his bad ass abilities at this game beforehand.
Oh, and in the meantime, she ends up winning the shallow bitch Hall of Fame. You can go Google her, btw. Apparently her Twitter feed says she's a former intern of Gizmodo, a tech blog (the very same blog where she goes on an anti-geek kick). Her LinkedIn profile lists her as a current intern so I imagine the powers that be didn't appreciate her little whiny rant and the attack on their geek readers. If it were me, I'd have certainly gotten rid of her post haste (pun intended). His response is here.
Okay, a few things:
1. Alyssa is the archetypical Cosmo girl. Seriously, she's the living embodiment of a typical Cosmo reader who'd turn her nose up at anyone with a sense of imagination or who dares to use online dating.
2. Alyssa is also living in dream land. Seriously, I saw your pic honey. You aren't hot shit. I, along with numerous actors & actresses I know in this business, are about a trillion times better looking than you by industry standards & dating standards. But, funny thing: those hotties I know in this business? They're also into "geek" things like video games, comics, sci-fi, and the list goes on. Undoubtedly, they'd also have friends into such things.
3. Alyssa has no class. Take it from someone who's been told she has it: there's a right way and a wrong way to reject a guy. You can politely tell someone you aren't interested. This sure wasn't the way to do it.
4. Alyssa has now screwed up her life. She'd better hope that a hiring manager doesn't Google her name or have any kind of interest in so-called "geek" things. If you wanted to work with my company, I'd toss your materials in the trash. After all, my husband is an avid comic book collector. I don't look down on him for that; I may not go to the conventions or want to do role playing games so much but I don't go around thinking I've got the right to tell others how to live.
Oh, and I am a really good video game player. As in, I've played since I was young & will do it until they pry the controller/remote/whatever we have in the future from my cold dead fingers. Maybe not world champion material but good enough to consider you a stupid little whiny bitch who's probably living off Mommy & Daddy and whining about the "scary minorities" in NYC.
5. Alyssa had also better hope a hiring manager never used online dating or met their mate in that way. I'll have you know I met my husband through Ok Cupid & as I said, I'm far better looking that this little bitch (and not just saying that because of anti-blonde prejudice).
When I did online dating, the line of guys contacting me was not short. I had enough interest to generate a line, even on the old Friendster. I tried online dating since I was in law school (which is a time consuming activity leaving little time to go out), had a policy against dating guys I was in class with and might have to work with in the future, & had no luck meeting a cute guy who'd actually stick around to date me for an appreciable amount of time. I was also in a section with older students and most of them were married or in relationships so that was not going to be my dating pool.
You want to talk about "date rapey scenes?" I went to sing karaoke at a place and met some interesting characters, including one guy who may have been married & tried to bother me for romantic overtures while claiming he had a friend who could get me a legal job. Ok Cupid sure wasn't a "dark, date rapey scene." Online, you can block people who annoy you or piss you off. Can't do that in real life.
I'm also an introvert by nature & never approached guys first unless I had to in order to avoid a creep that bothered me. I met a LOT of creeps in Connecticut (though still had guys approach me without me making any real effort). I couldn't even go back to that karaoke place by myself for fear I'd run into that jerk again.
So I met a few guys on Ok Cupid & never had a problem. I actually met my husband at a time when I was about to just give up on guys since I'd had enough of their bullshit. We met in NYC and forged our relationship gradually, having all that "getting to know you" talk out of the way before we ever met in person.
I'm still with this man & will be celebrating 5 years of marriage with him this year. Bet your face will be red from that one considering more people are marrying folk they met online! You probably should try online dating since any guy who hears of you now will run like Hell. Even if you aren't into geek things, guys, you really should run since the archetypical Cosmo girl types are only going to abuse you, emasculate you & make life a living Hell. See that Cracked article on what happens if you actually followed Cosmo's advice.
Plus, as this Alyssa will have no job prospects, she'll likely just chase you for money. This will likely cause her to wise up & become a gold digger.
6. Jon is a classy guy who will likely have a very full dance card from all this. Sir, you may also be well served to talk with a lawyer on this to see if you could have a case against her little whiny butt. Also might not hurt you to make sure you have a pre-nup should you find yourself nearing marriage since one has to protect one's self from gold diggers.
At the very least, let's hope she learns a valuable lesson about reputation, respect for others and how powerful the "geek" culture is. While I'm not a player of Magic: The Gathering, I would certainly have some respect for someone who was a world champion in it. I'd expect that guy to have some stories. Even Comic-Con has become a celebrity filled event so I have to wonder where Alyssa Bereznak has been for the past 5 years or so.
Plus, being a gamer does NOT = murdering puppies/molesting children/beating up homeless people-former girlfriends-parents-etc. or some other truly deplorable, despicable act you should refuse to put up with in a guy. It doesn't even = having unprotected sex with everyone in NYC.
Geek has become chic honey, but shallow bitchiness from someone who's a 6-7 at best has never been cool (it's not even cool from a 10+ but it's even less cool from someone who isn't anywhere in that stratosphere). The bitchiness is posting a story on the website.
Let's see what happens to her later on, shall we?
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
How NOT to Raise $ For a Film
I've seen these 2 ads on Craig's List & I feel a rant coming on.
First off is this one:
Feature-Length Movie (w/Emmy-Talent) Seeks Actor/Actress/Co-Producer
Date: 2010-12-22, 11:18AM EST
Reply to: gigs-aseax-2125363536@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
If you are an excellent actress/actor and fit the part, you can become involved w/award-winning talent. Our last movie nearing completion includes work from "the next George Lucas" stated by ABC World News Tonight, artist which directed a feature movie for Harvey Wienstein(Exec Prod of Kill Bill, Lord of the Ring) and musical talent with platinum-album work & hits for Beyounce and Christina Aguilara.
Do you want to be part of our next full-feature movie w/a screenplay by an Emmy-Award winning writer? You must be able to co-produce with us by contributing as little as $2,400 (a small amount overall budget).
Please send headshot & write in email " Yes I can act. Also, I want to possibly be a co-producer."
This is not an offer or a solicitation. This is an audition notice to actors/actresses.
* it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
* Compensation: no pay
PostingID: 2125363536
I remember going onto either the SAG or AFTRA website recently & reading that it's a violation of union rules to make your actors bankroll their own project. It's one thing if someone volunteers to do it but this clearly makes funding a requirement.
So, I wrote this initial response:
I do hope you're NOT asking actors to invest money. I know for a fact it's against SAG rules & you're not making any friends by being a classist jerk. There's lots of talented people in the world who aren't millionaires & don't have thousands of dollars to invest money. Are you going to start charging crew people or act entitled to freebies from professionals offering expensive services?
Find your investors separately like you're supposed to. How about crowd funding on a fundraising website? Those are better options than getting in trouble w/SAG or making actors spend money to work with you. I have a bad taste in my mouth just reading this ad & I know a thing or two about the industry.
Today, it occurred to me that's another very good reason why you don't want to do this. It has to do with a basic principle of securities law & is something that anyone who's worked w/a knowledgeable lawyer knows about. I'm not revealing it here since I don't give free legal advice; go ask your knowledgeable attorney.
You also know that people asking for this sort of thing will also act entitled to free editing services, music composition, legal help, art design, etc. All things that cost money if you want it done correctly (unless, of course, you've got friends who like you).
So, when I saw the same ad AGAIN, I decided to respond in this way:
Subject: Yes I can act. NO, I don't want to be extorted for money b/c you're too lazy to follow securities law.
More evidence that you're full of crap: clearly you don't know beans about securities law & classes of investors.
No sane filmmaker would EVER suggest that actors fund their own project unless that actor was super-rich. But then again, why would an actor who had the money to fund a project pay to work for someone??? They could form their OWN company & do their OWN project where THEY had the final say. That's what famous actors do.
Again, if you're such a big shot, why are you posting such ridiculousness??? You should have a competent attorney who'd tell you exactly why it's career suicide to cast for projects in this manner. Otherwise, you're just a scam artist who should be outed & blacklisted to the industry.
I can't wait to see what these dodos have to say for themselves. No credible filmmaker I know would EVER do this since they want talented people, not rich people, acting in their projects. If you are an actor with both, again you could do it by yourself or ask your friends. No need for you to bother w/morons like this who will bring you down & ruin your reputation.
Just got a notation saying this ad was no longer active. Thank God!
Here's ad #2:
Actor With Investor Contacts (Downtown)
Date: 2010-12-21, 10:26PM EST
Reply to: gigs-vezet-2124843936@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
A feature film with famous talent attached is looking for an actor can raise the remaining capital. A limited amount needs to be raised. The actor will receive a principal role and percentage of the film.
* it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
* Compensation: TBD
PostingID: 2124843936
A little less offensive, but still makes no sense. I had to write this response:
I certainly hope you aren't attempting to get an actor to pay for the project out of pocket. That's not only stupid under securities law but violates union rules.
How about doing your OWN work to find investors since if an actor had investor money, why wouldn't that person just find their own people, work w/their friends or create their own company w/any number of projects they could star in??
Or how about getting your "famous talent" to find investors? Shouldn't THEY know rich people? If they want to make the project happen, they might be motivated to make some effort.
I think it's a very fair question. We didn't have famous people in our early works & we didn't demand our actors to fund it. Nor did we base casting decisions on who had a sugar daddy/mommy. My sorority didn't even base membership decisions on people's net worth or connections; we considered things like having to be around the person all the time & how that person would represent our group.
I know it gets done but in the scenarios I know of, the actor w/the sugar daddy (usually this was a woman) already established that she had talent & wouldn't ruin a project. It was more of a bonus to working w/someone who had talent than an exercise in seeking out some bored rich kid w/no acting chops. Some people will call themselves "actors" even if they are unconvincing, behave like divas & make audiences want to throw rotten tomatoes at them.
Again, if you had the money to fund films, why not make your own project & work w/your friends? You'd get the final say, could work w/whoever you wanted + be the master of your artistic integrity.
So, actors don't fall for this crap. Real filmmakers who people want to work with & who will produce quality work cast based on talent.
Access to money will speed things up & it might help your chances if the selection is close but sane people don't go on these hunts. They look for investors separately & wouldn't put someone's boy/girl toy in the lead w/out an audition or at least a decent resume proving the person has real talent.
At the end of the day, everyone has their reputation to consider.
First off is this one:
Feature-Length Movie (w/Emmy-Talent) Seeks Actor/Actress/Co-Producer
Date: 2010-12-22, 11:18AM EST
Reply to: gigs-aseax-2125363536@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
If you are an excellent actress/actor and fit the part, you can become involved w/award-winning talent. Our last movie nearing completion includes work from "the next George Lucas" stated by ABC World News Tonight, artist which directed a feature movie for Harvey Wienstein(Exec Prod of Kill Bill, Lord of the Ring) and musical talent with platinum-album work & hits for Beyounce and Christina Aguilara.
Do you want to be part of our next full-feature movie w/a screenplay by an Emmy-Award winning writer? You must be able to co-produce with us by contributing as little as $2,400 (a small amount overall budget).
Please send headshot & write in email " Yes I can act. Also, I want to possibly be a co-producer."
This is not an offer or a solicitation. This is an audition notice to actors/actresses.
* it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
* Compensation: no pay
PostingID: 2125363536
I remember going onto either the SAG or AFTRA website recently & reading that it's a violation of union rules to make your actors bankroll their own project. It's one thing if someone volunteers to do it but this clearly makes funding a requirement.
So, I wrote this initial response:
I do hope you're NOT asking actors to invest money. I know for a fact it's against SAG rules & you're not making any friends by being a classist jerk. There's lots of talented people in the world who aren't millionaires & don't have thousands of dollars to invest money. Are you going to start charging crew people or act entitled to freebies from professionals offering expensive services?
Find your investors separately like you're supposed to. How about crowd funding on a fundraising website? Those are better options than getting in trouble w/SAG or making actors spend money to work with you. I have a bad taste in my mouth just reading this ad & I know a thing or two about the industry.
Today, it occurred to me that's another very good reason why you don't want to do this. It has to do with a basic principle of securities law & is something that anyone who's worked w/a knowledgeable lawyer knows about. I'm not revealing it here since I don't give free legal advice; go ask your knowledgeable attorney.
You also know that people asking for this sort of thing will also act entitled to free editing services, music composition, legal help, art design, etc. All things that cost money if you want it done correctly (unless, of course, you've got friends who like you).
So, when I saw the same ad AGAIN, I decided to respond in this way:
Subject: Yes I can act. NO, I don't want to be extorted for money b/c you're too lazy to follow securities law.
More evidence that you're full of crap: clearly you don't know beans about securities law & classes of investors.
No sane filmmaker would EVER suggest that actors fund their own project unless that actor was super-rich. But then again, why would an actor who had the money to fund a project pay to work for someone??? They could form their OWN company & do their OWN project where THEY had the final say. That's what famous actors do.
Again, if you're such a big shot, why are you posting such ridiculousness??? You should have a competent attorney who'd tell you exactly why it's career suicide to cast for projects in this manner. Otherwise, you're just a scam artist who should be outed & blacklisted to the industry.
I can't wait to see what these dodos have to say for themselves. No credible filmmaker I know would EVER do this since they want talented people, not rich people, acting in their projects. If you are an actor with both, again you could do it by yourself or ask your friends. No need for you to bother w/morons like this who will bring you down & ruin your reputation.
Just got a notation saying this ad was no longer active. Thank God!
Here's ad #2:
Actor With Investor Contacts (Downtown)
Date: 2010-12-21, 10:26PM EST
Reply to: gigs-vezet-2124843936@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
A feature film with famous talent attached is looking for an actor can raise the remaining capital. A limited amount needs to be raised. The actor will receive a principal role and percentage of the film.
* it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
* Compensation: TBD
PostingID: 2124843936
A little less offensive, but still makes no sense. I had to write this response:
I certainly hope you aren't attempting to get an actor to pay for the project out of pocket. That's not only stupid under securities law but violates union rules.
How about doing your OWN work to find investors since if an actor had investor money, why wouldn't that person just find their own people, work w/their friends or create their own company w/any number of projects they could star in??
Or how about getting your "famous talent" to find investors? Shouldn't THEY know rich people? If they want to make the project happen, they might be motivated to make some effort.
I think it's a very fair question. We didn't have famous people in our early works & we didn't demand our actors to fund it. Nor did we base casting decisions on who had a sugar daddy/mommy. My sorority didn't even base membership decisions on people's net worth or connections; we considered things like having to be around the person all the time & how that person would represent our group.
I know it gets done but in the scenarios I know of, the actor w/the sugar daddy (usually this was a woman) already established that she had talent & wouldn't ruin a project. It was more of a bonus to working w/someone who had talent than an exercise in seeking out some bored rich kid w/no acting chops. Some people will call themselves "actors" even if they are unconvincing, behave like divas & make audiences want to throw rotten tomatoes at them.
Again, if you had the money to fund films, why not make your own project & work w/your friends? You'd get the final say, could work w/whoever you wanted + be the master of your artistic integrity.
So, actors don't fall for this crap. Real filmmakers who people want to work with & who will produce quality work cast based on talent.
Access to money will speed things up & it might help your chances if the selection is close but sane people don't go on these hunts. They look for investors separately & wouldn't put someone's boy/girl toy in the lead w/out an audition or at least a decent resume proving the person has real talent.
At the end of the day, everyone has their reputation to consider.
Monday, April 19, 2010
More Reasons to Hate High School Administrators
My husband was telling me about this story yesterday since Yahoo had a video of this family on one of the morning TV shows (I think it was the "Today" show?).
The school claims they had to turn on webcams to find their laptops.
I call BULLSHIT on their explanations & claims they didn't use images inappropriately. I also think they were dead wrong & the law should ban a school from using this type of technology. How come?
A) The reasons for turning on the webcam are flimsy at best. Do we not have methods for collecting our insurance payment?
How about a GPS style tracking system for the laptops?
What about shutting off the Internet or some other computer feature that teens love to use? If you don't have access to something, the kid's going to speak up sooner or later b/c the laptop would be worthless.
If web designers can disable a website when a client doesn't pay (remember "Single White Female," anyone?) then why can't these chuckle-heads do the same? Problem solved, no invading anyone's privacy.
B) Since when does the school have ANY interest in spying on people who don't go to the school? Do you really think you have any reason to spy on the child's family members, friends, patrons at Starbucks, whoever else might be in view of the webcam?
C) If the voyeurs claimed that watching these kids was their own "soap opera," I can promise you that if there's not inappropriate use of the footage, there will be.
I'll guarantee that some administrator will try to blackmail students to permit illegal activity so future employers won't see the footage where that child was drying off from a shower or masturbating in bed. Corruption is everywhere & you're an idiot if you think these people are beyond reproach. I bet some of the ones in my high school would have LOVED to get their hands on some way to blackmail me so I'd sit back & take crap like the infamous 10th gym class or have zero credibility w/anyone who could change things for the better.
I'm pretty sure they'd go even further & threaten to ruin some student's future in the job market or getting into college. School administrators have done some sinister things to high school students in the past so I wouldn't put this past them.
So, let's sum up here:
1. To punish a student for not paying $55 for insurance, school decides to turn on software that mysteriously activates webcams for hours on end.
2. Monitors of the footage see everything you do at home from scratching your butt, drying off after a shower, maybe even having sex (and you're an idiot if you don't think there's SOME footage of that).
3. School acquires footage that could cost this student thousands of dollars over his/her lifetime b/c as we all know, once it's on the Internet everyone takes it as gospel.
4. Student has to rely on the integrity of school administrators & faculty in making a single move in the future. If student's school personnel are vindictive pieces of trash who should have long since retired or never entered education in the first place, student may have to do everything short of providing (maybe even including, for all we know) sexual services to keep this footage under wraps.
Does anyone see a problem with this? I see some big ones. One of which is that employers need to get a grip on themselves in screening applicants. Maybe they should examine the context of a situation, respect the fact that people have LIVES (unlike robots) & different personae in different situations. That's sociological fact.
The second is any school or entity being permitted to do this. I'd be pretty ticked if a workplace was doing it as well but this is even worse, considering we're dealing w/minors.
God, I can't wait to see how a court handles this. I'm still waiting for lawsuits against employers for illegal discrimination or some type of illegal activity based on what someone does on the Internet in their off time. If they find in favor of the school, I'm going to encourage my sister, any parents & any kids I like enough to home school their kids.
The school claims they had to turn on webcams to find their laptops.
I call BULLSHIT on their explanations & claims they didn't use images inappropriately. I also think they were dead wrong & the law should ban a school from using this type of technology. How come?
A) The reasons for turning on the webcam are flimsy at best. Do we not have methods for collecting our insurance payment?
How about a GPS style tracking system for the laptops?
What about shutting off the Internet or some other computer feature that teens love to use? If you don't have access to something, the kid's going to speak up sooner or later b/c the laptop would be worthless.
If web designers can disable a website when a client doesn't pay (remember "Single White Female," anyone?) then why can't these chuckle-heads do the same? Problem solved, no invading anyone's privacy.
B) Since when does the school have ANY interest in spying on people who don't go to the school? Do you really think you have any reason to spy on the child's family members, friends, patrons at Starbucks, whoever else might be in view of the webcam?
C) If the voyeurs claimed that watching these kids was their own "soap opera," I can promise you that if there's not inappropriate use of the footage, there will be.
I'll guarantee that some administrator will try to blackmail students to permit illegal activity so future employers won't see the footage where that child was drying off from a shower or masturbating in bed. Corruption is everywhere & you're an idiot if you think these people are beyond reproach. I bet some of the ones in my high school would have LOVED to get their hands on some way to blackmail me so I'd sit back & take crap like the infamous 10th gym class or have zero credibility w/anyone who could change things for the better.
I'm pretty sure they'd go even further & threaten to ruin some student's future in the job market or getting into college. School administrators have done some sinister things to high school students in the past so I wouldn't put this past them.
So, let's sum up here:
1. To punish a student for not paying $55 for insurance, school decides to turn on software that mysteriously activates webcams for hours on end.
2. Monitors of the footage see everything you do at home from scratching your butt, drying off after a shower, maybe even having sex (and you're an idiot if you don't think there's SOME footage of that).
3. School acquires footage that could cost this student thousands of dollars over his/her lifetime b/c as we all know, once it's on the Internet everyone takes it as gospel.
4. Student has to rely on the integrity of school administrators & faculty in making a single move in the future. If student's school personnel are vindictive pieces of trash who should have long since retired or never entered education in the first place, student may have to do everything short of providing (maybe even including, for all we know) sexual services to keep this footage under wraps.
Does anyone see a problem with this? I see some big ones. One of which is that employers need to get a grip on themselves in screening applicants. Maybe they should examine the context of a situation, respect the fact that people have LIVES (unlike robots) & different personae in different situations. That's sociological fact.
The second is any school or entity being permitted to do this. I'd be pretty ticked if a workplace was doing it as well but this is even worse, considering we're dealing w/minors.
God, I can't wait to see how a court handles this. I'm still waiting for lawsuits against employers for illegal discrimination or some type of illegal activity based on what someone does on the Internet in their off time. If they find in favor of the school, I'm going to encourage my sister, any parents & any kids I like enough to home school their kids.
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