filming event for a friend for free,.. but just want my business name on the product

[Dave Morgan]

Im going to be filming a Charity event for a friend, for free. Either just 1 camera me, or me and another camera person. The thing is I just want my company name on the final product.
The other people I know also have company names.

Would it be best to just say I can pay so much to help film this event with me. So I don’t have to worry about putting there co names on it.

I’m thinking it be hard to get someone else to help for free if they know they are getting any name reconazation.

[Chris Davis]

I will almost never ask someone to do something free for me. I think it would be kind of uncouth to say "I'm doing this for credit and name recognition and you should too!"

However, it would be wholly appropriate to say "I'd like to hire you for the evening. I can only pay $x because I'm doing this gratis." They can say yes or no.

If the person you ask to help believes in the cause, the odds are good they'd help out free.

[Dave Blackhurst]

If everyone is willing to donate time to a good cause, I'd think everyone should get "credited", or NO ONE should...

Not understanding why you want credit but want to squeeze someone else out. I would think getting along in the pursuit of a mutal good deed would be appropriate?

[Chris Davis]

Hmmm... maybe we need clarification since the original post can be read both ways:

1. You want someone to help and are willing to pay, but you don't want any name other than yours on the final product.

or

2. You want to get someone cheap to operate 2nd cam and are wondering if offering only recognition is good enough.

It's your third sentence that is most ambiguous: "The thing is I just want my company name on the final product." That could be taken as "I don't want any money, just a credit is fine" or it could be "I want only my name to be credited and no other."

[Steve House]

It's that last interpretation Chris mentioned of the OP's meaning that I find most disturbing ... "I'm working free for name credit only. I want others to help me, also for free, but I don't want any of their names or other credits to appear on the show. I want to get the sole credit without any other names appearing on it besides mine." Sorry Dave, but if that's what you meant I don't think it reflects very highly on you. IMHO, everyone who contributes has earned the right to a credit.

[Denis Danatzko]

and I doubt this is unique to my experience. But, keep in mind the various forms of "being credited", i.e. when working on a commercial, your name will never appear in it, but labeling and/or other forms of identification of, for example, a camera op or MUA, could lead to more work for that person.

I've worked for others and:
1) gotten paid very well, but no credit (as a single shooter on commercials, so it wasn't really appropriate),
2) gotten paid pretty well, and got credit as camera op (and additional/subsequent work because of it), and
3) gotten paid barely adequately and got no credit. (The indie/producer who hired me kept the credit for his business, though he has included ny name in credits for other work where appropriate).

Depending on the job and the final product, here's how I cover myself:
1) I have my own little lead-in (a simple AE composition, approx 7 secs long) with my company name and logo which I use as the first-play item on nearly every DVD I produce.
2) when including credits, I credit everyone who helped (though on most of my jobs I work as an OMB, so I don't run into that very often), and
3) when printing the DVD label, I always include 2 "outer-ring" label items, showing A) the copyright with my business name, and B) the "Produced by" item with my business name and web site.

If for web use, I include metadata when/where possible, as well as the lead-in, if appropriate.

BUT, basically, I believe that anyone who works on a project should get credit.

HTH.