Should I/Could I be mad? at DVinfo.net

Giuseppe Palumbo · February 14th, 2006, 12:55 AM

So, I don't know if I’m just being dumb for whatever reason, and I don’t know if this is how it works everywhere else but just hear me out. I’ve been working with this audio company that just started doing videos for about 6 months now. I own the majority of the equipment (camera, tripod, dolly, lights, computer monitors…) and for some reason I just don’t feel good about it all.

For example, we just filmed a music video a few days ago that is going to get played on BET uncut. For being only 18, I feel good knowing that my video is going to get airplay. Now the thing is the guy I work with takes most of the credit for all the work done. I Shoot all the video and edit everything. He’s basically a grip on shoots.

Since I’ve been working with him, he’s learned almost everything I know from just watching and asking question cause he’s always behind my back, and on this upcoming project for BET, he wants to edit a verse of the song and I’m worried that he’s going to get me someone along the road when I show the video, how can I stop this.

Now, I know that Editors names aren’t shown when the video is played, but I’m just saying he doesn’t do anything and he’s going to be the one basically getting credit. Should I/Do I even have room to be upset?

I’m 18 and have been doing video for about 3 years or so and I’ve taught myself everything I know and never have taken any classes and don’t know how I should feel or what I should do.

*Sorry if most of that didn’t make sense. I Apologize if I sound Childish as well.

Kevin Wild · February 14th, 2006, 12:58 AM

Best thing to learn, is that it isn't usually the people who are doing most of the work that are getting most of the credit. I'm not sure of your situation, but getting a job or getting a job sold is 90% of the battle. Doing it is usually the easy part.

Sorry to sound negative. Keep up the good work, but be sure you're selling yourself and making yourself seen or you'll continually be making others look good. :-)

Good luck.

KW

Glenn Davidson · February 14th, 2006, 01:15 AM

I am guessing that he is getting the job, using your skills and taking most of the credit. But you gain experience, can use the BET bit in your resume/reel and can keep moving up the ladder. At some point the frustration with the situation (underpaid, over worked, own equipment, little credit) may become unbearable and you can either ask for more money or move on to the next bigger and better project.

Travis Cossel · February 14th, 2006, 02:35 AM

I'm curious as to how he 'gets more credit' than you. I mean, his names don't show up on the video either, right? If he's getting more credit because he's the one interfacing with clients and because he owns the business, then he deserves that credit. Afterall, HE is the one getting the jobs in the door and working with the client.

I participated in a Microsoft contest recently to win me and a bunch of friends Xbox 360's and a VIP trip to the launch party in LA. My friend came to me with the idea, and also got all of the people together that we needed and handled most of the paperwork and faxing and so on.

However, I came up with the ideas and scripts for the videos, and we had 3 entries into this contest. All 3 won, which is huge, because in one of the categories there were only 4 winners and in the other category there were only 60 winners. This was out of literally thousands of entries. So it was unthinkable that 3 videos from the same team would all win.

I did all of the shooting and directing and editing on the videos as well. My friend ended up getting all the credit because he submitted the videos and acted as the interfacer with the competition officials. He even got interviewed a couple of times.

Was I jealous? You bet. A little bit. But I kept things in perspective because we EACH needed eachother to succeed. Without me he would have never won (his ideas were terrible), but without him, I would have never even heard of the competition and wouldn't have won either.

Moral of the story: he found the work so he gets the bulk of the credit.

Hope that helps a little (and maybe motivates you to get your own business going so you can get your own work and your own credit). d:-)

James Emory · February 14th, 2006, 02:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glenn Davidson

But you gain experience, can use the BET bit in your resume/reel and can keep moving up the ladder..

When you see a movie premiere and interviews with the director and actors, do you ever hear anything about the DP or any other key crew positions? Of course you don't. The director and actors basically get all of the credit for the success of the film. Even though you don't hear about the crew, we all know that the director and actors didn't operate all of the gear. I agree with the others that if this person you are concerned with is the front man, then he is just promoting his product and however it got made is not necessarily important. Businesses do this all of the time by not revealing their source for a product or service for obvious reasons. I think he could just as easily give you the deserved credit without revealing who you are. Another option for him is for you to sign a No Compete contract to protect him from you working for a competitor. He could even lie and say that he is the one who shoots and edits the projects for those who don't actually attend the shoots or post sessions to know. To be honest, this guy sounds like someone who likes to take all the credit just to sound important and not necessarily for business reasons. It doesn't make it right but as long as your getting paid there's really nothing you can do but quit. And when you do, he is going to have to pull a rabbit out of a hat to reproduce your work and that's where it will all catch up to him. If you're work is in high demand because it is unique, then you are sort of in control. If a client really likes his work, then he will have to either meet your terms or claim he suddenly lost his incredible abilities. :O

Giuseppe Palumbo · February 14th, 2006, 02:01 PM

Looks like, im just gonna start saving faster for school. I'm pretty sure im gonna go to pittsburg film-makers which is extremely cheap (only costing me about 3k at the end of 2 years). I just wanna get out of this situation pretty bad, but its bringing me in money, so i cant right now.

Travis Cossel · February 14th, 2006, 02:19 PM

Hang in there. I worked at an advertising agency for 3 years and hated it from day one (my first day at work and I was given a storage closet packed with a pair of computers and other crap as my office). My boss was terrible and the job sucked for me every day.

Now I own my own advertising agency, and I'm loving it. I couldn't be here, though, if I hadn't put in my time at the other place.

Hang in there!

Glenn Davidson · February 14th, 2006, 02:28 PM

No E, I have not seen BET uncut. Is it really that bad? What is it a bunch of demo videos? Ok, don't use that on the resume. Or maybe way at the bottom, in 6pt type, after Hight school play or something.

Giuseppe Palumbo · February 14th, 2006, 03:28 PM

I know BET uncut isnt the best show in the world, but im just Saying for being 18, im pretty happy knowing my work is going to be on TV.

And BET uncut are usually just really bad videos that are edited horribly but im hoping mine will stick out among the rest cause of style and what not.

James Emory · February 14th, 2006, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glenn Davidson

No E, I have not seen BET uncut. Is it really that bad? What is it a bunch of demo videos?

Yes, it's really that bad. You need to stay up one night or record it to see what I mean. It is nothing but a bunch of worthless filth! And yes, it is basically a place where beginners can air their homemade videos some of which aren't that bad production wise, it's just the content.

James Emory · February 14th, 2006, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Giuseppe Palumbo

I know BET uncut isnt the best show in the world, but im just Saying for being 18, im pretty happy knowing my work is going to be on TV.

I know that feeling but you would be better off putting an entry for a low budget local cable station show on your resume than Uncut! You could use just BET and not Uncut on your resume. I have been approached several times to shoot porn and could have made alot of money, enough to pay off all my gear, but I ain't gonna do that crap much less put it on a resume!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Giuseppe Palumbo

And BET uncut are usually just really bad videos that are edited horribly but im hoping mine will stick out among the rest cause of style and what not.

Who cares about the editing if the content is crap! This is just my opinion though. Some people like that stuff or it wouldn't be on the air.

Glenn Davidson · February 14th, 2006, 07:09 PM

When my biz was in Oakland we worked with a lot of new bands like the Counting Crows, etc. The rappers, however, would come in with cash money! I remember one posse came in with a shoe box of twenty dollar bills. Checks and credit cards are good, but man I do miss the piles of cold crumbled cash.

James Emory · February 14th, 2006, 07:27 PM

Yes, you can't beat cash, instant credit! I also produced a rap video where I was paid in cash from stack of bills 3" thick!

James Emory · February 14th, 2006, 07:32 PM

There was recently a special on VH1 called Sexploitation about the video girls in these rap videos and how bad they get treated. It was more revealing than I was comfortable with in that time slot and for being on VH1. These girls sign up for this by showing up. Noone forces them to do this so I don't feel sorry for them. They are being sold on a dream of being discovered. Discovered for what, standing around touching yourself and shaking your butt?

February 14th, 2006, 12:55 AM	#1
Giuseppe Palumbo Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 199 Images: 7	Should I/Could I be mad? So, I don't know if I’m just being dumb for whatever reason, and I don’t know if this is how it works everywhere else but just hear me out. I’ve been working with this audio company that just started doing videos for about 6 months now. I own the majority of the equipment (camera, tripod, dolly, lights, computer monitors…) and for some reason I just don’t feel good about it all. For example, we just filmed a music video a few days ago that is going to get played on BET uncut. For being only 18, I feel good knowing that my video is going to get airplay. Now the thing is the guy I work with takes most of the credit for all the work done. I Shoot all the video and edit everything. He’s basically a grip on shoots. Since I’ve been working with him, he’s learned almost everything I know from just watching and asking question cause he’s always behind my back, and on this upcoming project for BET, he wants to edit a verse of the song and I’m worried that he’s going to get me someone along the road when I show the video, how can I stop this. Now, I know that Editors names aren’t shown when the video is played, but I’m just saying he doesn’t do anything and he’s going to be the one basically getting credit. Should I/Do I even have room to be upset? I’m 18 and have been doing video for about 3 years or so and I’ve taught myself everything I know and never have taken any classes and don’t know how I should feel or what I should do. *Sorry if most of that didn’t make sense. I Apologize if I sound Childish as well. __________________ AIM - N film B www.nbfilms.us

February 14th, 2006, 02:35 AM	#4
Travis Cossel Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 2,933	I'm curious as to how he 'gets more credit' than you. I mean, his names don't show up on the video either, right? If he's getting more credit because he's the one interfacing with clients and because he owns the business, then he deserves that credit. Afterall, HE is the one getting the jobs in the door and working with the client. I participated in a Microsoft contest recently to win me and a bunch of friends Xbox 360's and a VIP trip to the launch party in LA. My friend came to me with the idea, and also got all of the people together that we needed and handled most of the paperwork and faxing and so on. However, I came up with the ideas and scripts for the videos, and we had 3 entries into this contest. All 3 won, which is huge, because in one of the categories there were only 4 winners and in the other category there were only 60 winners. This was out of literally thousands of entries. So it was unthinkable that 3 videos from the same team would all win. I did all of the shooting and directing and editing on the videos as well. My friend ended up getting all the credit because he submitted the videos and acted as the interfacer with the competition officials. He even got interviewed a couple of times. Was I jealous? You bet. A little bit. But I kept things in perspective because we EACH needed eachother to succeed. Without me he would have never won (his ideas were terrible), but without him, I would have never even heard of the competition and wouldn't have won either. Moral of the story: he found the work so he gets the bulk of the credit. Hope that helps a little (and maybe motivates you to get your own business going so you can get your own work and your own credit). d:-) __________________ Black Label Films www.blacklabelweddingfilms.com

February 14th, 2006, 02:01 PM	#6
Giuseppe Palumbo Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 199 Images: 7	Looks like, im just gonna start saving faster for school. I'm pretty sure im gonna go to pittsburg film-makers which is extremely cheap (only costing me about 3k at the end of 2 years). I just wanna get out of this situation pretty bad, but its bringing me in money, so i cant right now. __________________ AIM - N film B www.nbfilms.us

February 14th, 2006, 02:19 PM	#7
Travis Cossel Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 2,933	Hang in there. I worked at an advertising agency for 3 years and hated it from day one (my first day at work and I was given a storage closet packed with a pair of computers and other crap as my office). My boss was terrible and the job sucked for me every day. Now I own my own advertising agency, and I'm loving it. I couldn't be here, though, if I hadn't put in my time at the other place. Hang in there! __________________ Black Label Films www.blacklabelweddingfilms.com

February 14th, 2006, 03:28 PM	#9
Giuseppe Palumbo Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 199 Images: 7	I know BET uncut isnt the best show in the world, but im just Saying for being 18, im pretty happy knowing my work is going to be on TV. And BET uncut are usually just really bad videos that are edited horribly but im hoping mine will stick out among the rest cause of style and what not. __________________ AIM - N film B www.nbfilms.us

February 14th, 2006, 12:58 AM	#2
Kevin Wild Major Player Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 540	Best thing to learn, is that it isn't usually the people who are doing most of the work that are getting most of the credit. I'm not sure of your situation, but getting a job or getting a job sold is 90% of the battle. Doing it is usually the easy part. Sorry to sound negative. Keep up the good work, but be sure you're selling yourself and making yourself seen or you'll continually be making others look good. :-) Good luck. KW

February 14th, 2006, 01:15 AM	#3
Glenn Davidson Major Player Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Nevada City, California Posts: 499	I am guessing that he is getting the job, using your skills and taking most of the credit. But you gain experience, can use the BET bit in your resume/reel and can keep moving up the ladder. At some point the frustration with the situation (underpaid, over worked, own equipment, little credit) may become unbearable and you can either ask for more money or move on to the next bigger and better project.

February 14th, 2006, 02:28 PM	#8
Glenn Davidson Major Player Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Nevada City, California Posts: 499	No E, I have not seen BET uncut. Is it really that bad? What is it a bunch of demo videos? Ok, don't use that on the resume. Or maybe way at the bottom, in 6pt type, after Hight school play or something.

February 14th, 2006, 07:09 PM	#12
Glenn Davidson Major Player Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Nevada City, California Posts: 499	When my biz was in Oakland we worked with a lot of new bands like the Counting Crows, etc. The rappers, however, would come in with cash money! I remember one posse came in with a shoe box of twenty dollar bills. Checks and credit cards are good, but man I do miss the piles of cold crumbled cash.

February 14th, 2006, 07:27 PM	#13
James Emory Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Atlanta, Georgia Posts: 1,892	Yes, you can't beat cash, instant credit! I also produced a rap video where I was paid in cash from stack of bills 3" thick!

February 14th, 2006, 07:32 PM	#14
James Emory Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Atlanta, Georgia Posts: 1,892	There was recently a special on VH1 called Sexploitation about the video girls in these rap videos and how bad they get treated. It was more revealing than I was comfortable with in that time slot and for being on VH1. These girls sign up for this by showing up. Noone forces them to do this so I don't feel sorry for them. They are being sold on a dream of being discovered. Discovered for what, standing around touching yourself and shaking your butt?