Pro Sound Web: The check.
Yes, the goal of the business. Getting paid.
I was told once that there are three parts of the gig: 1) Getting the gig. 2) Working the gig. 3) Collecting the check.
It’s like three legs on a stool. All three need to be there or you have a problem. If you are a volunteer at a church, this is irrelevant, at least until you transition into the paid side. Might be good to know all of this in advance.
9 comments:
Yikes! It sucks that this guy had to get screwed over in order to learn how to handle this stuff better. Although I suppose that's what makes him a veteran. He definitely makes a good point that just doing good work and being diligent is not enough. You have to be just as diligent about the business component of your gigs as you do about your work. I hope I understand this concept by reading this article and not by getting stiffed for half my pay check..
I never thought it was that important to get clear written contracts, but it is sort- of a no brainer...
I especially like that he stresses to get dates and details in some type of written way.
Sometimes when you work you just miss certain things and someone understands something one way and someone understands something another way, and having it written down is a good way to make sure that everyone is on the same page.
I will defiantly try to remember some of the tips that he laid out in the article.
This article brings up a topic that I've never really had to think about before. Since I have never worked professionally in theatre, I have never dealt with the hiring process. I have, however, experienced this process in other forms of work, such as working at summer camps. It seems so obvious that, no matter what job you are agreeing to do, you would expect a contract or some other form of agreement. However, working in the theater can, in many ways, be informal. If you are working for a director you have worked for in the past, and if you have developed a positive, trustworthy relationship with that director, it may seem weird to ask for a contract. However, this article shows that it is crucial to have an agreement (and to stick by that agreement) in writing if you want to have a successful career.
Even having a written agreement and a contract does not save you from getting screwed over on payment. People can still opt not to pay you and unless you require payment for the deposit and before the performance begins there is never any guarantee that you will receive payment. People will always try to take advantage and manipulate you to get more show or more profits out of the budget and if you are working where every contract becomes a hostage negotiation between you and the promoter maybe it is time to rethink working for them. He also brings up a great point that it may be fiscally better for you to go work at a day job and do this work as a side job. The freelance market is difficult and inconsistent if you like the life of uncertainty and the challenge of getting the next gig that is great. Some people are very happy working for less than minimum wage doing gigs because they are doing something they are enjoying and if that is you more power to you, but if you are in it for the money really look at the skills you have and think about if there is another industry that can subsidize your love of working in a collaborative artistic environment. Overall be sure of your goals and what your standard of living needs to look like for you to enjoy life and work backwards from there to see if working in the industry can get you to that point and make sure you don't lie to yourself about your prospects.
Sadly I know too many free lancers who this exact thing has happened to. They verbally agree to do work and end up getting paid less or sometimes not at all and it's infuriating. I'm not even the one getting screwed but when I hear the stories it makes me so angry that people think they can get away with crap like that. So far I've signed contracts for all the free lance work I've done but that was at the request of the person hiring me to make sure I didn't try to get away with doing less work than we agreed upon. So I can see that sometimes the scenario goes the other way. Either way it sucks that there are so many shady clients who want to screw techs out of their hard earned money and techs who want to get away with doing less.
The system he set up after getting screwed out of all that money seems like something that should have been set up earlier and a plan that should already have been in place. it just seems logical in a business to have a payment and contract system set up before going out and doing a job. It also should not matter if you are a returning costumer or a new one everyone should have to fill out a contract and stick to it. It seems incredibly hard to put in a day of work that you end up not getting paid therefore having a contract and payment plan set up in advance seems better.
This to me is a huge part of why it is so important to have unions in theatre. Specifically, using USA 829 as an example, members who are contracted onto a show a required to be paid in three installments: once when they sign the contract, next when they hand in their first design, finally on opening night. This guaranteed tht they aren't working for nothing, even if they get laid off partway through the process. Theatre is seen as an industry with lots of camaraderie, especially with the prevalence of community theatre in this country. But it is crucial, as the author says, to remember that a lot of us do this for a living, and that we are providing a service that requires compensation for our efforts. So yes, always get paid, always have it in writing. Good points worth revisiting lest we forget.
It is sometimes really frustrating how much paperwork goes into working a one day gig, or a show. This is a reminder of why it is that way. We live in a society where people will cheat the deal if there is no paperwork to prove them wrong. I experienced this summer. I signed a contract with Pittsburgh Opera Theater. Nowhere in the contract did it actually give me a title, but I had been told I was the ATD. Upon arriving I discovered I had been hired as an intern. I got paid the right amount but the job was not what I had signed up for. They also did not have our second paychecks on time. We only got them when we all walked out, saying we would come back when they had our money. It is sad that we need the contracts and the paper trail but it is definitely necessary.
Coming off a very bad experience with getting paid for my last gig I completely feel this guys pain. Sometimes it's easy to fall trap to not writing out a contract with someone simply because you may trust them or think you know them well but can really come back to bite you in the ass. If you ever expect to be paid on time or at all for that matter you better make sure you have a clear written contract signed by both parties. Overall, very good points made in the article. Now that I am eighteen I fully plan to have a contract for all work I do in the future.
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