I need opinions on this crazy situation

Sysadmins General
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Hi friends, first and foremost, sorry for this huge text.

I want you people opinion on a experience I’m having with a post studio, but first I want to take this opportunity to share why it has been a while since I interacted here. I think is worth mention because I been ashamed for a while but I know I may not be the only one who went through that. I struggled with a serious burnout, which according to my therapist shares symptoms with depression, panic syndrome and anxiety. Definitely not cool. I’m good now, I managed to bring my pace down and get back on my feet, rearranged a lot in personal life as well, but I kind of got left with some resentment with everything related to compositing so I put myself in a shell. Anyway, take care of yourself, mind and body, try to keep aware with your limits professionally and personally.

Now my crazy experience, I’ll try to be as brief as possible, but I hope you can bear with me.

At the end of July, a producer friend of mine reached out to work on a low budget indy Canadian feature film (the low budget indy, was a red flag, but hey, friend right). I was supposed to work on about 15 shots, and another studio from India was going to work on the remaining shots, but they left the producer hanging and said they couldn’t do it, so she asked for me to take over and do it all, including the motion and artwork for the screens, I said that was not a great idea, but we discussed the money, deadlines and lots o promisses and pleads, since there was mostly screen replacements with still camera, I said ok, after all she is a friend. The assh… I mean the director, was really annoying with the artwork and text he didn’t even gave me, so a lot of chat gpt text. Ridiculous but is not my problem, after about 20 days, eventually he approved it all, art, motion and compositing, so I did all the deliveries, about 40 shots, with textless version, sent my Invoice which is supposed to be paid after 30 days now, which was not what my friend told me before. At this point I was goig to see my money after 50 days since I started working (my rent doesn’t work this way, but who cares right).

After a few days, I receive a full report with adjustments in all the shots, like wtf? And the weirdest part, a lot of requests talking about screen edges problems on grading. That was really a first for me. I’m not even sure how to explain this, the colorist wanted to work on the shots using the original footage, and the premultiplied screen on top on resolve, she didn’t want to use mattes, and she was bringing the screen luminance way down, totally undoing my composite, which generated edges. I had to send the premult comps with matte container which didn’t work on resolve, and who cares, after a lot of complaining the colorist accepted to work using the mattes. But she was still breaking the comp luminance and generating edges.

I said ok, to deal with this the best approach, is for me to back to the comps and bring down the luminance of the screens to get close to what they wanted, and sent it all back. But no, the colorist refused to do that (and since I learned she is the owner of the studio mommy, that’s a new kind of nepotism for me) she does whatever the fuck she wants. So the producer pleads again to me to try and deal with edges myself totally blind, I said ok, lets do some tests and of course it wasn’t working, after a lot o going back and fourth my patience going down the drain, she finally was able to reach a partner from the studio that came back from vacation who appointed the same solution I suggested, and since she is partner, now we are doing the correct solution. At this moment, I spent 60 days working on this project, I started asking if my payment is on hold again, or if everything is going forward with my invoice, my friend said the partner told her, she didn’t even have the power with accounting to stop o speed the payment now. So ok, I did the adjustments I had, but now I’m juggling with other projects, after all, I’m a freelancer.

Finnaly now they want the textless version for the broadcaster and they started pressuring me, I said I do have opening on my schedule, they need to wait, and as I asked about the money, they said now, is between 30/60 days after they have the invoice, but they can’t say for sure the date. Again WTF. I told my friend I was considering holding the textless versions until I get paid, because I’m starting to feel like I’m not going to see that money. She said that is not possible, again more pleads. Now the pressure starts to get bigger and I said maybe next week I’ll get it done, she came to me and asked for the project, and said they would do the textless in house at this point I’m so pissed of, (I started this on the end of july and we are reaching the end of October. Almost 90 days without seeing a penny) so I said no project without money. Now for the first time, the partner reached out and said she was holding my invoice (now she has that power) and that she need me to do the textless and than she will pay me so I can send the project, I said no so far, she is trying to argument that their policy is to pay after the project is complete, because they have a history of paying vendors before and be left hanging.

I didn’t reply to the last email, I know my biggest mistake here whas to mix friendship with business and left things get so out of hand. That friendship of course is gone, because I found out of course that I was loyal, she just want to solve her problems without any regard for me. I’m considering to really not do anything else at all without my payment, I’m in Brazil, if I don’t get paid after everything is delivered, there is absolutely nothing effective for me to fight this. So here is the big question, if you read all of this of course. What would you do?

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No money, no work. It’s that simple. These people need to pay for what they want. It’s their passion project, not yours – they hired you to perform a service.

If friends are trying to take advantage of you, they aren’t real friends. Don’t mourn the loss of the relationship.

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Thanks a lot man, my thoughts exactly, specially at this point. I really appreciate you taking the time to read this nonsense!

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I didn’t follow all the twists and turns.

This is all too common. Especially with Indie producers and directors. They don’t have the budget to do it right, but they still need to get it down, and they alwasy wait for a miracle or hope they can twist some arms. You always have to mindful of that.

Two ways to get out of that - if I understand correctly, you did the first half of the project and sent and invoice, and then they came back with more work. And now you’re holding the second part until they pay. Correct?

One way of approaching this - 50% upfront, rest on delivery. That way you don’t start work without evidence that they can pay. It’s a middle ground.

In this case you could ask them that they pay for the first part of the project to show good faith, and then the rest when you do the remaining work.

If they’re particularly picky - there’s also escrow. Meaning they pay the money to a 3rd party who will hold it until the work is completed. So you have the assurance that the money exists, but they’re having the safety that you’re not taking the money and then abandon the project.

It’s unfortunate that this level of drama has to happen. But people are just bad with budgets and full of wishful thinking.

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Thanks so much for you input, is hard to keep, it took me a while compile all this mess! I’ll definitely take it to consideration!

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Payment plans for jobs are important. A lot of vendors work with a percentage up front, a percentage when 50% of the work is complete and the final percentage when it is complete.

In regards to freelancers, we pay any freelance artists as they go. We even will pay invoices weekly. If you want people to do good work for you and want to continue to be able to use them as a resource then you need to treat people well.

I would never expect someone to agree to a contract where we would pay the full amount at the end. It’s not fair. I would never take on a project if they weren’t prepared to pay as you go or at least a decent down payment up front.

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It would be nice if everyone was as considerate, and it’s very good to hear that the good guys exist @AdamArcher.

So many companies treat vendors like an unwelcome expense and necessary evil. Any company truly vested in its own long-term success will understand that the health of your vendor system is critical for your own success. Treat your vendors well, and they will have your back when you’re in a bind.

The only other payment plan option I’ll add to Adam’s list, which I use in my contracts from time to time - true up at the end of of the month. Many of our projects are less than a month. But if they run longer, I write into the contract that at end of each month we get paid for the work completed to this point.

And I say this as a vendor, not as a freelancer.

Another frequent pain point that comes up - you agree to more consolidated invoicing (like end of month), and the client insists on Net 30 payment terms. Well, with a end of month consolidation, some of that work may have been completed as much as 20 days ago before the 30 day clock starts ticking, so it really comes out to Net 60. Not cool. If you benefit from consolidation, then the terms window needs to account for that. I won that battle with one of our big clients, and we’re getting Net 15 now.

I pay my crew members the same day they send me an invoice. Even if I have to float it for 30 days, which happens often, and luckily I’m able to do almost all the time. This is also why the answer my call everytime I need them. I’m on top of their list of people they like to work for.

All this is not rocket science. It’s human decency, and treat others like you would want to be treated.

I understand the reality that most of us sit at the bottom of a large pile where shit rolls down, margins are razor thin, and not everything can be floated. That is actually a major fault and mis-calculations by the big guys at the top of the pile. Squeezing small creative vendors the same way they try to squeeze large supply chain vendors. Anytime you squeeze, it just comes out somewhere else. Might be worth thinking through the trade-offs. But a-las.

Last thought - if you foresee payment challenges, increase the price by 10% (you can call it the prick tax, just use a different label). Then offer 10% discount for prompt and early payment. They don’t need to know that you already built that into your price. Some procurement teams are required to take advantage of it, or independent film makers can never resist as discount when their budget are broke already. In essence if they pay promptly, you get your original price and everyone is happy. If they pay late, you get the extra 10% essentially as a financing charge. It inadvertenly makes you a pseudo bank giving them a loan. But at least then we’re clear on what we’re doing and it’s not for free. Everyone has the right be to be stupid, but you don’t have to bear the burden with them.

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That’s awesome of thinking. This company seems to see things totally differently. Looks to me as if they keep you hostage, you only get paid when they feel like the job is done, and they keep coming as if I were at their back and call fully.

Is been a long time since In held myself in a situation like this. The producer kept holding me telling how she would be in trouble, she was unemployed for quite some time before working with this studio, and they clearly take advantage of that kind of fear she feels of being out of job again. And on her part, she took advantage of the trust I had on her, that she wouldn’t allow me to be in the position I’m in right now.

That’s why I honestly feel like I really should be extreme right now. And always trust my instincts and experience not to get in this kind of situation again!

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I couldn’t have summed better.

I have another example of this kind of problem in Brazil. The standard here is 30 day payment after the beginning of the job. There are a few companies which you have to be aware when they hold you for more than 15/20/30 day, because they want to pay 30 day after the invoice, which they usually ask after the end of the job, is not standard, but when I get myself in this situation I demand the invoice to be sent on the beginning of the job or at least in the middle so I don’t have to wait 60 days.

But a company who works inside of an ad agency reached out a few months ago to ask me for some cleanups, we discussed the usual things and they agreed to my daily fee, since it was going to be only one day work, I didn’t bother talking about payment dates. After I did the work, they started asking about doing more stuff and work more days, when I said sure, the producer asked if I was aware that their standard was to pay 60 days. Than I said I would only keep working with 30% increase, which is pretty much credit card interest for 30 days here, so gladly they never called back.

This kind of thing is totally unacceptable to me. As said before, my rent is due every month, my electricity, water, everything. My flame licensing, adobe, etc. Is insane to think I should accommodate my finances so companies can pay me with such huge gaps.

Where is the human decency?

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Love it!

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Ah, that is a tipical story

Some thoughts.

-Grade with masks always has a limit. It never allows adjustments for more than 10-15%, especially for lightness adjusts. Screens , skies, or projections are tipical examples.

-If the colorist wanted to re-composite over it, or else makes a drastic adjustment, it’s completely idiot. Having done a quick back and forth test changing it in comp, would have been enough.

-Don’t deliver or finish your project until they advance you some money.

-“We only pay until the project is complete” is equal to they will never pay you.

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Perfect, I’m not so crazy after all. I actually feel a bit dumb for letting myself get drained in this after so many years, this is the kind of thing that usually happens when we’re new to this game, I’m a little bit ashamed of sharing this here, but we all make mistakes sometimes, and all the replies I had here, helped me a lot! I’m already fixing it! Thank you so much!