As an indie filmmaker, it has been a learning process. Since I worked for many years as a dancer, I have had various occasions where people expected me to work for free. I always resented this – its human nature to drop 200 bucks getting drunk on a weekend but complain about spending 50-100 for an artist. So, no one should work for free in any of my films.
Hence, I wanted a payment system that would be transparent and fair. To begin with, I was aware that starting rates for work as a dancer were 30ph for productions. The work involved was the artistic creation (script, storyboard, choreography) and execution (acting, dancing, camerawork). If someone choreographs a dance and dances in the film, they would work in the artistic creation + execution and would be paid for choreography + dancing.
First, I divided the work into these departments. I setup a payment system where crew members start at 30ph and go upto 40ph with more than 5 years experience in their field. This may not seem much, but it is 33% higher for people with experience. Also, due to the budgets involved, I cannot pay for travel or offer a cab charge, however I can work with the other team members to schedule pickups.
So far, the only people who qualify for the higher rate are Kotaro Honda and Connor Dowling. Both have over 10 years experience in their respective fields. If the film gets picked up for distribution, the individuals with greater experience will also receive more in terms of the discretionary bonus than the others.
Finally there were other crew members who were involved in lots of pre-production and preparation. For these members, I decided on a flat rate. These crew members were Ron Coker and Susanne Richter. Ron and I worked almost every second day since March to build equipment and test it various ways. Ron also came with over 20 years experience in photography and a bit less in video. Susanne has helped me with the script for the last 2 years, as well as the choreography for the Salsa and Rumba. She also has over 10 years experience as a dancer.
I also make it a point to make snacks and food available. Since I cannot afford a gourmet catering service, I bring fruits and nuts, and hot drinks if the weather is cold.
I have also become aware that I need to organize myself better. Suggestions came from Kotaro, Ron as well as Susanne. Accordingly, I make an effort to send out the script a week before, and sms and email people on the day of the shoot to remind everyone.
In terms of payments, I would prefer a system where the crew send me an invoice after the shoot (a simple email listing the hours, price and your bank details), and I will endeavour to send the payment before the next weekend. This will serve as a reminder to me that I need to pay.
During the shoot, I turn up before everyone else. There should also be a hierarchy during the shoot. Even if someone in the crew may doubt my ability as a director, you cannot question or argue about camera angles or what is required as an actor. You cannot direct the director! It is essential to execute what the director asks you to do otherwise the entire shoot gets wasted, and this behaviour will destroy the entire film.
