No Room For 'Janky' Producers in Prince George's

If you're just starting out and have minimal contacts, you shouldn't pretend to be something you're not. The movie industry in Prince George's County is small, and you never know who knows who. It is always good to be honest with yourself and others about who you are.

I recently worked on a commercial in Upper Marlboro with a "producer" who couldn't be humble. Before the shoot, he said things would be organized and that he was different from other "janky" producers in the area. Over the years, I've learned this: When a person says they are not something, then nine times out of ten, they most likely are.

When I work with anyone I go into the project with an open mind, as should any filmmaker when trying to build relationships. Not this producer -- every fifteen minutes (I counted) he spoke of himself. Before the shoot I got no shot list and no script, yet he kept in constant contact about the project, thinking that would be enough. I was only being hired to film the commercial, not direct it. If he wanted me to direct this commercial and shoot it, he needed to pay me separately because those are two different positions.

To me he seemed like one of those people who would try to squeeze water from a penny. On late notice he approached me about editing the commercial, and I decided to do it, since the extra money is cool to have. After the shoot concluded, I digitized the footage, cleaned it up and it was ready to be edited.

When it was time for the producer to pay me for editing, he only wanted to pay me half of $150 (anything less than $300 should be paid fully before the work begins.) Not only was $150 half of the minimum fee I charge for editing, but his commercial demanded more work than he lead me to believe. As a professional, you have to be stern. Since he refused to compromise, I let him pick up his footage, including what I had already worked on thus far.

The industry in Prince George's County is not for children. We are all adults and should pay for the services we want. Please do not waste your time arguing over change, especially when there are checks that need to be cashed. Understand that you are a business, and should always conduct yourself as such. You wouldn't beg customers to buy your products at your store; instead, you'd try to persuade them to buy. But at the end of the day, they have the option to leave.