Hollywood Crew Blacklist

Jack Schuster

2012-01-27T13:34:00.000-08:00

Hi,
I have worked last year with the producer Jack Schuster. I was in charge of building the sets for this movie he was working on and... about a year later he still owes us money and even though he has promised many times "the check is in the mail" or "I'll drop it off to your office at 2pm today", he never showed up and still owes over $10k.
Not even our collection agency can get $ out of him... but he sure drives a nice car!

Fabio

Inny Clemens

2011-12-31T16:48:00.000-08:00

To Whom It May Concern:
Watch out for Producer Inny Clemens, I worked on his low budget feature called "Forgiveness" two years ago. I and the rest of the g&e crew have still have not been paid for the last day of shooting. I have heard he is still making films, make sure you get your check in advance, this guy will only pay as long as he needs you to show up to work.

Thanks.
-Vanessa

Bigfoot Entertainment

2011-01-19T15:49:00.000-08:00

Bigfoot Entertainment often posts online for full-time positions in Cebu, Philippines. Be aware that their contract makes certain bizarre demands. Here is their contract. See section 6 and 10-2 about them holding your passport hostage, and deducting your wages for what Bigfoot deems infractions.

Here's a copy of the most interesting parts of the contract they make you sign. Part 6 is about the passport. The most interesting parts are in bold.

Initials:
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Bigfoot You
STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE AS CONSULTANT
1. TERM. Bigfoot Entertainment (BVI) Ltd. (â•˛Bigfootâ•ˇ) hereby engages You and You
accept such engagement subject to the terms and conditions of this agreement (â•˛Agreementâ•ˇ).
This agreement may be terminated by Bigfoot at any time in the event of (a) Your failure to perform the services for any reason, (b) Your incapacity or inability to perform the services hereunder, (c) material breach of this Agreement, (d) intentional wrongdoing, malfeasance, fraud, embezzlement, misappropriation, gross negligence, commission of a crime, or the like ("for cause"), and for any reason other than
â•˛for causeâ•ˇ. The term may be extended by mutual agreement of the parties. In addition to any other remedies available under law or equity, if You terminate prior to the end of the term, you shall be required to reimburse Bigfoot for the prorated cost of any pre-paid, roundtrip airline ticket and bonus/relocation fees set forth on the 1st page of this Agreement. For purposes of this Agreement, "Affiliate" means any entity controlled by or under common control as Bigfoot, or any entity owned or controlled by the majority member or shareholder of Bigfoot.
2. SERVICES AND DEDICATION. You shall be fully dedicated to Bigfoot and as such
You shall not engage in any other employment, side jobs, â•˛moonlighting,â•ˇ or any other business without disclosing to Bigfoot. Further, You must not assist any person or organization in competing with Bigfoot or its affiliate, or in hiring any employee of Bigfoot or its affiliate.
You agree to perform any and all Services required by Bigfoot in Your position
to the best of Your abilities as such Services are commonly performed in the motion picture industry. Your Services may be specifically defined, but are not limited to, the tasks and duties listed in a Schedule A, and require Your
initial. You are also expected to be an â•˛all rounderâ•ˇ, and occasionally will be
asked to fill in other positions that might be similar or more senior without any adjustment in pay.
You shall supply all the necessary tools, equipment and supplies commonly used
in the industry to perform such Services. Upon request, You agree to provide to Bigfoot or Bigfootâ•˙s representative a written, catalogued inventory of all tools, equipment and supplies You supply,if any. Bigfoot is not liable for loss or damage of such tools, equipment, or supplies as You provide, except in cases of gross
negligence on the part of Bigfoot.
You are obligated to own a GSM phone and local SIM card, which should already be working within 3 days upon start date/arrival. You shall bear own costs of phone calls up to $60.00 per month. Bigfoot shall pay the amount exceeding $60.00 if itemized list is provided. You are required to have your own laptop, an external harddrive with minimum capacity of 1TB, a thumbdrive or more of at least 8GB, a digital camera (as needed for the position), and a credit or debit card while
working for Bigfoot.
Owing to the essential nature of the business, You are required to respond to
all calls made by representatives of Bigfoot in relation to the performance of Your duties. Your availability via mobile phone at all times is of paramount importance. Bigfoot reserves the right to cut your salary / fee to 40% of the day rate of the agreed level in case You are not contactable by mobile phone in spite of repeated attempts. You are obliged to immediately take care of the repair of mobile phone or replacement in case of loss, this is everybody's core obligation, Bigfoot is not going to provide any assistance. In case You are using pre-paid service, keep sufficient credits in Your phone at all times.
If You are assigned a Vonage adaptor from Bigfoot, You are responsible to ensure
that it is connected to the Internet at all times, connect a landline phone to it, and in case you travel, youâ•˙re obliged to bring the device with you to ensure that youâ•˙re always connected to the phone system.
3. PAYMENT AND BENEFITS. In full consideration of Your fully performing Your
obligations under this Agreement, You shall receive a compensation from performing Your Services for Bigfoot (â•˛Feeâ•ˇ). You accept that said Fee is based on a â•˛No Work, No Payâ•ˇ policy. You shall not be entitled to any benefits,
coverages, or privileges, including without limitation, social security,unemployment, worker's pension payments, or other such similar benefits as are or may be made available to employees of Bigfoot or its affiliate.

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Bigfoot You
Production Day is defined as a SHOOT day for FEATURE FILMS with a minimum of 12
hours excluding lunch. Non-Production Day is defined as a non-shoot day for Feature Films, and a shoot or non-shoot day for all other productions, with a minimum of 8 hours excluding lunch. Therefore, payment for Production days shall ONLY be claimed during shooting/filming days for FEATURE FILMS, unless there is special
approval from the Producer. All other productions, as well as preparatory work,
are constituted as Non-
Production days.
Bigfoot does not pay additional compensation for any hours that would be considered â•˛overtimeâ•ˇ in the motion picture industry for media production projects. Should You work beyond the previously mentioned number of hours, You will be compensated with shorter work days within a time frame of 5 preceding or 5 subsequent work days.
Bigfoot shall process payment of Your Fee every end of the month, and payment for the final month of the term shall be prorated up to the end date specified in the cover page of this
Agreement. Fee shall be paid through wire transfer, Paypal, and/or US check. Upon request and with reasonable advance notification, Bigfoot agrees to pay up to $500 of Your fee in the local currency. Amounts less than $1,000 shall be paid only through Paypal, US check, or in the local currency if not greater than $500. Bigfoot is not
responsible, and will not reimburse, any fees or expenses arising from any transaction with Your local or foreign financial institution.
Should You render services to an affiliate of Bigfoot, separate invoices should be sent to concerned affiliate and Bigfoot. Your payment shall be made by both the affiliate and by Bigfoot.
4. WORK HOURS. You are required to inform Your immediate supervisor ahead of time in case You would be absent from work for any reason. As directed by Your Immediate Superior or as necessitated by Your responsibilities, You might be required to work evenings and/or weekends on occasion. You are required to log in for work at any time within 0800 hours to 1000 hours in the morning, wherein You are to render at least 8 hours of work per day from Monday to Saturday, excluding meal breaks of 1 hour each
per day. All staff who missed to log shall be reported by HR to their respective department head. The latter shall verify the report and advise HR whichever appropriate action to take. For unjustified lack of logs, sanctions are as follows: (a) Email Warning at the first incident, and (b) $30 administrative charge for manual time sheet adjustment, for every succeeding incident. You may be assigned a different
schedule by Your immediate supervisor. You are obligated to submit time sheets at the end of every day with a detailed description of tasks accomplished. Bigfoot reserves the right to exclude days from pay for which no time sheets have been submitted within 24 hours after the work day.
5. TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATION, AND VISAS. You shall only be provided a round trip ticket between your country/place of origin and work base on the first contract and none for succeeding contracts.
Accommodation arrangements are to be independently made. Should you be renting with our affiliate â•˛Bigfoot Properties, Inc.â•ˇ, as a landlord, in light of your work relationship with Bigfoot, the customary security is waived, but you agree to authorize Bigfoot to pay out damages that otherwise will be covered by the security deposits from your Fee when your lease ends or expires.
In the event that Youâ•˙ll be asked to travel abroad for Bigfoot, You accept reasonable economy class accommodations and airfare. No flights shall be booked with United Airlines, United Air Express, and Tiger Airways and airfare quotes from Qatar Airlines should only be included when it offers the cheapest option. You are required to comply with Immigration and Visa procedures. Expenses incurred for delays in travel due to personal negligence shall be at Your own expense, and also those days in which a travel delay occurs due to your negligence shall be excluded from payment. Further, Bigfoot shall pay for the travel day if work is performed within the same day, otherwise travel days are not paid.
Bigfoot shall facilitate and pay for the Special Work Permit (â•˛SWPâ•ˇ) required for You to work in the country, though You are responsible for any expenses relating to any visa extensions required to fulfill this Agreement. Bigfoot agrees to facilitate and pay for any permits, visas, extensions, or travel administration for any locations required by any projects outside of the Philippines. You must have a valid

Initials:
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Bigfoot You
passport throughout the duration of the Term. You agree to allow Bigfoot to hold
Your passport to facilitate and process such actions. Any fees or expenses resulting from a stay in the Philippines or any other location beyond the term of this Agreement are Your sole responsibility.
6. CONFIDENTIALITY. You acknowledge that by virtue of being a contractor of Bigfoot, You shall have access to confidential information. Accordingly, You agree that during Your Services with Bigfoot and thereafter, without limitations of time, that You shall not disclose or reveal any of the confidential information to any third party whatsoever or use the same in any manner except in connection with the business of Bigfoot or its affiliate. You agree not to access information relating to corporate matters of Bigfoot or its affiliate that are not generally known to, or disclosed to the public which have no relation to, or are not necessary in the performance of, Your Services. Upon termination of Your Services with Bigfoot, You shall return to Bigfoot or its affiliate all documents, papers,and data in any form relating to Bigfoot or its affiliate.
7. NON-SOLICITATION. You agree that, during the Term of this Agreement and the 1 year period after termination of the agreement, You shall not: (i) persuade or attempt to persuade any person providing services or goods to Bigfoot or its affiliates to cease or reduce the amount of business it does with Bigfoot or its affiliates; (ii) persuade or attempt to persuade any customer or client or potential customer or client to cease or reduce the amount of business it does with Bigfoot or its affiliates; (iii) solicit for You or any person or entity other than Bigfoot the business of any customer or client who did business with Bigfoot or its affiliates during the term of this Agreement; or (iv) persuade or attempt to persuade any past or present director, officer or employee of Bigfoot or its affiliates to leave Bigfoot's or its affiliates' employ or to become employed by any person or entity other than Bigfoot.
8. INVENTIONS AND COPYRIGHTS. All works that You create subsequent to contracting with Bigfoot and in connection with Your Services with Bigfoot, shall be considered to be
works created in the course of this Agreement with Bigfoot and shall constitute work-for-hire. In the event a work is not construed to be work-for-hire, You agree to assign, and will assign to Bigfoot or its affiliate, all rights and interests in
any designs, inventions, improvements, trademarks, or copyrightable subject matter or proprietary information which You conceive, either solely or jointly with others and either on or off Bigfoot's premises, (a) while providing the Services to Bigfoot or its affiliate, (b) with the use of the time, materials or facilities of Bigfoot or its affiliate, or (c) relating to and derivative of any product, service or activity of Bigfoot or its affiliate of which You have knowledge (the "Developments"). You agree that You have no proprietary interest in any Developments, including any patent, copyright, trademark and trade secret rights as described above. Any and all programs, inventions and other works of authorship developed by You while performing Services for Bigfoot or its affiliate pertaining directly to said Services are created for and owned exclusively by Bigfoot or its affiliate and You cannot make/take copies of photos/work. You agree that You shall not register, file or obtain any patent, copyright or trademark covering any of the Developments in Your own name and further agree to provide reasonably necessary assistance to protect, enforce or perfect Bigfoot's or its affiliate's rights and interests in such patents, copyrights and trademark throughout the world. Further:
a. Any portion of the Productions may be copied, reproduced, marketed, distributed and used in any manner, form or medium now known or hereafter derived by Bigfoot or used in any other manner at Bigfoot's sole discretion, without any right or claim in or thereto by You.
b. You further agree that Bigfoot is the sole owner of the Developments or Productions, and that You shall have no claims or rights to any royalties or other fees in any manner relating to Bigfoot's use, sale, marketing or exhibition of the Developments or Productions in any form or medium.
c. You hereby waive, and Bigfoot hereby has the right, to assert on behalf of You, Your moral rights or any equivalent rights regarding the form or extent of any alteration to the Developments or Productions (including, without limitation, removal or destruction) or the making of any derivative works based on the Productions in any medium, for Bigfoot's purposes.
Initials:
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Bigfoot You
d. You assign the right to use Your name and likeness in connection with the
promotion and marketing of Bigfoot and its affiliates as well as in connection with the exploitation and distribution in any manner of any work in which they appear. You grant Bigfoot and assigns, the perpetual non-exclusive right and the right to grant to others the right, to disseminate, display, reproduce, publish and make any other uses of the Your name, voice, and likeness, and biographical material concerning You in connection with the advertising, merchandising, publicizing and the exploitation
of any of the services or materials created by or for Bigfoot, its affiliates
and assigns, in any medium. You hereby consent and agree to participate in all of the above filming and exploitation and hereby grant to Bigfoot, in perpetuity and throughout the universe, the right to use Your name, voice and likeness in connection with all of above for no additional consideration.
9. EXPENSES. It is the policy of Bigfoot to require You to be very cost
conscious concerning all expenses incurred in connection with activities on behalf of Bigfoot or its affiliate.
After receiving the 1st pay, consultants who earn a minimum monthly Fee of at least $2,000.00 per month or equivalent thereof for other currencies and higher, are expected to spend personal funds and/or use personal credit or debit cards for pre-approved work-related expenses of up to 15% of the minimum monthly Fee, to be liquidated through an expense report.
All cash or credit out of pocket expenses incurred by You in connection with the
Project will be reimbursed only to the extent that they are approved by the Producer and/or Executive Producer, and verified by original itemized receipt. In the event that no receipt can be generated, a photograph of the purchased item(s) in addition to an itemized and signed list of purchases must be submitted. There will
be no exceptions. All purchases and rentals executed through Bigfoot will be
made by purchase order, invoice, or production credit card, which must be approved by department heads.
You shall provide Bigfoot or its affiliate copies of all receipts, invoices and
other documentation relating to expenses You incur on behalf of Bigfoot or its affiliate. Bigfoot shall reimburse any expense(s) You incur on behalf of Bigfoot within 7 days of receipt of official expense report and supporting receipts, invoices,
and/or documentation.
10. POLICIES. As a Contractor assigned to work inside the premises of Bigfoot,
You are expected to abide by the rules and regulations of Bigfoot. It is understood that non-compliance or a violation of any policy may result to Your suspension or termination of this Agreement. You shall safe keep and use for work-related purposes only, all equipment and utilities issued by Bigfoot. You are required to back-up all
files, store such files in a separate location and to make available all source
files that allow editing of any music, videos and other material documents made by You. You are not authorized to install any software on equipment not owned by You, other than the ones approved by Bigfootâ•˙s system administrator. You
shall not use Bigfootâ•˙s email system, email addresses or computers to send spam,
commercial emails, emails containing harassing, sexually explicit, libelous, slanderous or illegal content. Moreover, You shall be required to return all equipment issued by Bigfoot and turn over all files and passwords, upon termination of the Services with Bigfoot.
a. Statements. You are hired as an independent contractor and have no right or
authority to represent or act as an agent of Bigfoot. You shall not make any written or oral statement on behalf of Bigfoot or any of its affiliates. Use of letterhead or stationary of Bigfoot or its affiliates for external communication is contingent upon the approval of the CEO or the Chief of Bigfoot. In the event You are asked to or permitted to provide any statements on behalf of Bigfoot or its affiliates, such
statement shall strictly adhere to Bigfoot policies and You are required to inquire as to those policies prior to any such permitted communications. You shall be liable to Bigfoot for the greater of a penalty in the amount of $250.00 or the total damages arising from the breach of this provision.
b. No Kick Back Policy. Bigfootâ•˙s policy for all its affiliates and consultants
not to accept any gifts, and report any attempts to provide cash, cash equivalents, gifts or any other freebies worth more than $5.00 from affiliates, contractors or other individuals or corporations that seek to business with Bigfoot.
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Bigfoot You
c. Requirements. List of requirements are given prior to start of the Term,
which includes medical clearance and background information. You shall be responsible for the cost of acquiring said requirements. At Bigfootâ•˙s discretion, Your fee shall not be paid until all of the requirements are submitted. This Agreement may be forfeited in case said requirements are not met; there are erroneous disclosure of facts; and in case requirements and background investigation results do not meet with Bigfoot standards.
d. Production Policies.
1. Phone Usage. You may not use a mobile phone while on set, and the ringer must be set to silent (no vibration or ringtone), during the shooting of any scene in which sound is being recorded. You shall be liable to Bigfoot for the greater of a penalty in the amount of $250.00 or the total damages arising from the breach of this provision (including without limitation, the cost of reshooting any shot).
2. English Only. It is mandatory that only English be spoken on the set. Any
violation of this rule shall result in a deduction of $20 for each violation. This policy shall be waived in the event that the parties cannot speak English in a clear, comprehensive manner.
3. Transportation. If You shall provide Your own transportation to and from the
locations at which Your services are to be rendered in connection with the Project, and/or if You use Your own vehicle in connection with the production of the Project, then You further agree that any personal vehicle used will be adequately insured for collision damage, liability damage and property damage belonging to third parties, all in such amounts as are reasonably necessary. You agree to provide Bigfoot with proof of insurance and valid driverâ•˙s license. You hereby indemnify Bigfoot and Bigfootâ•˙s representatives against any and all liability and claims whatsoever in connection with Your automobile or transportation during the term of this Agreement.
4. Production Meals. It is Bigfootâ•˙s policy that meal expenses are personal in
nature, and generally Bigfoot does not pay for such. On large feature film productions, Bigfoot may â•„ at its sole discretion â•„ provide meals as a voluntary incentive, such provision is on a case-by-case basis and does not constitute any obligation for future days whatsoever.
5. Damages. Bigfoot will not credit crew members that caused material damage to
the quality of the production, including additional costs resulting from negligence or disobedience of standing policies. Bigfoot reserves the right to charge damages resulting from gross negligence against crew compensation.
11. INDEMNIFICATION. You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Bigfoot and its
affiliates from any claims, judgments, suits, actions, damages or fines arising from any gross negligence, willful misconduct, or serious malfeasance or omission, on the part of You.
12. GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement is governed by the laws of Hong Kong. Any controversy or dispute arising out of or relating to this Agreement shall be submitted to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts having jurisdiction for Hong Kong, SAR. The successful party to any litigation or other proceeding relating to this Agreement shall be awarded costs and expenses (including reasonable attorney's fees).
You consent to the service of process out of any of the aforementioned courts in
any such action or proceeding by the mailing of copies thereof by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, to You at the address set forth for You in this Agreement, such service to become effective 15 days after such mailing.
13. NOTICES. Any notice to be given hereunder shall be in writing and be deemed
given if delivered personally or sent effective upon 4 days after by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, or upon delivery by overnight courier recognized in the United States (DHL, Airborne, and Fedex hereby deemed approved) to the appropriate party at its address as set forth herein, or at such other address as
either party may, from time to time, in writing, designate in accordance with this Section. For notice to be effective, a required facsimile copy must also be sent to Jeffrey W. Berkman, General Counsel at +1.212.208.0991.
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Bigfoot You
14. SEVERABILITY AND SURVIVAL. This Agreement contains the full and complete
understanding between You and Bigfoot with reference to the within subject matter, supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, written or oral, and cannot be modified except in writing and signed by both parties. No breached provision shall nullify or modify any other part of this Agreement.

DO NOT WORK FOR PUNCH TV!!

2010-12-05T15:31:00.000-08:00

Date: 2010-12-05, 3:19PM PST

My fellow hard workers in the TV/Film Industry, If you ever come across an ad for work opportunity from a "TV NETWORK" called "PUNCH TELEVISION NETWORK" DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT work for this place. They claim they are the largest network to launch since FOX Television, and yet they haven't even launched!!. They laid off a lot of people without paying them. It's been more than a month and yet they still claim they have no funds to pay their people! They will squeeze the work out of you, and they will leave you hanging without pay!! SPREAD THE WORD!! SAY NO TO PUNCH!!

Location: EVERYWHERE!!
Compensation: THEY WILL NOT PAY YOU!!!

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Submitted by Dr. Betty Burston on 12/8/11

Dr. Betty Burston of Punch Television Network said… I recently read and re-read the initial post and subsequent comments regarding both Punch Television Network, our President and CEO, Mr. Joseph Collins, and Darnisha’s thinly veiled references to our Executive Vice President, Ms. Rachel Ramos. As I referenced Hollywood Crew Blacklist’s urging to DPs, editors, and other crew members not to work for Punch; observed Danisha’s conclusions that we at Punch are merely “…a group of con artists”; and felt the emotional intensity of Erinn Soule’s disappointment that Mr. Collins’ projected trajectory for Punch did not match the actual one, I found myself wanting to enroll each of you in the type of entrepreneurship courses that I taught during my 26 years as a college professor. As I analyzed your comments, it became clear that the primary error made by Punch was allowing persons unsuitable for a startup entrepreneurial venture to participate in one. It is also clear that each of you have accrued grievances against Punch because you mistakenly selected a startup entrepreneurial venture and the risks that attenuate such a choice when your rate of time preference was more concordant with a mature business enterprise. (In this regard, I congratulate Erinn for affiliating with two mature business enterprises rather than another startup entrepreneurial enterprise). This problem of “mismatching” between some personnel and startup entrepreneurial enterprise is a continuing one. Tyler Perry was once unable to pay his cast when his efforts were in the startup phase and some cast members attempted to remedy the unremediable situation through the use of baseball bats. Law enforcement had to be called. However, those who shared and permanently committed to his vision have been richly rewarded. Mark Zuckerberg and his co-founders of Facebook experienced personnel/startup mismatches that resulted in unfavorable appraisals and litigation. Maria Wood, a part of the original Microsoft team during the startup phase, left after two years and sued the company. Jim Lane left Microsoft in 1985 and told others that the demands of Microsoft as a startup “…beat the enthusiasm out of me.” I could, of course, cite numerous other examples but I won’t. At any rate, on behalf of Mr. Collins and other Punch Television Network personnel, we appreciate all of those who have contributed to our growth here at Punch. But, I also urge you to not affiliate with startups in the future if you are unable or unwilling to enthusiastically embrace the cyclical patterns, the uncertainty, and the high-risk that is implicit to such efforts. We, at Punch, are so very proud of Mr. Joseph Collins and the vision that he allows us to share. We launched on Wednesday, October 20, 2011 at 8:00 PM PST. The entirety of our staff shivered with excitement as our signal went out to our affiliates. We are broadcasting 24 hours per day seven days per week. (When Robert L. Johnson launched BET in January of 1980, they broadcast for only 2 hours per week). We are so proud that 70% of our programming is original and that the number of our viewers and our affiliates are growing on a daily basis. I personally observe Mr. Collins, our President; Ms. Ramos, our Executive Vice President; and, Mr. Clarke, the Vice President of Acquisitions, working endlessly to grow Punch even more. But, to the staff of the Hollywood Crew Blacklist, I must say that perhaps you may wish to change the title of your blog from Do Not Work For Punch TV! to Do Not Work For a Startup Unless You, too, Are a Risk-Taker and a Visionary!! May God Bless You Darnisha and Erinn in your future endeavors and may you each choose affiliations with mature entrepreneurial organizations rather than startups.

Zeus Zamani / AZ FILM STUDIOS

2010-11-12T10:42:00.000-08:00

Editor note: certain names have been removed from this post as there is no reason to believe anyone is responsible for the bad check aside from the production company whose name is on the bad account.

--------------------------------

I worked nine days in September 2010 on "SOMEBODY HELP ME 2" which was shown on BET on Halloween night 2010.

I receieved my paycheck which was returned as NOT SUFFICIENT FUNDS from the Producer Zeus Zamani of AZ FILM STUDIOS in Los Angeles, California.

I have contacted him thru e-mail and telephone which only led me on.
examples: The check is in the mail - I am so sorry.
I mailed you a check I am surprised you did not receive it
I 'll mail you a check next week.

Here it is November 2010 and now he is not answering his phone or not returning calls
or e mail. I went to Wells Fargo where Zeus Zamani has the checking account and have been turned away - not enough to cover the check.

Since I have been running into some crew who I have worked with on other projects.
I have been getting feed back that the Director/Producer, Chris Storkes is also a flake in not paying his crew or production bills. I wish I had known this before hand.

Here is a list of Producers on "SOMEBODY HELP ME 2". Watch out for these people and get paid in advance for you work.

[ed: name removed] Director/Producer
Zeus Zamani Producer AZ FILM STUDIOS, Los Angeles, CA
[ed: name removed] Producer
[ed: name removed] Producer
[ed: name removed] Producer
[ed: name removed] Co-Producer

And last but not least shame on you [ed: name removed] for placing the voice messages on the producers contact numbers.

Shame on you BET for allowing "SOMEONE HELP ME 2" to be shown on your network
that does not pay the crew their paychecks.

Idin Roshan Productions

2010-10-27T09:17:00.001-07:00

Watch out for Idin Roshan Productions LLC, aka IRP and of course the owner of the company Idin Roshan. The company is located in New York City and bills itself as a provider of crew people. He'll hire you and make you sign all kinds of forms and agreements and then will violate many of the stipulations in the agreement, the main one being that crew will be paid in 30 days. He will claim that your invoice was improperly addressed or had the wrong date on it or asked for immediate payment when he dictated thirty days.

He is a man of many interesting excuses. After several assignments for a religious broadcast his excuse was that he was having problems with his bank. He eventually paid for some of the days.

He rented my HVX200 many times, in each case he held onto it for several days past the rental day so he could download the files from the camera to his hard drive. I cut him plenty of slack and only charged the one day in each case.

Each time I asked when I would be paid he hemmed and hawed and looked for issues with my invoices to delay payment. Once his debt went below $5000.00 I explained that I needed to know when I would be paid so that I could plan my spending. He emailed back that he would pay me when he felt like it and accused me for harassing him. I in turn explained that I would be taking this to Small Claims Court.

Small Claims Court is a really simple process. File the complaint, organize your evidence and appear in court on the assigned day. Once in court you are advised to allow an arbitrator to decide the case. We had our court date and Idin Roshan requested a hearing by the Judge. The Judge heard the case, reviewed the evidence and ruled in my favor. Of course Roshan tried to claim that my work wasn't up to his standards. The Judge asked why he paid me for so many jobs if that was the case. Roshan said he felt sorry for me. I could see the expression on the Judge's face from neutral to a WTF look.

The defendant has the right to appeal the verdict, which is what Roshan did. The plaintiff, when the case has been ruled in his favor, can require that a bond be posted to cover the amount of the settlement. To make this happen the plaintiff must freeze the defendant's bank accounts. I did all this and put IRP and Idin Roshan in a position where he would now be telling a new crop of crew that he was having problems with his bank.

In the end he dropped his appeal, which would have cost him a lot and paid what he owed me plus interest.

This guy is very difficult to deal with. He is a master of delaying tactics. He appears honest and of course he is not. Watch out for him.

Craig Nobles / Swagg Media

2010-10-16T20:36:00.001-07:00

Craig Nobles runs Swagg Media... Swagg Media streams a number of RnB and Hip Hop artist performances and events live to the web, hiring a crew of about 10 people each time. For the last few months Craig Nobles has simply refused to pay his crews for their last few gigs. Word on the street is that he was paid from his clients, but spent the bulk of those monies on his Amex bill, just blowing the crew off. When you can get hold of him he will hem & haw or just lie about the state of payment... he owes some people thousands... he may be hiring new crews because his established crews will not work for him until he pays us for previous work. He is not a man of his word.

Sheldon Robins

2010-07-12T20:48:00.001-07:00

Back in February I worked on a pickup day on a movie called C.L.A.S.S. The producer, who is also the writer/director/actor etc. is Sheldon Robins. I was covering for a friend on the shoot who had Jury duty (lucky him) and I showed up to the set unawares of what shady practices were really going down. The first half of the day was pretty normal and it wasn't until the AD called grace for lunch that things started to get weird. First off, lunch was served from El Pollo Loco without silverware, so the whole cast and crew had to sit around eating comfort fast food with their hands like medieval barbarians. At that point I was a little perturbed, but still on board for the rest of the day. As the day waned on, there was no end to the shooting in sight. We ended up putting in a solid 16 hours without OT. I was promised at the beginning of the day that I would be paid in cash, but near wrap I overheard the LP talking about needing to cut checks. I asked her that I would like to be paid in cash, but she jest referred me to Sheldon who said that no one was getting cash and that the checks would be fine. I took his word for it, but oh was I wrong to trust.
I deposited the first check the next day only to have it bounce by the end of the week, costing me both the lack of payment but also a bounced check fee from my bank. I called Sheldon and the Production company the movie is being made under and was told that the account had been reconciled and that I should redeposit my check. I did so only to have it bounce again which resulted in another bank fee. At this point I was pretty lvivd so I tried to call Sheldon who after not picking up told me through a series of texts that he was at Cannes promoting the film and wouldn't be back for a week or so. I found it humorous that this guy that seemed to be having such financial trouble paying his crew was able to fly himself to France for several weeks at a time.
Once a week or so had passed I started calling and texting Sheldon who would either ignore my calls or told me to call the office. I called the office where the secretary told me I would have to talk to Sheldon. She would patch me through to his work line where I would get a voicemail. For over two months now I have been trying to get ahold of Sheldon only to be told he's "In a meeting" or "Out of the office" on a daily basis by the secretary.
After four months of waiting and calling I dropped a line by the Line Producer from the shoot who called me back saying that I wasn't the only person from that day that hadn't been paid and that she wanted to reassure me that this wasn't the way she did business. She even gave Sheldon a call for me, but no luck.
So as of now, five months later from the shoot day, I still haven't been able to get a ahold of Sheldon or anyone at the office for that matter that can help me with my issue. I had to eat the bounced check fees and the lack of an expected paycheck. I really hope that others out there will read this and realize what a shady character Sheldon Robins is and that they should never work for him in the future or support any of his endeavors. If you see the movie C.L.A.S.S. on the shelves anywhere, make sure not to get suckered into supporting cheapskates like Sheldon. People like him prey off of the hard work of film industry professionals and leave a trail of lies and deceit behind while seeming to come out squeaky clean.

Deon Taylor Enterprises / Roxanne Avent / Deon Taylor

2010-05-02T11:18:00.000-07:00

Mod update 07/11/10: Payment has now been made thanks to this blog

--------------------------------

I just wanted to share this tale with you. It's from a job in Sacramento, but the company hires out of LA from time to time too.

The company name is Deon Taylor Enterprises and the hiring party is Roxanne Avent and Deon Taylor.

On February 9th and 10th Deon Taylor Enterprises rented one Canon 5D camera package from me, and one identical package from my associate Devin Doyle at a rate of $350.00 a day per camera package. On February 11th we both sent in invoices for $700.00 a piece to their representative Roxanne Avent. After the standard 30 days had passed and we still had not received our payment we started to call and inquire as to what the issue was with not receiving our payment and what the status of such payments were. Since then we have spoken to two accountants, one of which I believe was explained to me as having been fired (and I've now as of today 4-28-10 discovered that the new accountant was fired as well), who both at first promised our payments were being processed immediately. After waiting for several more weeks we started calling again and were told that our payment was pending. I began to try to ask to speak with Roxanne who was always "busy" as the accountant Yen told me. So I called Roxanne's cell number and left messages asking for her to return my call to discuss the status of the payment, which were all never returned. Eventually after waiting months past due on the payment I sent in a formal letter asking for the payment and for some sort of contact from the company to please explain what was going on. Since then I have heard nothing from either Roxanne or Yen and have since decided that this should best be settled with the help of a mediator. To date I still have not been able to get in touch with Roxanne or have been told by Yen when our payments would be made.

Just figured it would help others if you added these cheapskates to the list.

----------------------------------------
07/11/10

Hey,
So I just wanted to say thank you again for posting the thing on Deon Taylor as I'm pretty sure the reason they paid me was because of your posting on the site as they called about two weeks ago asking me to take the 'blog' down now that I had been paid. Bastards.

----------------------------------------

10/07/11

To Whom It May Concern;

I wish I had seen your blog before working for Deon Taylor
Enterprises. They got me too, and I am STILL waiting on my payment.

RFD-TV / Rural Television

2010-05-02T11:17:00.000-07:00

I've worked in the motion picture and tv industries now for more than thirty years and it is only in the last few years that I've been systematically faced with more and more collection problems. I know that times are tough, but producers who knowingly hire you with no intention, or capability of paying for the services should be eternally damned to hell (or worse). My current lead "deadbeat" is a cable network called RFD-TV or Rural Television. They are based in Omaha, Nebraska and also have a production facility in Nashville, Tennesee and a theater in Bronson, Montana. They claim to be a "family values" network, except when it comes to honoring their word to employees and vendors.

I worked as the lighting director for their coverage of the Rose Parade on New Years Day in Pasadena. We also shot an hour long documentary about the making of their float which was co-sponsored by the FFA (formally known as Future Farmers of America). In total I worked four days (and nights) including New Years Day, provided ENG cameras and extensive lighting,cable and grip truck as well as an additional technician. They paid about a third of the bill, in the amount of the original estimate which was for one technician for two days. I'm owed almost $5000 since January 1st, now 120 days plus. All the extra charges were approved by the unit manager, the producer and even the owner of the network, who now refuses to sign a check for the balance due. Despite glowing thanks for a job well done from all the others concerned, including their hosts, Crook and Chace, the producers, the live director, etc. I still do not know why they will not pay. I can only assume they don't have the money.

The least I expect from a "family values" network is honesty; I would be comforted if the people in authority returned my calls and emails, but that just doesn't happen. When I do manage to get through to the producer, with whom I made all the deals and received all the approvals, the best I can get is that he's trying to get the boss to sign the check. For the last four weeks the boss hasn't come to the office on Fridays which is the day checks are signed.

As technicians do we have to run credit checks in advance, do we have to get deposits against our wages, do we have to have signed "change notices"? To pursue legal remedies against an out of state corporation is fruitless. It costs more than you might win, let alone the trouble of collection. Unless you have a written agreement so specifying, you can not even sue for the legal expenses incurred in the process . The cards are stacked against the lowly technician.

I'm writing to warn everyone to be very cautious if RTD-TV calls you, or if you're referred to them for an assignment. They will most certainly be back next year for the parade again. If you work for them you will likely not be paid!

John Sharaf
Cinematographer/Lighting Director
Pacific Palisades, Ca.

Raymond McCormack

2010-02-12T10:31:00.000-08:00

I worked on a documentary project for Raymond McCormack (director, producer) in the first half of November 2009. I have not been paid, nor have any of the crew as far as I know. I have heard stalling excuses about payroll paperwork, waiting for grant money from the Irish film board, and now he says he is "endeavoring to borrow money." Basically he got us all out to Boston to work for 2 weeks without having any funding for his film. I am owed $4,312, I know the DP is owed a whole lot more. I hope to be able to rescind this notice, but as of now I am not counting on being paid.

Barry Bowles / Showstoppers

2009-05-21T01:09:00.000-07:00

I worked for Barry Bowles DBA B-Luv Productions on his movie "Showstoppers" in 2006. I worked 3 days and should have been paid $450 total, but instead they sent me a check for $150. I tried to get in touch with him and his producers Darisha Rolle and Lisa Diane Washington, but no one ever returned my calls. I sent letters, but they were returned to me by the post office. If anyone knows where this guy is, please post.

John Ewing III, Marie Hedwood

2009-03-20T17:25:00.000-07:00

Warning: Don't work for John Ewing III (executive producer) or Marie Hedwood (line producer)!

They will not pay you! They will offer you less than minimum wage, then give you B.S. runaround stories about why you aren't being paid per the terms you originally agreed. More than a dozen crew members on their latest venture together are now waiting for their pay that was due at the end of the shoot!

So... If they are hiring you as the editor, good luck! You probably won't get paid either!

(...just bend over...)

Menetie Ejeye / M. Ejeye Films

2009-03-20T17:24:00.000-07:00

Back in November, I was hired to work on a low budget horror film titled 'Angels of Death' which was being produced and directed by Menetie Ejeye of M. Ejeye Films. When we wrapped in December, Menetie told everyone he had gone over budget but would be able to pay everyone within 30 days. He even wrote a few people checks that he post-dated 30 days. However, all
of those post-dated checks bounced. Now it's 90 days since we wrapped, and we still havn't been paid, not to mention that Menetie won't return phone calls or e-mails. And to make matters worse (for the actors), it now appears that he never filed any of the SAG paperwork for the show.

------------------------------------

Fri, Mar 20, 2009 at 8:38 PM

Thank you to the creator of this blog and the individual who originally added Menetie Ejeye / M. Ejeye Films to the Hollywood Blacklist. I too worked on the film specifically mentioned. I do not disagree with any of the details already posted. In addition, contracts were handed out and signed on the first day of the shoot. M. Ejeye continuously "forgot" to provide copies of the signed contracts, finally stating he would mail them because that's how it is "normally" done. Needless to say, I never received a copy of my contract from him, and was fortunately only able to get one thanks to another crew member who had obtained copies of some. Since various cast/crew members have contacted M. Ejeye requesting payment, M. Ejeye has only responded once, as far as I know. In that response, he demanded written apologies from some individuals for being "immature, rude and for harrassing him," before remitting payment to anyone. He provided his own experience, saying he once worked on a big-budget production with an A-list actor and was not paid for a month, claiming that the way he was handling things was how it "really works in Hollywood." Of course, it has been over three months now that he has not paid anyone. I personally stopped contacting him regarding payment due to his last response, which contained what I consider to be veiled threats, and made me worried for my safety, especially since he has my address. Also, on the odd side, I continue to be on his mailing list and have received promotional messages regarding his prior feature film, "Roadside Assistance," which he is currently selling online. To other filmmakers who read this, especially editors, composers and others working in post-production, please remember the names Menetie Ejeye, M. Ejeye Films, and "Angels of Death" and do NOT work on the project. It cannot and should not survive post-production and hit distribution until ALL cast/crew are paid. Thank you.

David O Neal

2009-01-27T11:57:00.000-08:00

Hello i recently answered an add for a guy that called himself David O Neal. He wanted stock footage around the L.A., Santa Monica, and Hollywood area. After I filmed what he wanted and he said he would send me a harddrive to transfer the files onto. He kept telling me it was on the way. Kept telling that. It was the holiday season so I gave him the benifit of the doubt. The harddrive never came and and he stopped returning the emails and phone calls. He is a scammer.

His email is editingbydave@aol.com
The title of the add was "2 day Stock Footage shoot Camera Person wanted (LA)". He also did one in Las vegas too I saw later. He said he would pay $950.00 Thanks and beware.

-----------------------------------------

Date: 2009-01-18, 6:12PM
I feel for you... David Oneal hired me on Dec. 17, 2008 to do the shoot and he asked me if I can deliver the footage to him before the end of the year? Then he wrote again (the same day) saying it would be nice to go out and get some footage in the rain and if I can start that day(it was raining that day). I thought that was odd since we haven't even spoke on the phone. So i told him i can start the next day and I would be happy to drive by his place in Burbank to introduce myself and also to pick up deposit since this was a big job...He never responded so i never did the shoot. I learned my lesson last year when a friend of mine friend ask me to shoot and edit his corporate event. We agreed on the fee of $700.00. I sent him the final and he said the check was in the mail. That was January 2008.
Good Luck, sorry you have to go through this just cause some idiot is out there trying to rip people off. This is one reason why us (camera ops) need to stick together and 1st stop taking work that pays peanuts and 2) get some kind of deposit up front. I know it's hard to ask, cause so many cameramen just are so hungry to get work we don't want to rock the boat.

----------------------------------------

Date: 2009-05-01, 11:43AM PDT

Due to the many responses regarding this clown I have to tell you to stay away. It's obvious he has done this to many of us free lancers. He hired me and quite a few others to shoot for some show on discovery about theme parks and stock type footage. I was stupid for starting the project without a contract, my mistake. As free lancers sometimes you take the work that way....Most of the people I have worked for are professional and appreciate the work that we do.

I shot some stuff and he kept telling me to send it to him on a drive. I told him to buy the drive and send it to me with the deposit. This he agreed to and even asked for the paypal account. After 3 months of "Oh yea I will send it over right away" I gave up knowing my work was a loss. I told him I was going to file with small claims and he kept saying "Don't do that, let's talk" HE NEVER DID WHAT HE SAID HE WOULD IN ALL OF OUR CONVERSATIONS.

I got some emails telling me that some of you were hired by him and even got paid while some of you did not. Feel lucky he paid you. I imagine he just hires a bunch of us to go shoot with for a steady rate then the first one of us who sends the footage on the drive either gets screwed or partly paid, while the rest of us who have worked get nothing.

I found postings on craigslist from other free-lancers that said they were hired for the same exact job as me and they were not paid either.......

LET MY STUPID MISTAKE BE A WARNING TO NOT WORK FOR THIS SCAM ARTIST WHO DOESN'T CARE ABOUT OUR INDUSTRY....

daveoneal.com
DAVE ONEAL
DAVID ONEAL
DAVID SHANAHAN

Kevin Shulman/Kevin Dwyer @ Axiom 8 Films

2008-08-13T11:10:00.001-07:00

I have worked on several jobs with Kevin Shulman/Kevin Dwyer, owners/producers of Axiom Films inc. aka Axiom 8. On each job I have done with them it has taken months to receive checks. There are several jobs from January that I haven't been paid on yet. I am not alone, there are other crew members in the same boat, ranging from Steadicam operators, grips, electrics all the way down to PA's. These people are not to be trusted, they have told me, and others, numerous times that my check is "in the mail" only to never receive one. They need to be stopped. They applied these same shady techniques with Raging Nation Films until they were both fired from that production company and started Axiom films Inc. applying the same shady practices.

Signed,
Disgruntled Gaffer

Bruce Reisman

2008-07-08T17:03:00.000-07:00

2/25/11
To anyone considering doing business with Bruce Reisman and Kris Black...PLEASE BEWARE! These two are complete con artists! They did a movie titled "The House That Jack Built" and completely padded the budget..putting the majority of it in their own pocket. They conned a man in Toronto and Chicago to give them final finishing money to pay a debt to the post production studio for "Jack"...NONE of that money saw the film, but went into their pockets. They will continue to con people, charm them, make them believe they are your friend/business partner..but then suck you dry. Please beware of these two men as they are thieves that use the facade of the movie business as their cover.

----------------------------------------
09/15/08
I worked on a film called "The House that Jack Built" for director/producer Bruce Reisman. The paychecks for four of the crew members bounced, and three months later, Bruce has claimed on numerous occasions that the checks will "go out next week", though this has never come to pass. He claims that someone "stole" money from his production account, but as far as I'm concerned, he's simply stolen money from the crew.

-----------------------------------------

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing in response to the posting referenced above and to let the manager/owner of this blog know that I feel its a libelous and fraudulent claim against him, posted by someone with clear ill-intention, made with malicious intent, in effort to defame Mr. Reisman's long standing in this business and his most recent film project, "The House That Jack Built." I ask that this posting be removed immediately.

I feel this way specifically because of a half hour phone conversation today with Mr. Reisman in regard to this issue; even though I did not work on that project, nor have ever worked with or had any prior communications with him before today.

This blog caught my attention in a negative "red flag" sort of a way against this blogger because I find it very hard to believe somebody as upstanding as Mr. Reisman would be attacked in this unsuspecting manner without any direct confrontation by the individual and/or multiple individuals who allegedly have an issue with him.

If so many people have issues with Mr. Reisman, why did he refrain from mentioning any pending class action lawsuit? What this blog has shamefully done and has become, is given angry people and others a forum for yelling "FIRE" in a crowded theater, where there is none without confronting the very source of their ill will. If there is no fire, there is not a reason to call for alarm, as was the case here in my opinion.

I also find it not only unprofessional, but deplorable that the actual person who posted this about Mr. Reisman, in his own defense, if the allegations were/are true (which Mr. Reisman states they are not in my phone conversation) that he has not in his posting outlined any steps necessary he is taking to rectify this situation directly with Mr. Reisman, or via the California legal system; which pretty much makes a libelous and defamatory statement without explanation or purpose. Purpose and attention must be paid.

There is not one word of justification of this poster's steps he/she has taken to rectify this, and for that reason alone I recommend that it should be removed from this blog due to libel and defamation without explanation or just cause.

While I feel this blog is satisfactory and beneficial for people who have truly been wronged by corrupt and unprofessional individuals to point out those people (comparable to public access laws in knowing where sex-offenders reside) I categorically and whole-heartedly believe that people posting behind such anonymous facades, willing to identify who allegedly wronged them without documentation and thorough explanation, yet unwilling to identify themselves is nothing except mere rhetoric, speculation, and equally disrespectful; promoting the very unprofessional behavior it was designed to prevent, and ultimately curb and doing a DISERVICE to the production community instead of the service it was designed to be.

I demand that this scandalous and libelous posting be removed in the name of professionalism.

Sincerely,

Michael Silberman
Line Producer/UPM

--------------------------------

update: 11/21/08
The crew members whose checks originally bounced have finally been paid. It took 7 months. I feel the attention drawn to this situation thanks to this blog was a large part of their payment finally being rendered.

Michael Bowers / Xhaled Productions

2008-02-28T13:58:00.001-08:00

Cam ops/Editors: AVOID Michael Bowers and Xhaled Productions

This is a warning to all Camera ops and editors:

Do not do any work for Michael Bowers or Xhaled Productions. He writes bad checks and refuses to pay for work you have billed him for. He might pay you on time for a couple jobs, but eventually he will just stop paying you.

Xhaled does paintball videos, and operates under the company CAM Business Solutions.

1171 PRODUCTION GROUP

2008-01-30T19:58:00.000-08:00

Date: 2008-01-30, 10:21AM

BEWARE OF 1171 PRODUCTION GROUP!
THEY SHOT A VIDEO IN NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE IN OCTOBER OF 2007 THAT WAS OVER 20 HOURS AND THEY STILL HAVE NOT PAID CREW.
GRANT CIHLAR, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER,CAROLYN VYE, PRODUCER. BRIAN THOMPSON, DIRECTOR.
I AM HEARING THEY OWE PEOPLE IN LOS ANGELES MONEY TOO.
SPREAD THE WORD!
ADDRESS:
1171 Production Group, Inc.
1680 North Vine Street, Suite 300
Los Angeles, CA 90028
PHONE NUMBERS:
tel. 323.466.1171
fax 323.466.1136
VIA EMAIL: mail@1171.com

See this Myspace page for more info.

---------------------------------------------------------

Leaving a trail of unpaid crew members and still producing videos. Grant Cihlar, owner of 1171 has been sued numerous times, evicted once and has close to a dozen current lawsuits against him according to the Pasadena Civil Court records.
Bad news for people still owed money and for people recently hired on shoots and waiting for a paycheck.

Nu-Lite productions / Christina Johnson

2007-12-27T17:43:00.000-08:00

Anonymous said...

I responded to an ad posted by this company. They're supposed to be a company that makes films about God and Jesus but they don't give a SHIT about that stuff.

They just want to make money.
---------------------------------
Posts from Craigslist:

Sunday, August 12, 2007
email from Nu-Lite productions - amazing reading - such assholes!

Date: 2007-08-12, 2:38PM PDT

the orginal contract said 6 days, she has never paid me the gas money, she never rented the gear I needed and now she is threatening me to take away my credit (big deal) if i don't work four more days.

Can you belived this? Too bad I never signed her silly contract. Any DPs out there want to take over?

As you can imagine, this was for free, I have no one to blame but myself.

Here's what we shot so far (two lights and a very small crew):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmpabuV-Gfs

Doug,

How about these conditions. i get you nothing on that list that you
sent me, and you work with the lights that you have been given. You
give me the 4 days that we need to complete the picture, as
contracted. Or we hire another DP to complete the film and let him
take credit for your amazing photography. You have til Monday to give
me your response.
enjoy your weekend.

regards,
Christina Johnson

* Location: They make $50K

-----------------------------------------------------
director of photography
Reply to: nu.lite.managementcj@gmail.com
Date: 2007-08-13, 6:00PM PDT

we are a small production company with distribution. we produce two feature films a month and are looking for a dp.

* Location: Los Angeles
* Compensation: no pay

---------------------------------------------
gaffer with a few lights for 4 day shoot
Date: 2007-08-18, 11:58AM PDT

DP is dying on this project. I need some help.

Willing to spilt my (low) fee with gaffer with a few lights.

Easy shoot, lots of helping hands.

This is what we've shot so far.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmpabuV-Gfs

Three days in West LA, one in downtown.

Starts Sunday (8/19).

Could be a good relationship builder.

* Location: westside
* Compensation: very low rate

---------------------------------------
FILM CREW NEEDED; for production company
[**********EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED*************]
Date: 2007-08-22, 4:26PM PDT

Production Company: Nu-Lite Entertainment

Non Union Feature Film. DP (preferably with camera), boom operator, production/set designer (could be art school student), prop master, gaffer/grip, wardrobe, makeup and hair, office/set production assistants, script supervisor, assistant camera,
also looking for screenwriters **some pay, depending on position. full credit + room for creative growth within company

* Location: los angeles
* Compensation: no pay

------------------------------

Sat, Feb 23, 2008 at 7:53 PM

Hello, this is [NAME REMOVED]. In regards to your posting that was posted on January 30, 2008 about the ad I posted on Craigs List... I was also a victim of this production company. I was working under Nu-Lite Entertainment for solely a week when I walked out due to the fact that they were not going to pay me as promised. I was overworked and I agree that this production company should be black listed. I would appreciate if my name/email was removed from this posting as if I did something wrong, because I am not one of their employees nor am I associated with them at all. The posting was made because I was told to recruit more people on the day they hired me. At the time I did not know what I had gotten myself into but as the week went on I was being extremely taken advantage of.

If there are any further questions, PLEASE get in touch with me.

Best Regards,
[NAME REMOVED]

------------------------------

Talented Film Crew Needed
Date: 2008-05-14, 5:41PM PDT

Nu Lite Entertainment in association with Black Christian Movies is currently seeking a DP, Gaffer, 1st AD, and a Production Assistant for an upcoming, independent feature film. The Shoot is scheduled for 9 days, May 24th- June 1st.

Compensation:
DP- $100.00/day
Gaffer- $50.00/day
1st AD- CREDITS ONLY, NO PAY
PA- CREDITS ONLY, NO PAY

This is a very low budget film but it will be a great experience and a good way to build credits. Please reply to asmmendoza@pcpa.org with position applying for in the Subject Line.

* Compensation: 50.00-100.00 pending experience

-------------------------------------

Director of Photography
Date: 2008-05-15, 12:05PM PDT

Nu Lite Entertainment is seeking an experienced DP for a low budget feature film. 9 day shoot May 24-June 1st. 100.00/day

* Compensation: 100.00/day

-------------------------------------

DON'T WORK FOR NULITE THEY ARE THIEVES (NULITE BLACK CHRISTIAN THIEVES)
Date: 2008-05-15, 12:30PM PDT

DO NOT WORK FOR NU LITE OR BLACK CHRISTIAN MOVIES. THEY ARE THIEVES WHO WILL ROB YOU AND NOT GIVE #*@! THEY HAVE DONE IT COUNTLESS TIMES TO PEOPLE IN THIS INDUSTRY AND ARE CONSTANTLY BEING TURNED INTO THE LABOR BOARD

* Location: NULITE BLACK CHRISTIAN THIEVES
* Compensation: PAY ATTENTION

----------------------------------------
Date: 2008-05-15, 1:22PM PDT

I second that.

Stay FAR AWAY.
-----------------------------------------
Flag Nu Lite Entertainment (LA)
Date: 2008-05-15, 1:02PM PDT

Nu Lite Entertainment produces black Christian films. Regrettably they have not treated those they've hired with Christian values and honored their commitment to pay their hires. Sorry to add to the echo of bad sentiment but these are untrustworthy people. Good luck.
------------------------------------------
Nu Lite
Date: 2008-05-15, 1:49PM PDT

Yes very bad. They are very shady.
------------------------------------------
RE: NULITE AND SUCH
Date: 2008-05-15, 1:39PM PDT

If I may quote William S. Burroughs:

"If you are doing business with a religious son of a bitch, GET IT IN WRITING. His word isn't worth shit, not with the good lord telling him how to fuck you on the deal."
------------------------------------------
Response to Nu-Lite bad news.
Date: 2008-05-16, 1:04AM

Yes, these guys are bad news though there's worse out there. If you absolutely have to have your name on a feature do one with them but they will lie then treat you badly even when there's no benefit for them to do so. It's just their nature.

------------------------------------------

DP WITH CAMERA FOR NU LITE CHRISTIAN FILMS (LA)
Date: 2008-08-09, 9:09AM PDT

DONT WORK FOR NU LITE OR BLACK CHRISTIAN FIMS.

THEY ARE FARRRRRR FROM CHRISTIAN.....CHRISTINA JOHNSON IS A FRONT WHO CAN"T FIGURE OUT SHE SHOULD BRING WATER TO THE SET, BE ON TIME OR LET ALONE PAY YOU ON TIME.

IF YOU ARE DESPERATE MAKE THEM PAY YOU IN ADVANCE FOR THE WEEK.

THEY ARE NOT WORTH THE FRUSTRATION OR DISRESPECT THEY HAVE SHOWN COUNTLESS OTHERS.

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

PEACE

* Location: LA
* Compensation: $1.00

---------------------------------------

12/3/08

hi,
i have been posted on your blog with wrong information. the dp did not
get paid, he stopped showing up for work. i am asking that remove this
information immediately. please reply asap.

christina johnson

Chad Marshall

2007-10-22T23:27:00.002-07:00

IT IS TIME TO SPEAK THE TRUTH OF CHAD MARSHALL OF BELOW THE RADAR...CHAD BILLS HIMSELF AS A HOLLYWOOD PRODUCER BUT THIS BLOG SHALL REVEAL THE TRUTH. THIS SITE HAS BEEN SET UP FOR PEOPLE TO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH CHAD MARSHALL.

http://chadmarshall.blogspot.com/

Larry Ewing, Robert Johnson, EC Entertainment

2007-10-22T23:27:00.001-07:00

These bastards produced a music video for MC Eiht & Ice cube a ways
back. Almost NO ONE got paid - not crew, not the location, not the
production staff, not vendors or catering, not even our firearms-
packing security Sully's Crew got their money. No deferment
agreements prior, no nothing. The address they gave as the place of
business turned out to not even exist (verified by Sully and his crew).

What is worse than all that is these people disappeared and let blame
fall upon the production and directorial staff who hired the crew and
rented the equipment from their own rolodexes, pulling favors in many
cases to get lower rates - effectively killing all those relationships.

It could be that Larry Ewing is just a poor Line Producer trapped in
between a dishonest scumbag Executive Producer and everyone who
didn't get paid. If that is the case, he is still a f*cker deserving
of scorn for not taking any steps to fix or honestly explain the
situation.

Robert Johnson (the executive Producer, NOT the glorious bluesman)
and EC Entertainment, however, need to be kept out of the business at
all costs. Despicable attitude and even worse business ethics. It
is not simply a case of running out of money or great
misunderstanding - it is outright fraud and they need to be painted
red so everyone knows it. And MC8 & Ice Cube, well, who knows how
much of this they were actually financing, if any, so...

Ed Meyer

2007-09-02T15:37:00.000-07:00

After working for Ed Meyer on a couple of occassions, he booked me for three days a month ahead of time. I called the day before the shoot date to find out the call time, when he had one of his lackeys call me back to let me know that they had found someone else to do the shoot (possibly cheaper?). He had not given me the courtesy of cancelling ahead of time, even though he had well enough time to do so, and I had turned down a number of jobs for the shoot dates that I had blocked out. I suppose you can work for him, but beware of blocking out too much of your schedule lest he find a cheaper replacement.

Bruce Kwon

2007-02-07T18:39:00.000-08:00

Project: Secret Lover

Director: Hee chul Kwon who goes by the name of Bruce Kwon
Line Producer: Remo Braidy
WORKED SIX DAYS. 1 SD MIXER AND BOOM OP. PAID $500 NOT PAID
$1400. ALSO HAD STOLEN 1 HARDRIVE

Bernie Kaplan

2007-02-04T22:30:00.000-08:00

(Bernard) Bernie Kaplan
Failure to pay, claimed that he was unsatisfied with footage after an edit, even though he was fine with it while on set. He had paid for a previous shoot; just make sure you don't leave set without a check on the day.

GGL Music, LLC

2007-02-04T22:19:00.001-08:00

Booked Job for $ and they did not pay, avoided calls:

GGL Music, LLC
gglmusic.com

Mark Burman / Eric Ricart / MEB / Macro Prod Services

2007-02-04T01:39:00.000-08:00

MEB Entertainment has not paid their crew and cast from their last feature, Gravedigger, in October.
They embezzled money off the budget to pay for a different film, and then claimed that someone else didn't pay them money they were owed. They owe dozens of people tens of thousands of dollars.

They operate under the shady front company called Marcro Production Services. They never return phone calls, and send out occasional emails saying to be patient. People should not work for MEB, Macro, Mark Burman(producer) or Eric Ricart(line producer).

Charles Clemmons

2007-02-03T18:21:00.001-08:00

Charles Clemmons

Major player! I worked for him in October, 2005. He
screwed over the whole crew ..about 10 people for a
TV-pilot. I have since seen his name with complaints
and warnings for him on craigslist. So I put an ad out
myself on craigs to collect people whos been screwed
to sew him. Someone else then collected names and took
it to the Labor Department, and i dont know what has
happened. It looks like hes been screwing over at
least 50 people!

Here are the 2 addresses he gave me (Eucalyptus
address was on the bounced check):
***(addresses withheld)

All my email correspondence have been through this
email under the name
Scott Peterson: tv_pilots@yahoo.com

----------------------------------------------
Posted on Craigslist:

NOTICE - Charles Clemmons, Director, Has Been Released From Company

Date: 2007-10-27, 2:18PM PDT

NOTICE OF TERMINATION

In response to numerous complaints from both professional and personal sources, as well as taking in to consideration the continued best interest of our high standards and practices, it is without remorse that JAGO Productions has released Mr. CHARLES CLEMMONS from his position as a producer and director.
It is unfortunate that a man with as much creative talent as Charles would be the subject of mistrust and accusations of being a con artist, but as such, the production company as a whole cannot, and will not allow the actions of one employee to taint the good name and mission of JAGO PRODUCTIONS, which is to produce high quality, original and genuine independent films, and to maintain well-regarded professional and personal relationships with any and every person who is involved with our projects.

If you have any questions, please reply to the email address:
jago@jagoproductions.net or contact us at (323) 877-5567.

- STAFF, JAGO Productions

---------------------------------------------------
RE: Looking for Urban Feature Scripts ASAP (CHARLES CLEMMONS)

Date: 2007-10-26, 11:15AM PDT

The return of CHARLES CLEMMONS, con man and producing rip off artist.

He is now asking writers to submit material without any protection under the ASAP urgency guise.

Change careers Charles Clemmons, everybody knows you are an unethical mover and shaker and now you are using Craigslist to steal material from writers (after stiffing technicians on your lame music videos).

It's a real small town and you are gonna have to change your name if you want to make a living and get ahead in production. If you've been stiffed by Charles contact both Jago Production and Maverick Entertainment to inform them about about his production practices.

* Location: CON MAN

----------------------------------------------------
RE: Hair Stylist for Music video CHARLES CLEMMONS IS A SCAM! (Jail)
Date: 2008-09-19, 12:21PM PDT

DO NOT WORK FOR CHARLES CLEMMONS, HE'S NOTORIOUS FOR NOT PAYING PEOPLE FOR THEIR HARD WORK. (30 OR SO REPORTED CASES)

THIS LOSER BELONGS IN JAIL!

CHARLES CLEMMONS IS TALENTLESS AS WELL, SO YOUR WORK WILL BE ALL FOR NOTHING.

* Location: Jail

------------------------------------------------------

Mar 4, 009:
from Scott Peterson
subject false info on webside: Charles clemmons

Hi my name is Charles Clemmons, people have been writing false, and very insulting comments and statements on your site... and i want it to be removed... if you can contact me or email back regarding this matter that would be appreciated thank you, i would like to have everything removed thanks

Charles Clemmons

Josh / Streetlife Entertainment

2007-02-03T18:20:00.000-08:00

Josh from streetlife entertainment,
streetlifedvd@adelphia.net

Hired me to film for "Rock the Bells" concert in
August, 2006.

Same story, kept telling me he sent checks etc. that
never showed up.
He screwed over about 10-15 camera operators who all
came out with their own gear and shot for 12 hours!!!

Andre Jetmir

2007-02-03T18:19:00.000-08:00

Excellent idea, here are a few that screwed me:

1. Andre Jetmir: ajetmir@yahoo.com,
Andre@jumpboxtv.com

He hired me to shoot a red-carpet event in November,
2005
and has not paid me since. Kept telling me he sent
checks, and that
some miscommunication happened ...total bullshitter!

Below are his companies:

Owner of JumpboxTV http://www.jumpboxtv.com
Exec. Producer for http://www.ManiaTV.com
And something for EyeBoxTVhttp://www.EyeBoxTV.com

Devan Guadry

2007-02-03T18:18:00.000-08:00

Hello,

You can add the producer Devan Guadry (A.K.A. Joseph Devan Guadry) to your list. This man is such a scam artist and has screwed over so many people in Hollywood that he even has a website devoted to people who have been hurt by him (www.devangaudry.com). I worked on a feature film entitled Vicious Circle, which principle photography took place in August/September (Devan was the "producer"). At the end of the shoot 3/4 of the crew had not been paid and those who were given checks had those checks bounce and were left with nothing as well. When we all went to contact him he became terribly unreachable: not answering his phone, not answering e-mail, and not even answering his door. As of now he has dropped off the face of the Earth and has mysteriously disappeared from his high-price condo in Marina Del Rey. It's come to the point where the executive producers even removed his credit from the IMDB page for the film. There's so much more to the Devan story, but all you have to do is go to the website I provided to find many others that were hurt by this man. His name should definitely be put on your black-list.