Exploitation - ASE - can we do something about this?

[Rob Buttery]

I recently moved to a new city and as a freelance editor I have been doing the rounds meeting people and generally trying to establish new work leads...

now this process also involves searching online job forums... and I keep seeing ridiculous ads like this one:

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
we need the services of an editor intern who can assist in sifting through our many interviews to organise content in preparation for online editing.

Responsibilities:
- Organising rushes into clips relevant to the content filters for the inframe.tv website
- Doing simple edits of interviews
- Naming and organising rushes for the production team

Benefits:
- A credit on InFrame.tv films
- Lunch and travel money
- Access to a creative team who work for a large range of commercial and cultural clients. This will lead to networking and career development opportunities
- Ability to contribute to the growth of a new and well resourced content start-up

Required skills and knowledge:
- Final Cut Pro to an intermediate to advanced level
- Photoshop to an intermediate level
- Knowledge of or strong interest in creative process and the `creative industries`, i.e. not just a film head we want people who have eclectic interests.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

We all know that this is complete exploitation - because "intermediate to advanced level" does not translate as "INTERN". This is either an assistant editor position or a full editor position and should be paid accordingly...

Now i've just had a rant on Facebook about this... because ads like these are not rare... but ranting on Facebook isn't really an agent for change...

I would like to ask the ASE committee to take action on this. Given that we are the main industry guild for post production - surely we can draft some sort of letter or think of other action that aims to stop ads like these.

I am happy to join (or help form) a sub committee that could look into this in greater detail.

Let me know what you all think.

Thanks
Rob Buttery - Melbourne
onesquareedit@yahoo.com

[cutcutcut]

I completely agree Rob. It's a utter swiz. There's a point where this stuff is almost laughably transparent. I guess in a free market they can put these sorts of offers out there, and know full well that if they are lucky enough to jag someone who is really an assistant or emerging editor they are not going to be willing to work for lunch for long....God though imagine the lunch you could start demanding. As a Guild, it would be great to help editors know what their bargaining position is in the current market. A few years ago I suggested the ASEG website could have a "Just What Are You On" section where editors could enter their current jobs, responsibilities and hours, basic conditions and then get to the pointy bit, what they are being paid. Then when any editor, assistant was scouting around they could log on and find out what the current weight is for the job. Of course ideas are cheap so I'll just put it out there. It would be great if the Guild did it but I know that the Guild Committee isn't some band of paid up elves that wait around for us the members to come up with kooky ideas they can all jump to. Oh no no. So I'll just shut up now. Cheers Andrea

[chance9]

Yeah, this is one of the big issues in our profession.

Andrea, your suggestion of a "what are you on" section here makes a lot of sense. We can only help ourselves by getting this kind of information out in the open. I would think this is the type of thing that the ASEG was set up for.

Cheers,
Casey.

[Bill]

This is the unfortunate but all too common reality out there Rob.

Things have changed enormously over recent years. The so called democratisation of the production process is both a blessing and a curse.

A couple of years ago I was approached by someone from a big reality show and asked to persuade AFTRS students to apply for work there. He said they had heaps of people who thought they were editors because they knew the software (usually FCP) but had no idea about story or creativity.

More recently I have had real trouble finding an Avid trained assistant despite lots of help from Spectrum. Ended up with an excellent AFTRS student working the late shift.

In 1993 a freelance editor working on Police Rescue was paid $200 pw less than series drama editors currently get. That 1993 pay was $100 pw MORE than I got recently on a reality show. 1993 v 2011 that's 18 years!!!!

Things might have changed enormously over recent years but not much of that has with what we are paid.

[Aneditor]

I also would like to see the ASE doing more to "defend the craft". Quite what they do about it though is another matter, especially when there is such limited appreciation for editing within our own broadcasters let alone the small companies that put out these ads.

As I've mentioned before, part of the problem is that some of the best editing is by it's very nature, invisible. It's therefore hard to demonstrate to someone from a non editing background what is "good" and what is "bad". Unfortunately, this often includes managers and beancounters that are now running our networks.

As Rob suggested, some sort letter would be a good start. The more of these ads that appear the lower the perception of editors and our craft in the eyes of people that matter.

[almyers]

I came to the forums after finding the ad below, so I was happy to see this thread.
Admittedly in the ad, they don't say what kind of 'assistance' they need, but the ad is for an editor and I'd have thought if the show is screening on Foxtel, then they can afford to pay. Or is that being unreasonable?


Editor Required Urgently for TV Series
We have a TV series currently airing on Foxtel and we need assistance with the last few episodes to be edited before they air. There is no pay however your name will be listed in the credits. Potential for paid work for our next project.

[JWRL]

Originally Posted by almyers

We have a TV series currently airing on Foxtel and we need assistance with the last few episodes to be edited before they air. There is no pay

I wonder if they're paying themselves?

[Chester]

Originally Posted by Aneditor

I also would like to see the ASE doing more to "defend the craft". Quite what they do about it though is another matter, especially when there is such limited appreciation for editing within our own broadcasters let alone the small companies that put out these ads.

As I've mentioned before, part of the problem is that some of the best editing is by it's very nature, invisible. It's therefore hard to demonstrate to someone from a non editing background what is "good" and what is "bad". Unfortunately, this often includes managers and beancounters that are now running our networks.

Most skills in our game are 'invisible', as they should be. Camera, lighting, sound, makeup, design, costume, music, script, props, graphics, SFX, editing etc all contribute to the success or failure of a project. But if any of these elements is wrong, it certainly doesn't go unnoticed!!

While most people have an understanding of what a cameraman, sound recordist, etc do, editing is one of those skills that remains widely misunderstood. In some cases "ignorance" wouldn't be too strong a word.

We're all used to the "Oh, so you cut out the bad bits?" comments from non-industry people, but I am often appalled and insulted by comments from people WITHIN the industry.

Does anyone else find that there is an widespread assumption that even though you might spend one, two, three weeks or more editing a project, your best efforts are still only regarded as "rough cuts" and don't become "fine cuts" until the director has had a couple of days on it? In fact, there is a common perception that it is director who actually DOES the 'edit' and all we do is rough assemblies. This is insulting as it is often the other way around! I will present the director with the best possible edit in the time permitted after which we fine tune, AND might actually have to cut corners and make compromises in order to bring the thing to duration. I'm sure that quite a few of us have rescued directors' careers with our efforts!

The following is by no means an isolated example, but I was once presented with some material to edit and the director apologised to me beforehand for the lack of coverage and the numerous takes and pickups needed due to the 'talent' being unable to get through the set-up. I cast my experienced eye over the rushes and believed that it was possible to make something of it. A couple of days later the concerned director (let's call him 'Fred') dropped in during a lunch break to view the segment. He was so delighted that he went and brought the crew and talent in to see it! I'm sure that you can guess what happened after the viewing! Yes, it was a case of "Great work Fred!" "Fantastic, Fred!" "Well done Fred".

Not only was my editing invisible, so was I.

[JWRL]

Originally Posted by Chester

Not only was my editing invisible, so was I.

Well, there are remarkably few truly famous editors for a reason, I guess. The nature of the job ensures invisibility.

I won a short film award for a first time director. He had written and directed his "masterpiece", then dictated his paper cut to me. He had first gone ballistic about the fact that I had done an assembly prior to him coming to my room, and had thrown that cut away.

At the end of the process even he could see that he had a disaster. In fact he appeared almost suicidal. So I told him that the structure was there, all that it needed was a little fine tuning. We sat down and recut the movie, in the process discovering that we didn't have a finish.

I built an end shot from an existing establisher with added police car stills. The film in that form won a gold Remy at the Houston short film festival.

As a result he then went on to do a feature. He was obviously a slow learner, because again he threw out the first cut that I did and made his own from scratch in his bedroom at home on FCP. He would then FTP the cut to me so that I could duplicate it frame for frame in Avid. At the end of the post process he was surprised and annoyed when I refused an editor's credit.

That movie has never been seen again.

What it does suggest though is a possible reason that advertisements like the one referred to above are posted. I believe that there are a lot of filmmaker wannabes out there that simply don't understand an editor's role, nor what they can do for them. This is, I believe, a direct result of the so-called "democratisation" of the film making process that low cost production equipment has bought in its wake. It will settle, but until it does I think we're in for interesting times.

[Animus]

I get the feeling that we will always see advertisements of this nature. Unfortunately there will always be a person willing to jump on a position like this for whatever reason. Maybe they believe they will receive networking opportunities or they believe if they are not currently working then editing for free is better than not editing at all.

I think that if you take any and every job that comes up (not sure if we can call this one advertised a job) then you end up missing out on the gigs that suit you better and that you would prefer to do. Holding tight for the right job proves more fruitful in the long run. This has been my experience.

Unfortunately, it's not just editors experiencing these conditions. Just because you have a show on Foxtel means nothing. Foxtel has community channels. Producers pay to be on some channels and then don't onsell enough in-show advertising to cover the production costs. Obviously they then find an 'up and coming' editor to work for free... imagine what happens when it gets time for sound mix... perhaps the mixer has to pay for the privilege of mixing the show! Maybe the show never sees the inside of a sound studio or a colour grading facility.

Anyway... i think an immediate action for people concerned about these ads could be to draft their own letter and email it to the advertiser. It might not carry the weight of the ASE sending it but it might have an impact on how that employer views the position they have just posted. Maybe they will have a change of heart. Maybe they will be more honest. Another thing to do would be to email them a link to this thread.

It's a real shame that we see so many of these ads pop up and it sucks for the young editor that sees it as there only opportunity forward. But here's a thought for the young editor looking for a break doing this type of free work... next time you see yourself about to apply for the position, stop! List 5 editors you admire and contact them and tell them your experience and your availability and that you were contemplating signing on for 2,3,4, whatever weeks of free editing and then you thought you'd prefer to offer that time to learn from a real editor with skills. You might end up with a number of responses... 1 - i'm sorry but i don't have any time or work that needs your skills... 2 - thanks for getting in touch, i'd be more than happy for you to sit in on an edit or two... 3 - i have a position for an assistant editor, the pay is low but better than nothing... 4 - i have a colleague that is looking for a junior editor at his/her company etc...

Maybe i'm ranting a bit or being optimistic but i think if we as editors see these posts as detrimental to the industry, then i think it is up to us experienced editors that perhaps remain unaffected (professionally) by it, to step up and make a difference.

The other thing for young editors to do (in Victoria anyway) is contact Film Vic and arrange a real internship... you'll even get paid... and get to work with a real editor on a real project that is going somewhere!

That's my 2 cents worth.

Nick