I have a video shoot guest that came to do a quick scout yesterday before their set up tonight.
When they arrived they asked me for at least 10 special favors. I tried to be reasonable and accommodate their needs but a few were outlandish. They are doing heavy space modifications - bringing in extra furniture hanging temporary curtains etc. and plan to have way more people on set (my guess is at least 30 at any given time) than the space allows.
My studio is in an office complex and I’m scared that they will be so disruptive to the community and I will pay the price for it. As well as any other damages etc.
what should I do??
Video productions can be a real nightmare. My suggestions…
Inspect and document EVERYTHING
Don’t be afraid to walk around look at what they’re doing. Take photos so that later when, maybe, you find something is broken/damaged you can look at the photos and see that it either wasn’t broken before or you can deduce how it happened.
I just had a film shoot in my studio for the last 2 days. I caught the art department people swapping out all of the knobs and drawer pulls in the kitchen because they wanted brass instead of the brushed stainless steel I have. This was ultimately fine, but if I hadn’t seen it and they had lost or damaged something, I might of blamed it on a later production once I finally saw.
Be clear upfront about what happens if (when?) there’s damage
Write an email (or Peerspace message) to the producer reminding them of your rules. Make any specific comments where you anticipate issues. Something like, “I see you’re hanging curtains. Please remember that any damage to the wall will result in $XX.XX repair fees.”
For future bookings, consider creating a “additional fees” document where you outline what things cost. I have this in a studio policies and rules document that I send every producer. They must sign and return to me before loading in.
I have things like a Studio Resetting Fee ($250) if they do not return the space to look reasonably similar to what it did when they arrived. I have a Wall Repair Fee for any holes that need patching and/or painting ($25 per). There’s a Garbage Removal Fee ($250) if they leave me with anything that won’t fit into a garbage bag. The list goes on. The fee rates are intentionally high so that I can negotiate down. This allows the producer to feel like they’re getting a deal while I get an amount that feels equal to the hassle they created for me.
Deal directly with the producer BEFORE they leave
Do a walk around at the end of the booking with the producer. Look for issues together. If you see anything, agree on a price and get paid on the spot. If you cannot process credit cards, make an agreement with them that you’ll write it all up as overtime on Peerspace. Then have Peerspace run the amount for you. Just remember the fee.
Stand your ground
I’m going to guess that you probably don’t want these people back so don’t worry about being overly accommodating. The more you give them the more they’ll take. Say no, but with a smile.
Good luck!
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Do you have different rates for the number of people? If so, and they have more people than they booked for, you should definitely charge for that difference.
I’m not worried about the money side of the number of people I’m more concerned about their overall disruption for the community that my studio is located in…
If they booked for a certain amount of people and are now telling you there is going to be more, you should be informing them it’s going to cost more and send an updated booking offer for them to confirm and accept. If it’s more people than your space even allows then tell them they can’t do that. It’s your space, not theirs.
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I just got off the phone with peerspace support - they strongly recommended canceling their booking.
Has anyone had experience with that?
But if you cancel then they get a full refund. I’d make the rules very clear to the guest and that there won’t be any budging to either force them to cancel or comply. How long ago did they book? How many people did they initially book the space for?
They booked on 5/3 for a half day then two full days. Among all of their outlandish asks they wanted to leave everything set up between their two shoot days for free.
This is actually pretty typical for a video shoot. It saves them A LOT of time and money not having to break down and load in each day. If they are renting for multiple days, they are almost always going to ask for this. You do have the right to charge for it though. Like I said, if they had to load in and out each day they’d be paying the crew for the extra time.
I am actually in the same boat with you… my studio is in a building with multiple other tenants and limited parking. We can only have so many people in here and one of my neighbors likes to complain when the parking lot gets too full. Production crews will always try to bump the numbers up. Stand firm. I recently had a pharma commercial in here… they had 42 people in a space that holds about 20 comfortably. It was absurd. I made them park at a public parking lot about 1/2 mile away and shuttle their crew/actors back and forth otherwise they weren’t renting the place.
I personally can’t stand crews that can’t adapt their production for the size of the space they are renting. They absolutely could have shot b-roll for a pharma commercial with 1/2 that crew. But pharma just likes to throw money at these agencies so they roll with 50 people crews needlessly.
Anyway, the point of my rant is these people have money if they are booking your place for a 3 day shoot but they will always try to lowball you. Stand firm or tell them to go pound sand. You are the one in control but a production company that does this all the time, especially with some of these over aggressive producers, will often try to strong arm you.
Set a number of guests, as limit, in your bookings. Have an additional price per person. Make sure that the teams understand your price structure before they book. Once that is in place, never back down from that. If you don’t tell the teams up front, it’s hard to defend, but if you have that in your rules, or have an additional contract in place, just stick to it. Keep it all in writing. As hosts, we all have to do that… it’s a business. As much as peerspace is about peer to peer booking, a lot of the bookings are major companies, and they are not your peers. That’s a good thing, as those companies are financially capable of paying for their projects. Be responsible, and honest. Don’t let large companies take advantage of you, and try and help people who really need help.
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Thanks so much for all of this insight! I ended up canceling the booking at Peerspace’s support center’s recommendation.
I am currently drafting a production guidelines document that must be signed before the guest visits. I would love to see what any and all of you include in this document.
thanks!
Good for you!
I’m not comfortable with sharing my whole document here, but I’ll give you the headings…
1: Payment Policies – References Peerspace and payment rules, payment for EQ and extras, security deposit
2: Cancellations – References Peerspace cancellation rules, requires that they reimburse the studio for any expenses incurred on their behalf (3rd party EQ rental, etc)
3: Entering Studio – Reminds them their access starts and ends at the times they put in their Peerspace booking
4: Leaving Studio – Clarifies what “out of the studio means”. Had too many people think because they’re in the loading dock and not the studio itself they should not incur overtime. Basically, if I cannot lockup and leave because your crew is still here, that’s considered OT. Also outlines expectations for cleaning
5: Inclusions – I offer some complimentary drinks, coffee, etc, but only for crews up to 25. After that, there’s a small fee unless productions bring in their own catering.
6: Overtime – Clearly states hours and fees
7: Props & Set Builds – Rules like don’t put nails in the wall, floor, anywhere. No confetti/glitter. Disclaimer that says that even if something is approved by the studio, the production is still ultimately responsible for damages
8: Garbage – Put it all in a bag, separate recycling, organize it neatly, etc
9: Additional Fees – Damages, overnight storage, excessive garbage, excessive cleaning, fees for using the kitchen, etc, etc, etc. Potential fee for each is noted.
Good luck.
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