Filmers on making money filming skateboarding

[Allen.]

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Sucks man. I used to be cool with the way filmers got paid when we were younger, But now i realize they sit there or follow you for hrs and days. If you spend 5 hrs trying to get the clip but don't get it... they don't get paid. Even if you make the trick after a couple different visits.. the hourly break down is horrible on the pay scale.

I would sometimes pay them out of my own pocket for putting in the time. Buying dinners, or whatever i could do to make myself feel better about using their services knowing they are going to fight to get $50-$75 per clip or line. A good pay day could be 2,500-5k for a 3 minute pack of clips. Usually that would take a few months to get those clips.. so again its a shitty hourly rate for those guys.

I never liked filming with the "staff filmer" though. I always preferred to have some type of control over my footage. Felt better to work with the filmer on thing like were we want the footage to go. Staff guys will tell you the "Co" owns the footage since you filmed it with the staff filter. Its pretty much bullshit.

[close]

I've always wondered if I undersold myself back when I filmed the bulk of a couple big parts, sounds like maybe I was in the right range after all. I always had a full time job though - if you think making money filming skating is hard in the US, try living in Canada. These fools wanna pay you in Tim Horton's gift cards and "exposure".

The bulk of my money goes to T-Ho’s

[Charbroil]

Big shoe co is the way to go if you can get your foot in the door. I wouldn't even bother with hard good companies. It's obvious upper management and their owners pocket the majority of profits while screaming "core".

Even go after your shop owners, if they are successful and you do media for them don't do that shit for free.

When you ask and they don't say no you know your worth.

The core industry has made itself look bigger than it actually is. It's a complete joke. Squeeze everything you can from anyone you can if they intend to profit from your work in anyway.

[doyle]

I've always thought being a freelance filmer in the skateboard industry (as a career) is one of the worst decisions you could make. You could just spend all that time freelancing in other industries for SO much more money. Filming skating is way more fun though which (to me) is worth doing it for nothing.

Oh and also, I got paid for filming something for the Berrics in 2016 and it went completely smoothly - and the video never even came out.

[Olympus Mons]

The berrics featured a part I filmed and edited that was part of a full length video I made. It was their own separate upload on their YouTube and on their site. I sent them the file because they asked and wanted to feature it. The version I sent had three to five seconds at the end that just said who filmed the part (me) and included a link to where the full length video could be seen/purchased. They took that video and re-edited it so that it cut out early and gave me no credit. Fuck these pieces of shit for stealing other people's content for their lame skatepark website.

I filmed Matt Fisher's "Welcome to Friendship" part for the Berrics (about 3 min of footage) in exchange for a couple Friendship decks... gotta say fuck the Berrics.

[Billy Bitchcakes]

was going to sell some shit to Navs for the Skeleton Key (how they talked about getting paid once the video comes out) video of my homie, but then the skater posted the clips on his personal instagram. Later that day navs sent me a text that they couldn't use the clip, shit bummed me out beyond belief.

It was my fault for sure letting him have the clip in the first place, but still I think the skaters themselves should be more conscious of how we get paid.

never trust a skater with footage... they can't resist the urge to blow all your hard work for some sweet sweet insta likes

[Get the strap]

So many good reasons to set goals at a young age to be a skateboard filmer as a career. Especially since you can win video contests like Trick of the Year with a cell phone.

[Patey]

Oh yeah, I’ve lost clips and filmed them so shitty that they couldn’t be used. I chopped off half of Felipe Gustavo’s body on a line that took him three hours. He was pretty bummed on that.

You gotta come clean because you have to give the skater an opportunity to do it again, as embarrassing as it is. Nobody has ever been so pissed that they don’t want to film with me anymore. It’s always filler anyways and that’s what I’ll say, like, “Who cares, that shit was filler. Let’s get all bangers.” Like flip it back on them.

- Erik Bragg

Fucks up a clip then tells the skater their trick was filler, what a kook

[ShyLow]

Most fucked up part of this whole thing was how the Berrics doesn't pay filmers for their work.

[shannamal]

Most fucked up part of this whole thing was how the Berrics doesn't pay filmers for their work.

does that really surprise you though?

[RCB3]

Most fucked up part of this whole thing was how the Berrics doesn't pay filmers for their work.

I'm not saying I know for 100% sure, but from the many stories I heard, the people that were supposed to have PUSH parts on the Berrics were guaranteed $50,000 each and then Berra backed out on posting them besides 1 or 2. That's a lot of money to be banking on and then abruptly told it's not coming.

[ShyLow]

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Most fucked up part of this whole thing was how the Berrics doesn't pay filmers for their work.

[close]

does that really surprise you though?

Surprising, no. Deserving of being called out and shamed endlessly, yes.

[expired]

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Oh yeah, I’ve lost clips and filmed them so shitty that they couldn’t be used. I chopped off half of Felipe Gustavo’s body on a line that took him three hours. He was pretty bummed on that.

You gotta come clean because you have to give the skater an opportunity to do it again, as embarrassing as it is. Nobody has ever been so pissed that they don’t want to film with me anymore. It’s always filler anyways and that’s what I’ll say, like, “Who cares, that shit was filler. Let’s get all bangers.” Like flip it back on them.

- Erik Bragg

[close]

Fucks up a clip then tells the skater their trick was filler, what a kook

[IHOP]

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Most fucked up part of this whole thing was how the Berrics doesn't pay filmers for their work.

[close]

I'm not saying I know for 100% sure, but from the many stories I heard, the people that were supposed to have PUSH parts on the Berrics were guaranteed $50,000 each and then Berra backed out on posting them besides 1 or 2. That's a lot of money to be banking on and then abruptly told it's not coming.

This is a rumor I heard, but apparently the filmers that didnt get paid just kept the RED cameras they were loaned until they were paid.

[yapple dapple]

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Most fucked up part of this whole thing was how the Berrics doesn't pay filmers for their work.

[close]

I'm not saying I know for 100% sure, but from the many stories I heard, the people that were supposed to have PUSH parts on the Berrics were guaranteed $50,000 each and then Berra backed out on posting them besides 1 or 2. That's a lot of money to be banking on and then abruptly told it's not coming.

[close]

This is a rumor I heard, but apparently the filmers that didnt get paid just kept the RED cameras they were loaned until they were paid.

Sounds like a thread of it's own.

[IHOP]

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Most fucked up part of this whole thing was how the Berrics doesn't pay filmers for their work.

[close]

I'm not saying I know for 100% sure, but from the many stories I heard, the people that were supposed to have PUSH parts on the Berrics were guaranteed $50,000 each and then Berra backed out on posting them besides 1 or 2. That's a lot of money to be banking on and then abruptly told it's not coming.

[close]

This is a rumor I heard, but apparently the filmers that didnt get paid just kept the RED cameras they were loaned until they were paid.

[close]

Sounds like a thread of it's own.

Berrics is still at fault but I think it was mountain dew who backed out, they funded the first "season" of push projects then bailed on the second after they had started.