ASK & DISCUSS
INDEXWhat does collaborate mean?
7 years, 1 month ago - Vasco de Sousa
I think one of the ironies of Shooting People is people want others to work for free on their own projects, but won't work for free on other people's projects.
But, does collaborate merely mean unpaid work? Why don't you ask for volunteers if that's the case? Or offer deferred payment?
Okay, now let's say I agree to "collaborate" on your project. What does that mean? If you back out, or die, who keeps the intellectual property rights for my work? Do I, as a collaborator, have an equal say on what happens, or a greater say than a volunteer or employee would? Do you work more closely with the people you collaborate with?
If you can't afford to pay people, how can you afford to enter dozens of film festivals, to promote yourself, to travel to obscure destinations, to rent expensive software like After Effects, etc? Okay, don't answer those out loud if you don't want to.
I'm simply curious as to why people choose to use the word "collaborate." Apparently, in music and academia, it means different things than on shooting people.
And, if you want to work, but can't afford to pay people, why not volunteer to work on other people's projects instead? I found it fun to work on other people's projects when I was a student. Then, they were much more likely to volunteer to work on my student films.
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7 years, 1 month ago - Mark Renshaw
Collaborate doesn’t necessarily mean work for free. Collaborate means to work jointly on an activity or project. The terms and conditions can be worked out between all parties as they collaborate. Shooting People is simply a conduit for the conversation to begin. It is then up to you where that leads.
Response from 7 years, 1 month ago - Mark Renshaw SHOW
7 years, 1 month ago - John Lubran
Mark's definition is precise. I think the real issue Vasco raises is about intent. We are often presented here on SP with requests for varying kinds of help and participation in other peoples projects where the description of collaboration can be deemed inappropriate. A true collaboration is best initiated at the beginning of a project. What is so often offered as a collaboration is where a person who has already developed and progressed a production that has run out of resources and or is lacking some specific skill set advertises for a collaborator for whom no share of proprietary ownership and control is actually on offer. Whilst the term collaboration does have a broad meaning in the English language, for most of us in this line of work it doesn't mean 'help me get my stalled project off the ground, I'll call you collaborator but not partner'.
I imagine such offers face an uphill struggle finding applicants of any standing; especially where the projects financial viability only has a vague or unlikely outcome.
So in short it's better to describe a request for help for what it really is and not within a mist of non existent grandeur.
Response from 7 years, 1 month ago - John Lubran SHOW
7 years, 1 month ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin
For me "collaboration" means everyone comes away with something they couldn't achieve alone, and for it to be proportionate to the work involved.
This is why I don't really "collaborate" now. There's little benefit to me from sinking weeks of work into a student short in which I learn nothing/little, so if I do, it's more enabling than collaborative. I will freely chat with anyone getting started in their production journey (get me a coffee and I'll go on and on as some have found to their peril), I'll happily make suggestions to anyone trying to handle their own production and encourage anyone to make their own decisions. I can spend a few hours and get the reward that someone is getting excited and learning and may go ahead and make a film I'll want to see in a few years and have a career in production.
I suppose by my own definition that is collaborating, actually :-$
Response from 7 years, 1 month ago - Paddy Robinson-Griffin SHOW
7 years, 1 month ago - Marta Demartini
to work with as an equal,
Response from 7 years, 1 month ago - Marta Demartini SHOW