movies

I worked on a movie that had a budget shortfall. We found out our checks for that week would not be coming, and likely the following week's checks too. The producers asked we finish that day and take a weekend to give them time to secure funding before we all walked off the project.

When we came back they had funding again with our checks in hand.

A couple months later I helped a friend on another show and still have that check on my fridge, everyone's checks were bouncing. I could not even get the bank from which it was drawn to cash it for me. Luckily that was only a single day's work.

“The report in Deadline (as far as I know) is very accurate (thank you for that, Andreas). It is very unfortunate that this intriguing little story was sideswiped by a few incidents that temporarily derailed the film’s production. I don’t know all the details – only from what I’m hearing second hand (I am not a producer on this film) so all I can relay is what I do know.

“For some reason money that was promised to be deposited into the escrow accounts for the cast and crew were not done so in a timely manner. That caused a couple stoppages to the shooting. Then, apparently some portion of what was promised was deposited, and that lifted the DO NOT WORK order and we started up again.

“Right now, there is a strong effort to raise the necessary capital to finish the film, and I think that will happen for two main reasons: One, because the missing few scenes (approximately over two shooting days) are vital to the story. And two, that I (and I think I speak for Lily as well) will not do anything to promote the film until every cast and crew member is paid back in full, and we will not appear on screen again (ie return to filming) for this movie until that happens.

“In full transparency, I was paid for my part in this film even before the last temporary work stoppage – so I was surprised when I found out that we had to stop again, and that most of the crew didn’t get, as far as I know, their last two weeks of pay, nor did the co-stars in the movie.

“That is where it stands now…I’m distressed that this has caused so much grief and distrust, and so sorry that this crew (which was fantastic) were not treated with the respect they deserved, but I really believe that the producers will manage these difficult times by making everyone whole, and we’ll finish the film….Man, what a mess. BC.”