What a weekend... please read and heed.

[Winkle82]

Hey everyone,

Phew what a weekend I just had, I wanted to tell you all about it so that, I can sort out in my own head what the hell happened, and so that someone else can learn from my mistakes.

Firstly; I don't believe in apportioning blame, instead I prefer others to take responsibility. So for that reason, involved or not, I would appreciate your imput and reactions, I also wouds like to feel validated that I am both professional and reasonable.

I have been booked by a producer now to come and do a b/g shoot on Friday 25th of May. I agree a fee, which was reduced, as I had been referred and had not worked for before. The shoot is cancelled at less than 24hrs notice as the model for the day pulls out. So I miss out on a booking and at too short notice to realistically find replacement work. I did even further reduce my fee at the last minute just to ensure that some booking could be fulfilled on this original shoot, fortunately I can also waive travel as I have another expenses account for this.

The I am rebooked days later for the following Friday 1st June for 12pm.
I am preparing to leave around 11am to arrive early, I am called to say the shoot is pushed baclk to 2pm, I even offer to pick up my co-performer as her travel by train is rather awkward. We're pushed for time, but it looks like I should be able to do this and be back shortly after 2pm, with the model, to shoot.

I arrive at her place at 1pm, and it's a gorgeous place, but I can see there is a lot going on, there are four trucks in the driveway and it seems things are busy here. I call in and say that it looks like there will be a delay as trees are having to be cut down and that the model is flying abroad that evening.
We get away at 1.30-1.45 and it all starts going downhill from here....

The M25 keeps us occupied all of a sudden for 3+1/2hrs!!! But we keep in constant contact with the producer at the other end. anf finally arrive about 5.30 tired, but very keen to shoot.

The producer takes us to pick up the key to the location, before we head off... We leave all the cars around the corner as the building is not far from a farm, we shuffle by one of their workers on the way through, but without incident.

We arrive on set, and like all studs, chill out while the girls get ready and start putting my Game Face on... I'm mildly enjoying the solo scence that starts getting underway prior to my involvement in the shoot. Then the shit hits the fan...

I hear a comotion outside, and it seems a local wants to know whats going on, we had locked the front door to ensure privacy, but the back door was open for access. Suddenly there is a lot of shuffling, a local farmer bursts in the back door and comes striding in. I'm sitting there slightly sheepish, the producer tells us all it's time to leave?! He is muttering that we have an alternative location on standby, but despite my cool, this does leave me slightly alarmed... All the questions i should have asked myself earlier start to jump in my head; Is this someones private property? Do we have permission to be here?

So with bags, cameras and kinkyboots in hands we are making a hasty exit. A local yokel is apparently on the phone to the police and I become even more concerned... I take my passenger and co star in hand and suggest we make tracks pronto. By the time we get back to our vehicles, we realise it's even worse than I feared. There is a huge farmyard lorry blocking us in, peventing any of us from leaving... I try and keep calm and while some are panicking and arguing, not to mention an angry farmer who is, understandably, very upset there is obviously adult material being created not far from the countryside where his children walk their dog! I start to feel very ashamed for my involvment. Coming to the realisation we have been preparing to shoot on public property, close to children, and without nieghbours permission.

We had in fact so far done little more than take a few sexy shots, and started a brief solo scene, with a small amount of video. The solo model was fortunate to be with her partner, I was glad to be there and support the other model, who having only really met me properly that day, had only me for support.

The police proceed to take down all details, and finish by issuing Public Order fines to the majority of those present. One of the models has an outstanding speed ticket that needs tending to, so I offer to follow her to the Police Station, and then offer her a lift back into London. The models are asking for fees before leaving, the producer says he has not brought the cash to pay them. I assume this is not the case, and that he, again understandably, does not want to be seen exchanging cash with us by the police, and after a complete disater day, doesn't want to pay 3 models for a shoot that never really happened.
The Police quietly deal with our protestations, by tellingus that we are lucky not to have been arrested and that we have "got off lightly"... They allow us to finally move on around 9.30pm.

After all the arguing and tears and a look at the clock, my phone battery is dead, we're done at the station at about 10pm. I decide there is nothing more constructive to do that day than drop off my co-worker, make sure is ok and go home and try and forget about it all. I do wake up the next day with a voicemail from the director, late ast night, asking to catch up with us at 10.30pm to complete the shoot. At that late stage I just felt fed up with it and ignored it.

I must say that in all my days this is the most extraorodinary thing to have happened to me on a shoot... I do empathise for all involved.
Firstly for the locals that were uneccessarily disturbed by our prensence.
Secondly the Producer/Director who finishes the day with no material
Lastly for the Models who travelled and waited all day, only to leave with an ?80 fine and no booking fee...

I suppose I'm posting this to find out what others make of the day? How would the rest of you producers and models reacted in similar circumstances?

I should mention that my unbiased and objective viewpoint on this is because I'm a young solvent businessman, that enjoys doing porn, amongst other things, for fun. So I don't get upset with lost fees much, or waived travel... I just like to fuck sexy girls on film.
Your thoughts please....
Winkle

[Marino]

Sounds like a hell of a day.
But if the producer fucked up that badly he should be responsible for some fees and travel.

[Sam Slater]

The talent didn't book the location, that's the producers job.

Models need paying......and that includes the fines.

[paul jones]

The producer should pay for everything as he fucked up.

(And if he was mislead by someone renting him a location that they shouldn't of, that's between him and them, not you or the models).

[isabel ice]

That is absolubtly un-acceptable... to shoot adult content in a public place without permission, and without warning the talent is clearly snidey, and above all illigal...resulting in the fines... That should be the least the producer should pay, along with travel, and some kind of time-reimbursment.

Clearly, some producers don't want to pay to hire locations if they dond have any budget for their movies, and I understand this, but not with risk to the talents' criminal records, with embarassment for the public and performers alike.

Incidents like this only go to further smear the reputation of the industry in the publics eye, that we are trying so hard to change for the better, it reinforces the steriotypical image of producers that don't give a sh*t, and are wreckless with the welfare of the performers that they use.

What an unfortunate shame you had to go through all that... What I can't believe, is that you got questioned about why you didn't return at 10.30pm to complete the scene? Someone must be joking with you, that is absolubtly unbelieveable.

[Gaslight]

Couldn't agree more Isabel.

This situation is soooo wrong from several viewpoints.

I can't really add anything that hasn't already been said but if the performers are not financially reimbursed at the very least then something really wrong is going on here.

[Andy Mann]

Yeah sounds dodgy as you like, name and shame.....

[rgb]

I'm confused by all this (but most things confuse me nowadays)...

I read it that the shoot was indoors. Winkle writes ...we had locked the front door to ensure privacy, but the back door was open for access. Suddenly there is a lot of shuffling, a local farmer bursts in the back door and comes striding in...

Is it now illegal to have sex inside a farm house? This doesn't bode well for the future of British agriculture.

For which anti social behaviour offence were they fined?

[Winkle82]

A number of the cast and crew were issued with Public Order offenses.
Which carries an ?80 fine.

This was in fact based on an elaboration by the locals... They infact had SEEN no indecent behaviour, but made an astute judgment, and described the scene as an orgy to the arriving odfficers.
This was no doubt brought on by the farmer being upset it could have been one of his children discovering the scene. For which I do empathise, however... It does make me wonder how easy it would be for me to make a similar allegtion and incur fines for others, based on little to no actual evidence.

At no point were we offerred the opportunity to give our own account of events, and in fact we had to battle to do so...
Shame...
W

[Sam Slater]

If the farmer made this shit up, then go piss on his onions.

Make sure he doesn't sell his produce to Tesco though; I eat Tesco onions.