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Sage Advice Someone that Wishes they kept Records
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 Posted 12:18 PM Jun. 21, 2010 Here is some sage Advice From someone that learned the hard way.I Can't tell you how often people contact me asking me to look thru THOUSANDS of e-mails because they worked a job 3, 4, 5, 6 Months ago and have not been paid and did not know who or how to contact anyone. Yes, I’m suppose to spend hours of My time looking thru THOUSANDS of e-mails Because someone Else was too Lazy to keep good Records and Not PROFESSIONAL Enough to Properly Invoice a Job they worked on. This is one situation I had not thought about but I keep the Records to avoid this problem (I Hope).
I am a Professional Actor – It’s My Career -I Invoice EVERY JOB (even if I never send the Invoice - Just keep the Computer File). I attach ALL e-mails to the Invoice computer File. I Have ALL THE INFO I GET ON THE INVOICE (Client, Production Company, Advertising Agency If I can get it) – All part of an Invoice that may never get sent – Just saved in my Computer files.
Here is the Original Message
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Brian,
I was with Gilla Roos, and as many people know, they went belly up, and they were one of the largest commercial casting agencies in the country. Fortunately they didn't owe me any money when they went belly up, and I was lucky. But now I am scrounging around in old papers trying to find the sheet that has the name of the production company for a print ad I did for Microsoft like 2 or 3 years ago because they keep renewing the ad. I was paid last renewal because Gilla Roos existed at that time, but now, if I can't find the paper that has the production company name on it, they might not be able to find me to pay me for a renewal.
So the moral of the story? Keep all of that information in a safe place in your computer and in a paper file. Scan a copy of the form you have signed on the set and keep a copy of the paper that gives you the name of the production company...you never know when you will need it.
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Posted 9:07 AM Jul. 7, 2010
Another thing to save - Call Sheets from every production in which you have a role. Networking is a large part of this business and Call Sheets are a written record of names, email addresses and phone numbers of everyone who worked with you on the production. I have dated and tabbed binders where I keep final scripts, call sheets, film posters, invoice copies, production company websites/contact information, and anything else I think might be important to hang onto so I can stay in touch or reconnect with someone at a later date. Brian is right, acting is a business. You have to run it like a business. That means keeping good records.
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Posted 10:11 AM Jul. 7, 2010 Keeping hard copies of Everything you can in a Folder or Binder is a Great Idea.I Invoice EVERY job and attach all e-mails to that Invoice in my Computer Files. I do not SEND all the invoices out but I make them/File them for EVERYTHING.If I need something later on I have ALL the files - All the e-mailsI don't Print a hard copy - Just keep the Computer File in an External Hard drive - So Computer Issues don't Cost me the Files. |
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Posted 12:04 PM Jul. 7, 2010
Brian is right of course. Computer files are convenient and reduce the storage issue as time goes along. Just be sure to have back up copies separate from the computer. For Luddites like me, reaching for a binder is easiest, but backing them up on an external hard drive works too.
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