Home » The PARIS Forums » PARIS: Main » No Spec! ???
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| Re: No Spec! ??? [message #84613 is a reply to message #84593] |
Tue, 15 May 2007 06:51   |
Neil
Messages: 1645
Registered: April 2006
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Senior Member |
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Dedric Terry <dterry@keyofd.net> wrote:
>It's a great idea. Spec work is dragging my industry down - along with
>libraries. My wife is an illustrator and that industry has been way down
>for several years - stock art is killing them as well.
>
>Maybe we should add no-stock.com to that site.
How can spec work drag anyone - never mind an entire industry -
down? You're not doing the work for free, you'r doing it as a
speculative endeavor, pending approval from the potential
client. You make the potential client sign off on an agreement
that no portion of the work may be used without payment, and
the fee(s) will be $xxx if approved. That way the client
understands upfront what you're planning on charging if they
like your work and that way they also can't come back & nickel
& dime you under the "OK, we like what you did, now let's talk
about payment" pretense.
Now, if you're too busy to do spec work, you can always refuse
it at any given time: "sorry, I'm loaded up with projects right
now - I'd love to, but I just can't set paying business aside.
However if you'd like to come by & see (or "hear", as the case
may be) some examples of my work, that might help you make a
decision - I can spare a little time for you this Friday."
Sometimes you might be not so busy & you could opt to take on a
spec project... what would it hurt assuming that you get the
idea that the person is serious that it could, in fact, turn
into something.
The recording project I'm starting tonight is a spec project...
this band & I might enter some other type of agreement down the
road, that we have discussed, but for the time being (and to
cut to the chase here), an opportunity came up for them to get
a song on the radio to promote their appearance at a big
regional RAWK festival with a couple big acts headlining.
They've done recordings at three other places around here, all
of which, IMNSFHO, sound like crap (well, two of 'em I've
heard, and the third I haven't, but they say it sounds pretty
much like the others, so I'm operating under the "crap"
assumption for that one, as well LOL). So, they've heard some
of my work with a couple other bands and were planning on
recording with me, but then this opportunty came up & the lead
guy called me & asked about doing ONE song, for some
promotional airplay before this fest - he didn't want to use
any of their already-recorded stuff. So, I said I'd do it...
now, how do I know they're not just trying to weasel a free
song out of me? I don't. And frankly, I don't care, because
they're going to sign an agreement that states that in
consideration for the free recording of this piece, they may
use said recording in any promotional endeavor they choose, but
it cannot be released for sale in any medium without my written
consent, which would involve payment. I addition, I retain
ownership of all the files of the mixed song itself, individual
tracks, within the song, along with any edits of said tracks in
perpetuity unless at some date in the future I provide written
release. In addition, I may use all mixes, tracks, aspects &
portions of those tracks, blahblahblah in promotional endeavors
for my facility (but I also may not release the material for
sale).
All you gotta do is set some terms under which you'll spec
something out & it doesn't have to be counterproductive.
Neil
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| Re: No Spec! ??? [message #84623 is a reply to message #84613] |
Tue, 15 May 2007 11:48 |
Dedric Terry
Messages: 788
Registered: June 2007
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Senior Member |
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Neil,
The definition of "spec" seems to vary a bit unfortunately - it should just
imply work to propose or
preview work for a potential client, but it has also been used as a form of
"free" work
now "to get your foot in the door", paid work later approach. In highly
competitive industries, it tends to become
a bargaining tool for employers to get lower prices even when there is a
budget and the artist
isn't a newbie. The general idea is that people expect to get what they pay
for, so if you work
for free/spec, they start to expect that. I've actually seen clients use
one service on spec and hire
another when the budget was there - totally illogical, but perception is
everything and if you are willing
to work on spec they see you as desperate. That's why I don't do spec work
at all.
At least that's how I interpreted the point of the site - not "no more
client previews!" ;-)
My point also went a bit beyond that concept and added in stock art, which
is an even
greater threat to original art/music. I could tell a few stories there that
really make me scratch
my head about where the industry is headed, but it's off the topic and point
of this thread.
Regards,
Dedric
"Neil" <IOIU@OIU.com> wrote in message news:4649baf4$1@linux...
>
> Dedric Terry <dterry@keyofd.net> wrote:
>>It's a great idea. Spec work is dragging my industry down - along with
>>libraries. My wife is an illustrator and that industry has been way down
>>for several years - stock art is killing them as well.
>>
>>Maybe we should add no-stock.com to that site.
>
>
> How can spec work drag anyone - never mind an entire industry -
> down? You're not doing the work for free, you'r doing it as a
> speculative endeavor, pending approval from the potential
> client. You make the potential client sign off on an agreement
> that no portion of the work may be used without payment, and
> the fee(s) will be $xxx if approved. That way the client
> understands upfront what you're planning on charging if they
> like your work and that way they also can't come back & nickel
> & dime you under the "OK, we like what you did, now let's talk
> about payment" pretense.
>
> Now, if you're too busy to do spec work, you can always refuse
> it at any given time: "sorry, I'm loaded up with projects right
> now - I'd love to, but I just can't set paying business aside.
> However if you'd like to come by & see (or "hear", as the case
> may be) some examples of my work, that might help you make a
> decision - I can spare a little time for you this Friday."
> Sometimes you might be not so busy & you could opt to take on a
> spec project... what would it hurt assuming that you get the
> idea that the person is serious that it could, in fact, turn
> into something.
>
> The recording project I'm starting tonight is a spec project...
> this band & I might enter some other type of agreement down the
> road, that we have discussed, but for the time being (and to
> cut to the chase here), an opportunity came up for them to get
> a song on the radio to promote their appearance at a big
> regional RAWK festival with a couple big acts headlining.
> They've done recordings at three other places around here, all
> of which, IMNSFHO, sound like crap (well, two of 'em I've
> heard, and the third I haven't, but they say it sounds pretty
> much like the others, so I'm operating under the "crap"
> assumption for that one, as well LOL). So, they've heard some
> of my work with a couple other bands and were planning on
> recording with me, but then this opportunty came up & the lead
> guy called me & asked about doing ONE song, for some
> promotional airplay before this fest - he didn't want to use
> any of their already-recorded stuff. So, I said I'd do it...
> now, how do I know they're not just trying to weasel a free
> song out of me? I don't. And frankly, I don't care, because
> they're going to sign an agreement that states that in
> consideration for the free recording of this piece, they may
> use said recording in any promotional endeavor they choose, but
> it cannot be released for sale in any medium without my written
> consent, which would involve payment. I addition, I retain
> ownership of all the files of the mixed song itself, individual
> tracks, within the song, along with any edits of said tracks in
> perpetuity unless at some date in the future I provide written
> release. In addition, I may use all mixes, tracks, aspects &
> portions of those tracks, blahblahblah in promotional endeavors
> for my facility (but I also may not release the material for
> sale).
>
> All you gotta do is set some terms under which you'll spec
> something out & it doesn't have to be counterproductive.
>
> Neil
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