[Fmpro] LSO isnt the eastern block

[Tracey Larvenz]

Hi Michael!

I just wanted to point out that while you don't affect the big budget  
films immediately, you probably will be doing so down the line.  As  
you know, most directors don't start off with a $200 million dollar  
budget, they start off as a low budget director.  If he's able to get  
a good or even great sounding score at a much lower rate, why would  
he opt to spend more when he has the budget?  He tells the studio,  
"Well I can save a few million here by using the Prague orchestra."   
He looks better to the studios and if it works out, the studios may  
begin to DEMAND that ALL their directors use orchestras outside of  
the USA.  At that point your switching the work from people who were  
making a living in the US as session players to the people who don't  
require as much money to make a decent living in Prague.  You're not  
really creating more work, just shifting it to people who will work  
for less.  If the project can't afford film stock or telecine   
transfer costs, they'd just push back the production until they could  
afford it.  Why should the music be any different?

Tracey Larvenz
www.melodiousthunk.net



On Sep 13, 2007, at 10:46 AM, Michael S Patterson wrote:

>
> You also make it seem as if there isn’t already a glut of out of
> work musicians. By offering a $100 a session rate for low budget
> projects you don’t effect the big budget films and you actually
> create more work....I feel it’s better than $0 which is what you’re
> getting right now for these projects.
>
> The AFM and musicians have to understand that given that these
> projects can’t afford the union rates, they are going to have to
> see that work go overseas. The AFM doesn’t even seem to want this
> Work anyway!
>
> Give me a rate that I can work with and I’ll hire you if not,
> Jit jsem do prahy. (I’ll go to Prague)
>
> Michael S Patterson
>