9 replies to this topic

[Adrian Sierkowski]

So, without going into too too much detail online, i'm sick, and have been such since feb and i'm not 100% sure when i'll be well again. I know i will be, but at present, it's kinda a wait and see thing and then some really uncomplicated surgery (the infection at present makes that impossible).

And, all this time i've been having to turn down/turn over a hell of a lot of work (which sucks! because as i can move and walk and kinda talk, i'm just way too weak to be of any use on set). So my question is this, how do you all think is best to turn it down? Do you tell them straight up whats up? Do you feign that you're booked (to seem busy), Or just pass without much of a mention.

In my case I've been saying mostly whats up (infection/waiting on surgery, wouldn't want to slow them down presently) but in my stuck in bed most of the day, watching crap tv and going slightly stir crazy mind of worry, I'm worried that this might be adversely impacting me with these productions later on.  So what do you all think?

Let me know, I haven't got much else to do right now but read over the forums lol.

 

 

[Macks Fiiod]

Whether you're contagious or not would have quite a bit to do with it.

 

Is this day or two long jobs or stuff that's multi-week commitments?

Edited by Macks Fiiod, 16 March 2017 - 04:49 PM.

[Adrian Sierkowski]

All of the above, 2 commercials, 1 short, and 1 pilot type 3 week deal. Not contagious at all but certainly not well enough to work (as i can't eat solid food/open my jaw/talk).

[Macks Fiiod]

Is your jaw like wired shut or dentally injured? A 3 week thing sounds absolutely impossible with your situation but maybe you could consider the one day stuff if you're concerned with missing work.

[Adrian Sierkowski]

Yeah it's miserable. I'm not worried about missing this work, i'm worried about how best to turn it down so they don't stop calling me for the next and the next one. It's a dental infection that went into the jaw muscle somehow and i can't open up more than about 1/2 to  3/4" and yes, its miserable. It keeps me from eating too too much hence, not having the energy to really pull a 14 hr day. Plus the anti-biotics and pain-kills take a bunch out of me. Hopefully a few more days/maybe 2 weeks and i can get it fixed-ish enough to get started healing which may take another month or so at the long-end.

[Dom Jaeger]

I would think honesty is the best policy in this case, you let clients know you're temporarily unavailable because of a short term illness, but will be back on your feet soon. I can't see why that would impact on getting work later, unless the client is a monster demanding your obeisance at the snap of their finger regardless of your health, in which case good riddance to them.

The fact you're willing to pass on a job because your energy isn't up to doing it properly, which might hurt the production, should tell the client something about your ethics and commitment.

Then again I don't have a producer's brain, so could be way off. Maybe admitting to sickness is an unforgivable confession to being fallible. See what Richard thinks..

Hope you feel better soon Adrian!

[Adrian Sierkowski]

Thats my thinking too; just nice to hear a second to it.

And yeah, me too. It'll be quite a bit more pain before it's better, but they should give me some nice painkillers.

[Satsuki Murashige]

Damn that's rough Adrian, so sorry to hear that you're unwell. I think it's best to let your clients know what's going on and give them a rough timeline. Even though you may not know for sure, maybe let them know you expect to be back in about a month and then keep them updated?

You certainly don't want them to think that you're dropping them for new clients or just not interested in working with them anymore. About five years ago, I had to take six months off from freelance work to help my parents with their business. I let my clients know what the deal was, and stayed on good terms with them. I'm sure I lost some business from it, but I'm glad I did it.

Anyway, best of luck to you and hope you feel better soon.

[Adrian Sierkowski]

Thanks Satsuki; yeah I figure i'm gonna e mail back everyone who e mailed me for work since i've been "down" with an update once i get some, just to keep it all known and out there. There is one day of work I have for sure for a director buddy of mine who told me just to use a whiteboard to bark orders and sit by the monitor lol. I'm ok with that i suppose-- though i'm always kinda mergh about using a cam-op.

[Macks Fiiod]

Experiment: Show up to a day long gig with 25mg of oxycodone and see if you can pull it off. While it's unethical to hold it against a guy for being too sick to work, showing up in extreme self-conditions comes off as heroic to certain people.

Heroic = employment????? (not sure)