How To Ask To Be Paid: Part 3 In The "Is Working For _______ Ever Worth It" Series

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Getting paid for your work is a right. I don't think anyone actually believes otherwise, even the people who try to lure you in with promises of exposure and experience in lieu of money. But the quicker you learn to be up front about your financial needs, the more likely you'll be able to sustain art as your primary business for years and decades to come.

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Is Working For Exposure Ever Worth It?

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If an employer offers something intangible, unquantifiable, or that he may have no control over, he’s not really offering anything. In essence, he’s creating a one-sided contract where you do all the work and receive none of the benefit. That’s called an “illusory promise” and it makes the contract unenforceable. Exposure in particular is illusory because there's no guarantee that you’ll actually get it (i.e. that anyone will actually see your work) or that the employer must do anything to ensure your work is seen by others. Ultimately, the problem with an offer of exposure is that you end up pinning your hopes on a promise the employer may not be able or willing to fulfill. 

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In Brief: Daniel Craig Will Return As James Bond Because He Is Contractually Obligated To [UPDATED!]

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Daniel Craig doesn't want to be James Bond anymore. Some have argued that his comments about slashing his wrists before playing the part again are really about using the press to negotiate a better deal for himself, but I take his words at face value. In fact, I'm not convinced he ever really wanted the role to begin with... that he was more interested in the potential exposure and interesting work opportunities that being James Bond would afford him. Even at its best, his relationship with the character has been cool.

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Is Working For Free Ever Worth It?

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For years I’ve advocated to anyone who’d listen that unpaid work is tantamount to a slap in the face; that experience and exposure aren’t sufficient compensation for people whose livelihoods depend on their art. Three years ago I said: “[B]eing paid for your work is a statement about your worth to yourself and to the project.  Directors, producers, and publishers don't work for free; neither should you.” 

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Copyright's Crazy Couple of Weeks: Happy Birthdays, Batmobiles, and Dancing Babies, Oh My!

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Between the migrant crisis in Europe, Congress' inevitable rush towards a government shutdown, and all things Pope, it's been a news-heavy couple of weeks. The world of copyright law has been equally busy; in the span of ten days, federal courts in California unveiled three headline-grabbing opinions, some of which have shaken copyright to its very core.

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