2006Steadi-Newbies forum
Unprofessional booking practices in commercial steadicam work where production companies fail to confirm or cancel jobs with operators
20 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
What the thread found
- Production companies in commercial work frequently contact multiple steadicam operators and keep them all tentatively booked, then only confirm with one operator while leaving others hanging without notification
- Operators who agree to hold dates for jobs may lose other income opportunities if the original job silently falls through without cancellation notice
- This booking problem occurs across multiple markets including North America, UK, Norway, and Denmark
- Establishing a written cancellation policy with fees for last-minute cancellations can discourage non-serious inquiries and clarify expectations
- Asking production companies to contact you as soon as they make a final decision helps reduce uncertainty during the booking process
- Operators working in structured environments like broadcast television with salaried contacts experience this problem less frequently than those taking calls from unfamiliar commercial production companies
Depends on
- The thread is from 2006 and practices may have changed
- Cancellation fee policies may not be legally enforceable or collectible in all markets
- One participant reports that while cancellation policies deter frivolous inquiries, actual payment of such fees was not confirmed
- Experience varies based on operator reputation, market, and whether they need the work urgently