28-yr old nocturnal over@nal geekette Malaysian.
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When it's not worth it
It's hard to accept the one thorn among many roses of acceptance when it comes to work. This one very difficult client of late, is my first script rejection in my seven years scriptwriting for TV and corporate work. The thing about corporate writing jobs versus television is that the latter allows more creative freedom while the former requires almost every fact written out as the client wants it. And I'm very used to that, while they dictate and provide material of everything they say, I translate them into "broadcast language".
In this case, this client insisted his words were better than mine. No matter how many times I changed it to suit the voice over narrative, he changed it back. So I followed what he wanted, and just corrected the grammar mistakes in his "suggestions". Indirectly, I guess you could say I "gave up" fighting the client and was instructed to give him what he wanted.
Of course, guess what the outcome was when we told them the price of the job increased now that the duration of the video (jobs like these are charged per runtime of the video) is longer? He said that most of the things in the script were suggested by them, that not much professional ideas were contributed and that any fresh grad or "non-professional scriptwriter" could write that script. And the cherry on top? All parties should have anticipated a longer video duration. Hence there will be no extra payment.
This always seem to be the argument in Malaysia's creative industry, that a fresh grad or "my nephew/son/daughter can do it for free/cheaper". Ironic too to see that every previous suggestion and effort made to make the script professional was rejected in the first place, and then have me blamed for that. I wasn't about to give him any lessons in scriptwriting on why I changed his lines. But if those are the excuses they needed to make so not to pay what the video is worth, then this wasn't a job worth doing.
This whole thing affects me in another way though, humbled into thinking that I can't have a perfect record all the time. There will always have to be a first.
But in the case of the client, as they say, when you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.
Comments
I'm in the same boat somewhat. Client insists on something written a certain way. I feel that it won't work, I feel that the target reader WON'T buy it, and I feel it is my responsibility to give my two cents. Friends say, it's not worth it, client calls the shots, shut up, cash the cheque and toe the line. I'm biting my lip here. Barely.
bunnywunny | July 11, 2007 5:34 PM
I go through this so often, I fight just for the sake of it.
Still, it's amusing to see the clients reject and approve their own copy through countless rounds.
At that point, I'm all "whatever floats your boat la" ;)
justine | July 18, 2007 2:39 AM