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Started By
Message
Production company makes film in NOLA, skips town without paying locals
Posted on 12/28/14 at 12:33 am
Posted on 12/28/14 at 12:33 am
LINK
quote:
NEW ORLEANS - The remake of the 1989 martial arts movie "Kickboxer" wrapped up filming in New Orleans this month, but crew members and local vendors say the production company that hired them skipped town without paying them for weeks of work.
This year the Grinch stole Christmas for 150 crew members and dozens of local vendors who worked on the film "Kickboxer" and say they never got paid.
"I am highly frustrated," says special Effects Coordinator Mike Bisetti. "We have gone through the holidays, I haven't gotten paid, along with all the other people that haven't got paid. It's created an extreme hardship."
Radar Pictures, the production company behind the movie, is owned by media mogul Ted Field. The billionaire is also listed as one of the producers who hire hundreds of movie industry locals to produce the "Kickboxer" scenes filmed in New Orleans.
After their first pay check, crew members say they stopped getting checks and, instead, got excuses.
"They were trying to convince us that is was an oversight, it was a mistake," says Bisetti. "And then they went into the reasons why, which none of us are really concerned about."
Days later the crew showed up for the last day of filming at the old power plant on Tchoupitoulas expecting to finally get their pay checks, but when they were, again, told they were not getting paid the entire film crew staged a walk out.
"The department heads gathered up and had a meeting and said, 'hey look, we are professionals, we don't want them to say we quit on them', so we finished the film," says Earl Woods, who served as the film's chief lighting technician.
An attorney representing the production company then promised to have the checks to crew members by Christmas, but the crew says that was an empty promise too.
"My heart sunk, especially for my crew members, they had some of them in hair and makeup that are single parents, and their child was depending on them," says Woods.
The production office is closed and crew members say the producers have skipped town.
In an email obtained by Eyewitness News, crew members were told just days after they were promised checks by Christmas, that Radar Pictures, "failed to meet the payroll company demands of funding payroll" and that their "paychecks were voided and all timecards had been returned to production".
Crew members say they have since reached out to their unions and the film commission, but no one is helping them get the money they earned. "The people we pay to protect us are conspicuously absent," says Bisetti.
We put in calls to the union representative at Local 478 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, as well as the attorney representing the Ted Field and his production company, but our calls have not been returned.
However, Nicki Celozzi, one of the producers working on the film, sent an email statement late Friday evening saying only that "Radar Films is working on getting everyone paid and made whole".
Posted on 12/28/14 at 12:40 am to Jim Rockford
The song "Take the money and run" popped into my head while reading this.
Posted on 12/28/14 at 8:44 am to Jim Rockford
Don't worry. They'll still be sure to take full advantage of Louisiana's film subsidies.
Posted on 12/28/14 at 9:04 am to Jim Rockford
This is what lawsuits are for.
Posted on 12/28/14 at 9:07 am to CollegeFBRules
quote:
This is what lawsuits are for.
Present and accounted for.
Posted on 12/28/14 at 9:18 am to VOR
quote:
Present and accounted for.
Lawyers are still scum bro.
Posted on 12/28/14 at 9:20 am to Sentrius
quote:
Lawyers are still scum bro.
Some are, some aren't.
Same with bankers, insurance agents, doctors, etc.
Posted on 12/28/14 at 9:24 am to VOR
But of course, they're still scum until I need one.
But then I'll go back to thinking they're scum when I don't need one anymore.
Happy new year to you VOR.
But then I'll go back to thinking they're scum when I don't need one anymore.
Happy new year to you VOR.
Posted on 12/28/14 at 9:38 am to CollegeFBRules
If a fraud was committed, that's whst district attorney's are for too.
Posted on 12/28/14 at 10:09 am to doubleb
quote:
If a fraud was committed, that's whst district attorney's are for too.
I wouldn't hold my breath.
Posted on 12/28/14 at 10:48 am to Sentrius
Happy New Year, Sentrius
And to everyone else!!!
And to everyone else!!!
Posted on 12/28/14 at 3:08 pm to CollegeFBRules
Ahh lawsuits---someone will soon learn how little these companies have invested in Louisiana. I doubt they can find a single asset of this company to seize if they are successful in a lawsuit.
What a wonderful industry to subsidize with cash from all the citizens.
What a wonderful industry to subsidize with cash from all the citizens.
Posted on 12/28/14 at 4:21 pm to I B Freeman
quote:
I doubt they can find a single asset of this company to seize if they are successful in a lawsuit.
Eyeworks USA filmed "Opposite Worlds" in Chalmette earlier this year. They skipped town owing me over $2500 for damage they did while renting my mobile kitchen. I have contacted the Film Commission and they have forwarded the documentation to Eyeworks asking them to pay me. When discussing a potential lawsuit I was told by the commission that production companies are set up to have little to no assets to seize from a judgement.
Ironically, the same company is producing "Catch a Contractor" that is about people being screwed over by a contractor yet they have no qualms screwing me over.
Posted on 12/28/14 at 4:28 pm to Ambassador
Id love to know if the tax payers are on the hook for 30% of any invoices that were never paid. It's screwed up either way but at least you could get them with tax fraud if they did.
Posted on 12/28/14 at 4:30 pm to Ambassador
quote:
When discussing a potential lawsuit I was told by the commission that production companies are set up to have little to no assets to seize from a judgement.
They are fly by nights mostly.
Even though you might see the production on some familiar media outlet it is rare the known identity is the actual production company getting the welfare and screwing vendors in Louisiana.
Posted on 12/28/14 at 4:55 pm to ragincajun03
quote:
I wouldn't hold my breath.
It definitely should be that way. If I shoplift or walk out of a restaurant without paying, I'll get hauled off in handcuffs and rightfully so.
Same should apply to the people in charge of this production company. It's a clear case of willful theft.
Posted on 12/29/14 at 9:06 am to Bestbank Tiger
I agree with you on what SHOULD happen.
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