A memorable (and timely) rant from the upcoming feature documentary on Harlan Ellison, "DREAMS WITH SHARP TEETH". Go to www.dreamswithsharpteeth.com for more excerpts!! See the full trailer here: • Harlan Ellison-DREAMS ...
At a Writer's Conference (sometime in the 90"s), Harlan Ellison offered to send very person there a free copy of his iron-clad writing contract (worth thousands of dollars in legal work), just so that they could get paid for their writing. I was in the audience....All you had to do was give your address. So, I provided my address (on a self-addressed stamped envelope) and he sent it to me. And, I have always been compensated for all my writing for publication. (I'm afraid not to charge for my work...he'd probably haunt me from the grave.) Underneath it all, a very generous soul. (btw-Susan, his wife, told me that I was the only person who had put a stamp on the envelope....and he still sent the contract out to anyone who asked for it - even if he had to pay the postage....) I noticed that his contract had an address on it - so, I sent him a "thank-you" card, too. it was never returned, so I assume it reached him. Listening to just one of his suggestions will make a person a better writer.
@@scottorama2002 yes contracts are subject to Copyright Protection, depending if he had the rights to it would be a deciding factor. Harlan Ellison could be allowed to share it or own the rights to it we don't know.
+Akeche I'm also a designer and I had designed some work that was seeny by hundreds of thousands of people from around the world during the 2010 Winter Games. Everywhere I looked, people were holding my work in their hands, my work was everywhere. Guess how many phone calls for work I got... zero. Exposure means nothing.
Look, if you want to do something for free, do it because you want it made yourself. Not because you expect something from it. Publicity is always included in your resumes. You did a job? It goes there.
Actually, you WILL get great publicity for working in showbusiness for free. That's how many people have got famous and gone onto fame and fortune. Harlan didn't do it that way and doesn't understand. Bless him.
Great stuff! I put a few of Harlan's stories in front of my brother when he was 16 and he insisted on driving to Harlan's house when we were in LA to pay him a visit. Harlan came to the door wearing only a towel, but he didn't kick us out. He was gracious and kind, despite our intrusion. He's righteously indignant, and he's a classy guy.
Speaking as an illustrator who gets casually asked "Can you draw me a---" on a routine basis, by people who just assume "Art" is goofing around and not like a real job anyway, so why should I expect to be paid for my time, my skills, and my effort... Every word of Ellison's speech here, is pure gold, music to my ears. Thank you for saying this, sir.
This is why I pay for commissions, unless an artist volunteers work. And I -still- want to pay them, especially if it's work that I like. I never make art requests unless I have the money first. - I'm a struggling content creator too. I'd never ask someone to work for free, knowing the struggle.
As a musician, I have found when you play for free you get treated like an idiot, rescheduled, cut and left wondering why you do this. When you charge a nice fee, someone will be called to help carry your guitar when you arrive as you are offered a glass of wine. It does not pay to give valuable things away.
+Alexander “'Xander'” Sack I agree. Art is something that should be valued by more than just applause, especially if the person who produces it makes a living with it.
+Alexander “'Xander'” Sack Now that being said, in the beginning, you are not a polished professional, and like I beginning mechanic you might be getting your practice on a couple of free tune ups until you really can do it like a pro.
This is exactly the same with painters and drawers. Actually it's just as problem with artists in general. People want us to work for free, and promise us we'll get exposure, but the exposure they're babbling about isn't worth a penny. And everytime an artist works for free, it hurts every single other artist out there, may they be a writer, singer etc. because when you work for free, you're saying that this is not a real job, this is just a hobby, when it may in fact be some people's main source of income. And even if you can do a sketch in five minutes, you should still get paid for it, because you have to also count in all the years of studying and practising you've gone through to be able to make that sketch in five minutes. Never do work for free, because you're hurting everyone, not only yourself.
valcaron Ugh I just recently heard about that, I absolutely agree! It's complete and utter shite that a painting can sell for that much purely because of a name instead of the actual painting!
heyitsablackguy That's exactly my point, and Harlan's too I think. It's a tough world and mommy's not gonna protect you forever, gotta stand up for yourself unless you want to get stepped on repeatedly.
Freja Rößle People are naïve to think they are going to become a Sir Paul overnight but Yes they should get paid something . Even the Super Bowl didn't pay Bruno Mars . AND he did a Masterpeice ! Yet I personally know somebody who waited on a Supergroup and for all her fetching and hustling they left her nothing but an Autograph because their attitude was " You had the pleasure of waiting on us ." At least 15 percent would have been nice .
Haven't read through all 1,751 comments so perhaps this has been suggested elsewhere: Harlan's advice is so good that we should be paying Harlan (and his heirs) for viewing it on RU-vid.
I think that every writer should start their day with a Harlan Ellison 'rant.' There's so much pressure to give away our stuff for free that we constantly have to be reminded that what we do is indeed valuable. Most people don't write very well because writing involves a set of skills that you must work hard over time to develop. Like any skilled specialist, good writers should be paid for what they create. End of story.
R.I.P. Harlan Ellison. Thanks for all of your memorable work. My condolences to the Ellison family. I show this video to all developers and designers that I mentor. The very first time that I saw it back in 2011, I was on the floor with laughter gasping for air because I was doing freelance work at the time. As the name 'freelancer' says, people want you to work for free. Like it is some how noble to provide services and not be compensated for your time and skills. It is important for everyone to be compensated fairly for their work. Charity is giving of your time and money to help people outside of your profession.
Same. I've shared this a thousand times since. Last time, only yesterday when some clown calling himself a producer advertised for a feature writer for a romantic comedy. No pay, just a credit! So I posted this video in response.
I'm not even in the arts, i work in education and i still relate to everything he said. They'll offer me "learning opportunities" instead of fair pay and expect me to give my heart and soul for their institution and their own success.
Lisa Colorado if you want more of that attitude just read his non-fiction volumes. I recommend “Sleepless Nights in the Procrustean Bed”, “The Harlan Ellison Hornbook” or “The Glass Teat”.
As a photographer, I frequently refer other photographers to this video. So many are so pleased to have their work published in a magazine that they just give it away without thought to the damage that they do themselves and all photographers. Thank you, Mr Ellison, for putting it so well.
I still come back and listen to this amazing rant from time to time. It's astonishing how much better my life got when I started working with this mindset in my professional life. "Well we're not a big company, Steve doesn't complain about not getting paid time and a half over 40 hours." Cool...1) Steve is an idiot. 2) Sounds like you'll be calling Steve in this weekend unless you can find the money to compensate me properly. ...and it has nothing to do with being charitable in your life. I don't send my son a bill for driving him to school, and I don't charge my friends for the dinner I bring buy when everyone at their house gets the flu and they just need an easy night off from cooking....because OF COURSE your interpersonal and private relationships should be based on kindness and helping each other out... ...but f*** business people who try to convince you to work for free so that they can take all the profit....and f*** your coworkers who do that stuff for free because "the boss will notice me". Suckers.
I love him!!! Being a photographer every friend and relative wants or expects work for free, especially if someone is getting married. I tell them I don't do weddings for under 10K. He absolutely right. You work is unappreciated and devalued because it was free.
Brilliant interview on why you don't work for free. I also think the 356 people who gave this a thumbs down on RU-vid, either work for Warner Brothers, or are the hacks giving away their shit for free.
+Vincent Johnson I know several people who've known Ellison personally, at least one of them quite well. He's brilliant, but he's an infamous bastard. He's absolutely right about this, but that doesn't make him a good person, and I can well imagine some of them giving him a thumbs down on that basis.
It's only brilliant if you don't think about the argument for a second or two. #1 It goes both ways, so if he ever talks about his work on B5 in public, say, at Comic-Con, he should pay them for the use of their IP, or get their permission to do it for free first. Personally I think it is rubbish either way (IP), but there's no harm in asking or being asked, so what got his panties in a bunch. They want his interview gratis but if he puts a price on it, they are not interested, simple, end of story. The woman might not have even been authorized to negotiate. #2 True art is a work of passion and getting paid is a byproduct. For him, his own work is clearly a craft, not art, or as he says it, he "sells his soul at the highest rate", or at least tries, hard. I guess he is his own agent and its the professional agent talking here. Too bad he is a better agent than artist, or a human being for that matter.
I have found myself coming back to this clip from time to time over the years. It resonates with me. This time I was quite taken by an idea I had never previously had: Imagine a biopic about Harlan that was made in the mid 90's with Joe Pesci as the lead!
@@dslittlejohn ^^ this guy writes. Or sings. Or composes. Or stuff like that. Heck, even acts in commercials, so I hear. Mechanical royalties for the win!
Great rant. The same always applies for artists and musicians as well. People always value the product but never the effort to produce it. In art school, the first lesson they should teach is, "nobody's gonna want to PAY you for this."
This is funny to watch this again after many years. I write for one of the big companies he mentions (won't specify which one. . .) and its crazy how much this has evolved. There are so many people so desperate to have their works represented by one of these companies. Not only do they work for free, but they give away any and every portion of their rights to their work. The problem is that this includes extremely talented people, its not just sub-par artists. So it makes it harder and harder to justify getting paid. Big Unnamed Company fired their sales team, and is now expects me to create little publicity campaigns for myself, keep a blog, maintain x amount of fans on social media, and actively spend time selling. None of this was included in our contracts, and I will not be paid for any of it. If I don't comply, they simply take my works out of their catalogue. I don't have time to be a publicist, a salesman, and a marketer. I am a writer. Unfortunately they world is packed full of talented people more than happy to do all of the above. . . Any who, sorry for the rant, I understand this guys frustration. If I were a better person I would be able to predict these things and stay on top of industry changes. But Im not good at that. Now I need to change careers, having spent nearly 20 years focussed exclusively on this one. Sob sob whine whine. . .
I don't personally know him, nor do I personally like him, but goddamn this man speaks the truth about anyone who ever works on a movie so I seriously respect him. Thanks for summing it up so perfectly.
John Kimbler I've gifted photos to subjects as a courtesy. They've turned up in The London Times, Google, Mad Magazine, books and magazines with no by line and no payment. I dont give anything awy any more.
R.I.P. Harlan. Thanks for the creativity & thank you for making this video & illustrating how people want something for nothing way too often. As a photographer, I know this scenario all too well.
Right on Harlan. Your sentiments are an exact reflection of mine. Too many no-talent beginners and amateurs are ruining the market for a genuine professional.
As a freelance writer, who hosts poetry readings in the Hudson Valley, NY and who reads my work all over the region, I no longer read for free. For many writers, just starting out, it is a major problem. Ellison was right on, and the passion with which he spoke, was admirable. Writers need to stand up for themselves. Serious poets and writers have a choice: charge for the work when you feel/know it is marketable, or write in a garret and starve. Alexander S, on this comment board, is correct!
This happens with sculpting too. Thanks to this video and Harlan, I put my foot down when I really large Miniature company asked me to work for free to prove my worth for a potential job.
Same things for bands willing to "pay to play", or play for free for the "exposure". There is always another band willing to play for free, and people rarely pay for downloads or cds, so playing for free is about the last thing you ought to do.
A production company approached me, seeking permission to include one of my videos in an educational film they're making. Imagine their horror when I politely "suggested" that I should be paid for the right to use my work. "But this is for EDUCATION!", she implored. "THINK of the CHILDREN!!!" Imagine their greater horror when I "suggested" where they could go and what they could do when they got there.
I fucking love Harlan Ellison. Pay the writer, pay the artist, pay the musician. "Passion" don't keep the lights on. CHARGE for your work, creatives. CHARGE FOR YOUR WORK.
I've written a couple of books and I feel his pain, but I can tell you, it's no different in the construction biz. "Do this or that extra for me and you can use it as a showcase." "I've got enough showcases to choke a whore. I work for money now."
I could not have said it better, although I might have used more cuss words. The work of artists and writers is not valued anymore. And he's right, the amateurs are killing it for everyone. They write their shit "novel" and give it away on Amazon, to the extent that people expect to get free books, although what comes at that price is crap. Do you know what I get for free? I get dick-point-squat. I have to pay through the nose for every fucking thing I get. Please, artists of all kinds. Stop giving away your work.
So now it's bad to have hobbies? Don't get me wrong, i am definitely behind the notion that artists should be able to receive compensation from their work, but you're condemning everyone who isn't interested in that and would just like to do it as a hobby and likes for people to see.
I had a venue in my hometown ask me to play for free. They were quite taken aback when I told them I never perform for free, except for a few choice nonprofit benefits a year. To all those musicians who play for free, STOP! You are perpetuating the idea that musicians and artists in general should not be paid. Thanks Harlan for this great commentary.
I knew Harlan in a very limited way and kept it that way because of his volatility. He was not a kind or generous soul, he immediately went nuclear over the slightest offense or insult. Some sort of genius mental illness at work in that man.
Ya know, it's sad, pathetic and unfortunate when you've invested so much time, effort, work and everything else that you know you do well, and then someone comes asking for what you have to just turn their back and shit all over you. That part pisses me off, no matter how hard you work on stuff, even if it's something small, it doesn't matter, you're doing about the same amount of work, to do the stuff that you love to have people ASSUME it's for free or EXPECT it for free. I'm the guy that likes to throw that shit right back in their faces, (yeah, I know, it might not be right, because they all say 'don't stoop to their level') but it still pisses me off. No matter what you do or what you consider yourself as. Those people that expect everything's for free or always assume and they're the ones that loved to give me their bullshit talk about 'free publicity', 'exposure' and 'experience, if they were to ever come to me and say they're charging an arm and a leg for their services and then say "how are you paying" I would then say "how the fuck do you think, here's a dollar from the monopoly board game money because that's how much I fucking think your worth". I bet you would never hear from them again. Yes, it might hurt you a little when people hear about that and it might make you sound like a god damn asshole as well, but sometimes ...people need a good old dose of their own medicine.
Definitely one of the most contentious and unabashedly honest authors in the medium and his loss his absolutely Brobdingnagian. RIP, You venomous diamond.
I LOVE IT!!!!!!! we all have a talent skill or gift and we do what we love and if its meant to be discounted or free let that person offer or make that decision!!!! We all work hard for something!!!!!LOVE IT!!!!!
I do agree with the 'being undercut by the amateurs'. I tried getting paid work on a creative headhunting-social network thing, and it was literally impossible to get work. Everyone would undercut so much. Even in the real-world with creative products people undercut. It feels like these creative people are support financially by their partner/family so they can afford being a "creative person" without worrying about paying bills. For exposure, whenever I sell an object online (old book, CD or Video Game), I slip in a business card as well. I have *a lot* of business cards so I can afford 'gambling' 1 or 2 pence on a piece of card with my contact details on and a painting I've done.
OMFG I had no idea this guy was so awesome. Most people would say he's being a curmudgeon, but he's just saying what needs to be said. The amateurs working for next to nothing just for the honor of being published are making it impossible for the rest of us to earn a living. Yeah, it's fine to be paid $150 for a full-color card illustration with multiple figures in an environment when you're 19 years old living in a squat with four other people, but to sustain that income model for 5, 10, 20 years? Good luck. The problem is education. We need guys like this to be (paid!) guest lecturers at art schools and liberal arts colleges. I received some great instruction at school on how to make art, but precious little by way of the business of the profession. How to negotiate a contract, how to recognize and avoid spec work, and how to stick the hell up for yourself as a paid professional. Roughly the same thing happened to me recently. Years ago I completed a technical illustration of a bioreactor process for a client. I was recently contacted by a separate organization asking if they could have a hi-res version of the illustration for an "interpretive sign" (whatever that is) they were installing. Now I've already had to dig a hi-res file out of my archives and re-send it to the original client on numerous occasions, and was just tired of dealing with it. So I told them I'd be happy to track it down in my archives and send them a hi-res version in multiple file formats for a $20 fee. Haven't heard back yet.
I recently expressed interest in writing for a toy company. One of the things they do are short, RU-vid movies that promote one of their line. They just had the nerve to E-mail me and ask me to write a "sample script" for them or send along "...any other cool ideas you might have." In other words, please write some new material for us for free! Sorry, not gonna' happen! The nerve of these people!
+Lina Jones But even asking for a "sample script" is pushing it, imho. I have a proven track record as an award-winning writer and producer. They KNOW this and have access to demo reels of produced material and published works, as well. They weren't dealing with some kid fresh off the truck here. Da noive of some people! I tells ya'!
+Ogma01 Sample script, my ass. If you want to check my writing, buy a book. When I take the time to write anything free, I'll pick the charity or you can check out my site -- plenty of sample chapters and blog bits there.Stick to your guns.
