Need Paid Consultant For September 1 Film Shoot

Hey, all! I'm looking for a Colorado-based climber or two to help me out with a film shoot I'm directing on Saturday, September 1. We'll be shooting at a spot on the road near White Ranch Park just outside of Golden, CO starting at about 12:00 noon.
We have a few characters who will be standing on a cliff (30'-40' high) overlooking the road, and I need an experienced climber to help with safety precautions (mostly in the form of tethering our cast and crew to trees a little further up the hill). Specifically, we need enough rope, harnesses, and carabiners to tether up to five people at a time (there are enough trees close behind them that we won't need more than, say, 45-50 feet per person at the absolute most), as well as a heavier rope for people to hang onto to climb up the much gentler slope up the road (We'll call it around 75 feet, but again that's the very most it might need). Optimally, the harnesses should be able to be concealed underneath our actors' costumes.
In return for lending us your equipment for the day and supervising its use, you will be paid a consulting fee of $50 cash at the end of the day as well as being offered a small speaking role in the episode if you want it.

P.S. If you can also provide the gear to set up a couple of rappelling lines for our bad guys, it's worth an extra $30 to me.

I'm gonna take a wild guess and say this is not a union shoot.

So, $10/hr (maybe less) and the "consultant" provides the gear? Are your cast members aware that their safety will depend on someone you found on an online forum and who is working for burger-flipping wages?

There are plenty of rigging companies that provide this kind of service to the film industry, although they might expect a touch more than $50 for their services.

You should consider asking for a volunteer. Seems less of an insult than the wage you're offering.

Just ask the script writer to remove the scene at the cliff from the production.

Oh, and the car crash scene, too.

Pretty much what those guys said. Ask for a volunteer, and maybe elucidate a little further what the project is, so folks can get interested, or raise your budget. A LOT.

Here's contact info for the Denver IATSE local: iatse-intl.org/directory/lo…

They can probably point you to someone reputable in the area. Again, it's not gonna be cheap. Alternatively, you could hire a guide service to deal with your logistics, still not cheap, but probably cheaper than entertainment riggers, and I bet a few in the Front Range have some applicable experience.

I'm going to take a wild guess that all the responses you've gotten in this thread are from folks in this line of work (myself included). You're not getting a professional for $50 for a full day of work + equipment rental. You are probably going to get some stoner who doesn't know what the fuck they're doing and is just looking for a quick buck. Consider this before you risk other people's lives.

I think I'll go up there just to watch all the shenanigans. Lawn chair, a beer and video cam.

This has to be a Troll.

There's no way a "film director" has the balls to put himself and crew in the hands of a climber who would accept $50 for a days worth of work and rental of gear. I'm sure there aren't many people on this site who even have harness etc. for 5 people. Besides if you went to a climbing gym and rented gear for 5 it would be almost twice as much and you can't take it out of the gym. Also any self respecting climber wouldn't assume the risk of people who he dosnt know. Ive been in the climbing business and +/- 200 per person for a half day seems to be the going rate. This films gonna flop and of course-

Yer gonna DIE!

Ryan N wrote:This has to be a Troll. There's no way a "film director" has the balls to put himself and crew in the hands of a climber who would accept $50 for a days worth of work and rental of gear. I'm sure there aren't many people on this site who even have harness etc. for 5 people. Besides if you went to a climbing gym and rented gear for 5 it would be almost twice as much and you can't take it out of the gym. Also any self respecting climber wouldn't assume the risk of people who he dosnt know. This films gonna flop and of course- Yer gonna DIE!

Actually most directors in my experience think that everyone will hop on board with their ideas and throw money/time/gear at them enthusiastically. If they didn't, they wouldn't be directors.

I will do it! I don't have 5 harnesses but I have a shitload of used webbing. I have 1 rope which could be doubled 1 set of twins not rated as singles (I doubt it) as long as u r not ' actually climbing' it should be legit. Some of my friends have boats so something can be arranged im sure. As for bad guys rapping off we will figure something out. I have a mattress ...hey keep the cash I just wanna be in the movies. Can I improv? And I want a bigger role for sure! Totally my dream man! U scratch my back I scratch your back! Rock on!

...all my friends call me Bugs

facebook.com/michael.bilker

Have a look at the definition of bilk, and bilker.

Can there be a scene when im climbing this trad climb in the movies? OK if that movie thing does not fly can u just take pictures of me climbing? $5 a day cash! I have been working this sweet 5.6 on gear.

Shoot ...I got bilked!

I can do it. 'cept I'll hafta steal mom's clothesline again.

I'll do it. I assume that there was a typo in the ad and you meant $500. Either that or there will be a few 8balls and some classy women for the wrap party.

Okay, folks, it seems some clarification is in order.
Firstly, yes. I am aware of the meaning of Bilker. It is, however, actually my name. I joke occasionally that I come from a long line of horse thieves, and that is where the correlation with the dictionary ends.
Secondly, I am not a professional filmmaker, and the episode I am making is working on almost no budget (The only reason we have any budget at all is because one of our guys unexpectedly asked if he could pitch in). So no, I can't offer what many of you would consider a reasonable fee, but considering what a huge favor you'd be doing for this project, it seemed worse to ask for free volunteers (a category which, by the way, includes literally everyone else involved) than to at least offer something (i.e. almost half of our entire budget). Believe me, I wouldn't have come here to be ridiculed if I could afford a professional rigger. Or a professional anything.
Thirdly, discounting the eventuality of the rappelling scene working out, this day would consist entirely of tying some people to trees so that they don't fall and then sitting back and relaxing for the rest of the day, barring the occasional knot someone needs help with.
I made this post in the hopes that someone out there would be willing to help out an independent filmmaker who is running a project purely on his own power. For the record, I never assume that people are going to "hop on board", but I hope for the best and I like to think that others find the result as rewarding as I do. Maybe I'm naive - really, really naive in some cases - but it's better than being hopeless.

As for more information about the project itself, here's the link to the Youtube series; the shoot in question is Episode 7, and will be my first episode in the writing/directing chair.
The Great Nerf War, Episode 2: Rusted Trust

Michael Bilker wrote:Okay, folks, it seems some clarification is in order. Firstly, yes. I am aware of the meaning of Bilker. It is, however, actually my name. I joke occasionally that I come from a long line of horse thieves, and that is where the correlation with the dictionary ends. Secondly, I am not a professional filmmaker, and the episode I am making is working on almost no budget (The only reason we have any budget at all is because one of our guys unexpectedly asked if he could pitch in). So no, I can't offer what many of you would consider a reasonable fee, but considering what a huge favor you'd be doing for this project, it seemed worse to ask for free volunteers (a category which, by the way, includes literally everyone else involved) than to at least offer something (i.e. almost half of our entire budget). Believe me, I wouldn't have come here to be ridiculed if I could afford a professional rigger. Or a professional anything. Thirdly, discounting the eventuality of the rappelling scene working out, this day would consist entirely of tying some people to trees so that they don't fall and then sitting back and relaxing for the rest of the day, barring the occasional knot someone needs help with. I made this post in the hopes that someone out there would be willing to help out an independent filmmaker who is running a project purely on his own power. For the record, I never assume that people are going to "hop on board", but I hope for the best and I like to think that others find the result as rewarding as I do. Maybe I'm naive - really, really naive in some cases - but it's better than being hopeless. As for more information about the project itself, here's the link to the Youtube series; the shoot in question is Episode 7, and will be my first episode in the writing/directing chair. The Great Nerf War, Episode 2: Rusted Trust

you have my respect for trying to do something on your own... however, you chose probably the least helpful website you could have chosen, as the bulk of people on here are just drunk on a rest day, and are gonna tear you a new one.

that being said, i think if you have a genuine interest to represent climbing accurately in film (you'd be the first)...you'll find someone willing to take the $50 for gas money if you give them a bunch of creative control. to be honest, seeing even just rappelling represented accurately (as a non-death defying, simple act of getting down from a high place, no real inherent drama involved) would be a little bit refreshing at least, i guess...

Michael Bilker wrote:here's the link to the Youtube series; the shoot in question is Episode 7, and will be my first episode in the writing/directing chair.

Your illustrious predecessors have set a high standard to live up to...

The horse theves are better than that! So...is that a no on me being in the movies then?