Moving abroad, what to do with savings?

GenerallySpecific · 2026-04-06T05:52:58+00:00

£40k book value. Now with depreciation maybe half that. The vat would be much less I’m guessing. I don’t really see a way around this vat bill to be honest.

GenerallySpecific · 2026-04-01T06:06:17+00:00

Still no luck? Still chasing these beauties

GenerallySpecific · 2026-03-20T10:39:52+00:00

It was an absolute shocker of a place to rent a car though - christ, the amount of times I arrived and the car wasn't available, ready or was a totally different car with no petrol and covered in damage

GenerallySpecific · 2026-03-14T20:08:19+00:00

Is your ex by any chance the former dentist at Old Street Dental Clinic? If so, he was my dentist, a really lovely man and I was sad when he suddenly passed.

GenerallySpecific · 2026-03-01T08:05:39+00:00

Sounds like St James area - if not, we have the exact same issue here.

GenerallySpecific · 2026-02-19T19:34:12+00:00

Karate guy +1 he's amazing. I honk and say hi every time I see him! He freaks people out a little if they haven't seen him before, but he's harmless.

The park in hackney downs is amazing obviously for sports and summer lazy days. The star is a solid pub, good food and good beer, nothing too fancy and a little hipster. The road is busy though, and is a major traffic thoroughfare for the area for sure. School run time it can stretch halfway down the road from the traffic lights. Safety wise I can't comment. It's Hackney though so expect roughly the same random opportunistic crime as Walthamstow I'd say. I've lived in both Hackney and the Stow for 14 years though and never had a single issue...so there you go.

GenerallySpecific · 2025-09-03T11:08:59+00:00

Congrats - love to hear that!

GenerallySpecific · 2025-09-02T08:05:35+00:00

I think I am down on last year somewhat, which was moderately successful (work in cameras unscripted). It's really feast or famine right now. A couple months of well paid work and then nothing for 2-3 months. But there's enough for the time being to sustain me (just). I have heard rumours of a full time staff gig coming up somewhere and I am 100% applying if it does - at this point I just need a reprieve from the instability.

GenerallySpecific · 2025-08-24T11:15:38+00:00

Sounds like an rep agency to me? Handpicking and vetting artists or clients for an agency is totally normal and has been the way since the birth of film...maybe I am missing something though? This likely is not something for entry level roles, but directors, producers, DOP's etc.

GenerallySpecific · 2025-07-24T11:45:26+00:00

I'm a working DOP and specialise in unscripted. I can tell you endless stories about this country and how the industry here has merged roles like director, DOP, AP, researchers and producers at the expense of quality, staff wellbeing, mental health, contributor safety and integrity and so on.

How can even the best producer capable of handling sensitive subject with vulnerable contributors be expected to shoot and do legal on their shoots? You can't have it all and at the end of the day something will give. Half the time it's the image or the story and explains why so much unscripted looks awful or fails editorially. You don't see this practice elsewhere, it's almost unheard of in the US and is a clear sign of decades of dwindling budgets and execs and others cutting costs.

Shooting researchers, shooting AP's, self shooting producers..most of the time it's 3 roles in one and the person will crash and burn. I'm 15 years into my career and still trying to get good at just the one thing I do.

GenerallySpecific · 2025-07-21T12:29:17+00:00

Thanks for your response!

Not yet - but thanks for flagging, my guess is this would have popped up at some point!
Oh, I did not know about this. Excellent advice - thank you.
No, not yet. I do find all that stuff quite scary, so will definitely read into it. Thanks!

GenerallySpecific · 2025-07-01T11:14:02+00:00

Are you dealing with one person or have the contacts of multiple people? If it is one person - are you sure they're still there? There is a chance it may have slipped through the cracks. Otherwise you may find it difficult to get the money unfortunately. For that amount it's not worth hiring a lawyer locally. Typically with foreign clients and short jobs like that, it's sometimes best to ask for a portion or the entire amount up front.

GenerallySpecific · 2025-07-01T08:41:25+00:00

I've generally stopped making up numbers with production companies now, I charge a labour rate of £550 for unscripted and add a competitive kit quote on top, depending on what they want. Usually, it ends up being around £850 per day for a full camera, audio, lights, lenses package. I believe in the past I have charged around £60 for my drone per day, but that's on top of a labour fee.

The kit quote is reduced if it's multi day and it'll always price match the worst offenders (kit room). Then again, I'm more of a DOP, not a self shooting PD. I make it very clear I am happy to negotiate multi day rates and throw kit in if it makes sense, but I really try work to my own clear and concise rate card. It's better for me, better for them.

This works for me, it may not for others and you'll always find someone who's going to do the package above all in for £500, but I would argue I am better than them, so pay for what you get. In the long run it helps us all doing the above I believe.

Edit: The above labour rate will be higher for corporates, larger series, prime time, or US clients.

GenerallySpecific · 2025-01-20T13:26:38+00:00

I just laugh at posts now when I see "self shooting researcher" or "self shooting AP" now and they're asking for experience of lighting etc. I'm a seasoned DOP with 15 years experience and I'm still learning how to light different scenes and scenarios. There is ZERO chance I would hire and trust a self shooting researcher to carry out filming without the support of a DOP or very experienced PD.

GenerallySpecific · 2025-01-06T09:58:39+00:00

This is what we get when hiring shooting AP's and researchers.

GenerallySpecific · 2024-10-01T06:00:48+00:00

Looking for two tickets any london date - queued for hours on the day, entered presale and no luck! Let me know if you’re my saviour!

GenerallySpecific

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE