The Cooler 27/08/2022 The Cooler 27/08/2022

Ascendant Fox Films. Bart Ruspoli, Hester Ruoff.

This company has recently employed a number of freelancers on terms which look to be in contravention of HMRC’s guidance on taxation of junior workers (including Runners). A warning for any freelancers working for (or intending to work for) a company called Ascendant Fox Films.

The Cooler 22/08/2022 The Cooler 22/08/2022

Vice. The Cowboy Kings of Crypto.

There is very little which irritates freelancers in our industry more than not being paid on time. And it’s particularly aggravating when big companies do it, given that they usually have ample funds and should know better.

The Cooler 09/08/2022 The Cooler 09/08/2022

Rick Taylor.

“Sports TV entrepreneur and Fashion Show personality”, lately Rick has taken to wandering around industry employment pages on Facebook touting for workers, but not ones he would actually like to pay thank you very much.

The Cooler 26/07/2022 The Cooler 26/07/2022

Chatterbox Media and their treatment of freelancers.

Dozen of complaints have been lodged against the company over a 12-month period, including for bullying. Worth remembering if you find yourself a victim of companies which engage in this kind of thing. There is always a willing ear and free and confidential advice to be had.

The Cooler 28/06/2022 The Cooler 28/06/2022

Mark Forstater. Matthew Critchfield. Nathan Neuman. Swipe Fever.

They made a film called “Swipe Fever”. Freelancers were taken on in good faith that they would be paid for their work and then discovered that the cupboard was pretty bare when they presented their invoices.

The Cooler 04/06/2022 The Cooler 04/06/2022

Luke Elkins.

Luke Elkins runs a Facebook page called UKTV Runners, copying and pasting jobs from other sites. Employers are not happy. Elkins is by all accounts also a sometime freelancer in the business. Hopefully employers will remember the name and behaviour when he comes around looking for work.

The Cooler 21/02/2022 The Cooler 21/02/2022

Serra Erkli. Moishe film.

Serra Erkli has been asked why the minimum wage isn’t being paid for the work but she is unable to say. Caution should be exercised by anyone who is contacted about this production: it may very well add up to less than it first seems. Another employer to avoid.

The Cooler 14/02/2022 The Cooler 14/02/2022

Rajesh Kalhan. Boy About Town Films. Selfie Control.

Another employer trying to take on an unpaid Runner. If anyone has taken this work and not been paid for it, please feel free to make contact and we will pursue this chancer for the pay you should have received.

The Cooler 08/02/2022 The Cooler 08/02/2022

Marc Hayward. Spark Content.

Bullying, enforcing excessive working hours and failing to pay people on time. That about sums it up. There should clearly be no place for Hayward in our industry in the future. If he should crop up again, best advice is for everyone to continue to spread the word of his history.

The Cooler 07/02/2022 The Cooler 07/02/2022

Zuzanna Skurtys. Art Director.

Late payment and – occasionally - no payment at all, are twin dangers lurking with all employments. This employer walked away from her commitments to pay her workers and also refused to discuss the matter at all, simply shutting up shop to all enquiries.