Introduction
Danny Finn is a UK-based TV Mixer of note. In an award-winning career of 25 years behind the console he has mixed a number of successful and high profile UK TV shows, spanning drama and documentaries. His primetime credits are diverse, in that they include shows such as Judge John Deed, Panorama, Horizon and Footballers’ Wives.
In those 25 years as a staff mixer at a number of top Soho post houses, the thought of going freelance never crossed his mind, it was never the endgame as it is for some. But things change, shit happens, and now Danny is embarking on a new adventure. That of becoming a freelance TV Dubbing Mixer.
We asked Danny if he’d share with our Newsfeed his thoughts and experiences, the trials and tribulations, as things take shape out in the big, bad world; to check in with us at every stage so that the tale unfolds in real time. He very kindly agreed.
Part 1 was published in April 2017. This is part 2, in which Danny in immersed in his new world.
Part 2: Toilet Paper & Hogwarts.
So, where was it I left you all? Oh yes – I was on the way to my leaving party, to begin my life as a freelance dubbing mixer after 25 years as a ‘staffer’.
I’ve been freelance for a little over 2 months already. What have I learned?
Pencils move.
A lot.
A whole lot of movement.
I mean, if you look up ‘movement’ in the dictionary it says;
‘ [moov–muh nt] Variable noun. MOVEMENT involves changing position or going from one to place to another. Specifically audio bookings for Danny. See also Hogwarts Staircase and bowel.
The 44 days’ work I had lined up between when I started and Christmas have all moved or vanished. Others have filled some gaps. I even had to say no to a booking because of a clash for the first time ever. Not a feeling I enjoyed in any way, shape or form. It’s happened four times since and I’m not sure I will ever get used to it.
Back in the day, someone would hatch a cunning plan. Slip a booking by a day, move one that isn’t up against delivery a bit later. I have gained huge respect for people who work as account managers (bookings we use to call it). How the hell do they do it? I seem to spend so much time chasing and answering emails and calls about bookings. Made harder by two, or sometimes three different companies whose dates intertwine, move, overlap, fit in perfectly, all happening on the same day….All this for everything to change at the 11th hour and have nothing happening. And I’ve already bought a weekly train ticket.
I just want to push faders up and down for a living, working with nice people on good shows. Is that too much to ask?
Apparently, yes. It’s a whole new mindset I am having to learn.
I have been so used to knowing roughly what I am doing, up to a couple months in advance (longer in my drama days). This does not happen as a freelancer.
Take this week as an example. I was supposed to be tracklaying from home on Monday, mixing a different show on the Tuesday, recording a V/O on the Wednesday, mixing another show on the Thursday and then mixing what I had prepped and voiced on the Friday. In the space of three short hours last Thursday ALL of them moved. Some by a week, one by three weeks and one ‘TBC’ once the lawyers have had their say.
The upshot? I have a whole week with nothing to do work-wise. The weird thing is though, any moment I could get an email or a phone call and be working the next day. If I’m lucky I’ll know the suite. Know the local knowledge. Know how it sounds. (I know, just give me that artistic moment please? I’m having a tough week). It is scary walking into a room cold and having to perform. I have always had immense respect for the guys I knew that did it. I’m one of them now, lord help me! I always try to go and sit in a room first. Play something I have mixed before. Imagine myself working in there with clients. Hey, Olympic runners visualise a race beforehand, Leigh Halfpenny ‘sees’ the ball dissecting the goal posts before a kick, why not me?
Anyway, I’ve been averaging three days work a week. Not brilliant, but enough to keep the wolves at bay. Only just starting out etc etc. The most I have worked is eight days straight. This week, as I said, I have nada. I have been to look at a few different post houses. More still to see though. It isn’t easy. Some places I have been ‘up against’ for years, who you’d think would welcome getting me in the door don’t even reply. Others I have never personally come across before have been the most welcoming and helpful people to a new-to-this-position person, like I am.
I’ll tell you something though, the BEST way to find out what a facility or production company is like is to look at their toilet paper. I kid you not. I now make a specific detour just to check out the bathrooms. Never mind the old adage that whoever serves the best cookies gets the most work, Production Managers should choose solely on the quality of toilet paper.
There have been a couple of places (I shall name no names) that basically are only one step up from that stuff you used to get in school when I was a child. No absorbency. Others seem to have had the idea that, yes, the luxury stuff’s more expensive, but makes for a happy client. These are the places I enjoy working. Don’t get me wrong though, a gig is a gig and if I have to rough it (pun intended) then I will. And have.
So, where was I?
Pencils move. New studios are scary until you know how they sound. You have to say, ‘sorry I’m already booked’ far too many times for my liking and this week I’m unemployed.
I should make the most of it as July, August and early September are filling up nicely. Obviously everything will move but just for this moment, this one glorious moment, it all looks like I have a fair amount of work in.
Getting paid for that work is an interesting thing. Invoice terms 30 days. Not 40, not 50. It says 30. You can pay me before the 30 days if you’d like. Apparently, legally I can charge 8% per day its over-due and also a £100 handling fee per invoice too. Can you imagine sending a monthly invoice to a company with all these charges on it? I’d be very interested to hear from you, dear readers, if any of you have ever done this? And if you were ever employed by said company again.
Hang on. I have just realised something. The companies with the worst toilet rolls are also the worst at paying on time.
Now that’s just sh!t.
