That's why you should never let anyone work for free. Hire them at minimum wage through a temp agency. You should be able to get them for around $10 per hour and they have full medical, taxes are withheld and workmans comp is all taken care of.

The temp staff gets $10 an hour but how much do you as the producer pay to the temp agency per hour? Can you have a bunch of your DV friends sign up at a temp agency looking for film work, you show up looking for temps, you hire them and they give you the $10 back?

You will have paid a little bit to the temp agency but your friends work for free and you have your whole crew insured.

Is this possible or even more important is it legal?

Maybe this should be split into a separate thread, Wranglers, please move it if it seems the thing to do.

using temporary staff
 

Just to fire up this thread again Rik--creative use of a temp agency (but not in Japan I would assume).

Is it legal? Can you guarantee that your DV friends will get listed with the agency? Can anyone elaborate on obligations as a producer to temp agencies? And oh yes---chorizo in Osaka?

Victor,
yeah, I wouldn't use a temp agency here, don't really know how things are done in the real world(outside Japan).

No one here that I know gets insurance or permits for filming, all the stuff I do is always on the go, shoot first, ask permission only if someone asks what we are doing, but usually they are someone who is just passing by so they don't count, but if we are filming inside then I always get the owners permission but out in the city, it's been no problem, luckily nothing seriously dangerous has happened, although I might help another DVinfoer on his doc on japanese bike gangs. We are trying to get in with the cops so we can film the cops but it looks like we won't get their permission so it will be a guerilla shoot.

It would be nice to actually do a bigger production where I had the money to properly pay people, having them insured would be one less thing to worry about.

I wish they had chorizo here, it seems they only carry the spanish chorizo, not the same as mexican chorizo.

Kina, yeah, he has some cool music, love that Okinawa sound. I filmed a big Okinawa music festival for a radio station last month in Osaka, even the rock bands had guys with shamisens.

How are things down south, you are down in Kyushu, right? Things are good up here in the Big O.

make 'em cry make 'em laugh!
 

Yah kina's awesome- "Hana" is the only Japnz song i can sing decently.

After posting i did a search and read more of Mike Rehmus's posts--
Thanks Mike- lots of good advice re: hiring help.

Biker group expose' sounds exciting/dangerous. If you have Jpnz skills and the right attitude great! Yes and police ride along might be difficult eh?

You know where they show up so if your camp out you might be able to get some footage. I wouldn't recommend a chase!

Kyushu has been awesome, but after nearly a decade here i'm moving back to the US (2 weeks away!). Sorting things out is a daunting task, I think we'll be better off in the long-run (read; family needs).

But Japan is ripe for DV --seen alot more cameras popping up in the last few years among the JETs and expats etc.

A thread/discussion about filming issues in Nippon might be useful.

I like the really blood red chorizo-- the stuff that leaves your mouth watering and red with Dye No. 3.