Bookings and Holds
From Mographwiki.net
Contents |
Definition
Holds and Bookings are part of an informal system used by studios/agencies to arrange the scheduling of freelancers and other part-time employees. It is for the convenience of both the employer and the employee as it gives employers the ability to either firmly schedule the talent they need, or at least ask that talent to give them first dibs on a specific chunk of their time. For the employee, the system guarantees fairly well that in a competition between employers for their time, they won't end up missing out on all jobs concerned.
Topical Discussions
Terminology
Note: These are not hard and fast definitions. They are guides to understanding a system which may be idiosyncratic with reference to various business practices. If the specific conditions of these terms are important to you in your dealings, it's generally suggested that they be written into a contract.
Holds
If requesting a freelancer's services for specific dates, a producer/scheduler can request to have dates set aside or put "On-Hold". Alternatively, they can simply Book (aka "Firm" or "Buy") the dates to assure the service/dates are reserved with no challenge. Freelancers/employees are of course completely free to suggest a booking in lieu of a hold at any time. Holds are mainly for the convenience of the employer.
First Hold
A ‘First Hold’ is considered a tentative booking. At either party's request, a tentative booking will be put on first hold. When a studio has decided to confirm or release the held date(s), it is customary to contact the freelancer to inform them, in either case.
Second Hold
If a studio has a hold on an individual for certain dates, a 2nd studio may also take . If first hold cancels I’ll contact you and offer you the date(s), which must be confirmed or released.
Challenge to the Hold (Buying Out)
As a producer/scheduler, if you want to book/buy date(s) that another Client has on a First Hold, you can "Challenge" that First Hold Client upon confirmation that you will Book the date(s) immediately if the first hold releases the date(s). The First-Hold Client now has the option to either Book or Release the First-Hold. The freelancer should make every effort to contact the First-Hold Client regarding the dates challenged by 2nd Client seeking to buy that time. However, if there is no response by the First-Hold Client after a reasonable number of attempts have been made, or __ hours have passed, making those dates/hours immediately available for booking by the 2nd hold client should be considered a legitimate solution to this admittedly overcomplicated problem. More likely, the freelancer will contact the First-hold client, and at that point, the client will either confirm a booking, or be made to release the hold, at which point the challenger is obligated to book immediately.
Confirmed Booking (Bought Time)
Many freelancers consider a confirmed booking to be the equivalent of bought services. In effect, this means: you bought it, you pay for it, no returns or re-scheduling or cancellations without a penalty fee. Fees such as this, called a "kill fee", will have to have been agreed to in advance (generally by contract) and vary depending on the project and the agreement. Some studios/agencies may use the contractual term for this cancellation arrangement "Pay or Play".
