I was hired by winsome sincalir to do non-union background on a commercial. A friend had worked on the shoot and got paid about 3 weeks after. I waited 4 weeks got the number of the payroll company and called them. They told me they didn't have a record that I ever worked. I faxed my voucher to them. They in turn told me that I had to get an approval from Winsome Sinclair. I've been calling and emailing but they won't get back to me has anyone ever had a problem with them?

Procede with caution on that one. Too many stories on that casting office. Good Luck !!

quote:

Originally posted by California P.:
Procede with caution on that one. Too many stories on that casting office. Good Luck !!

Very surprised to hear what is happening.

Years ago we worked via Winsome and never had a problem.

Usually the casting people have nothing to do with payrolling.

Your signed voucher is proof that you worked.

I would tell the production company that
"I may have to seek legal redress"

Then if necessay file suit in Small Claims Court.

We are lucky, we have a collecton agency working for us; SAG.

Has anyone had recent experience, good or bad, about Winsome Sinclair? This is the only mention I see about them here.

This is what happens when you do non-union work. You've got no one to protect you. I would stay on them about the money. Give them the impression you're not going to go away. And if that doesn't work, you're stuck with a valuable lesson about the importance of having a union watching your back.

The voucher is proof you got paid -- I never heard of the place that is to cut the checks telling you to go back to the agency to get approval.

Secret Agent Man - there has to be legal recourse. A job was done, there's a papertrail it was done, a service was rendered and now a check needs to be cut by the check company.

OP, I wonder if you may have to put in a personal appearance if no one is returning your call. Stay calm and bring a calm witness. Is this the first time you've dealt with Winsome?

I have heard of others working with Winsome who got paid -- so perhaps this is just a glitch.

could this be the burger king commercial that was on those website casting places not too long ago ?

I heard they were really "ghetto", extemely disorganized and have actually booked SAG people accidentally as non-union.

anyway. you got a voucher. on it is the payroll company. you contacted the payroll, then they dont see your name on the list. You see, Winsome Sinclair is actually just a woman. She was hired to be the background casting person. she was to arrange the background, call them all up, have them come to work. She herself is an employee of the production co.

simply get in touch with winsome, which she is a freelancer like alot of industry ppl and prob since there is no project for her, she might be out of town...

but you need winsome to tell the payroll co that YES indeed, you were on the list and you were there and you got the authorization to be paid.

If you can, find out who the production company is, and get them to authorize the payment.

there IS definate dangers of working non-union. but you are lucky you worked non-union on a union shoot. ( if it was indeed the burgerking ) you can try to call SAG, or go to SAG and tell them what happened. sometimes SAG is known to help out a non-union extra if it was a union set.

good luck, and if you dont get paid at the end of all this, dont feel bad, its only money.