tell 'em to pay out of pocket and offer scale.

If you don't have the budget to pay, improvise.

The fact is, things cost money...usually. Assuming you're creating a project as a "for profit" enterprise, AND you want QUALITY crew to help you create it, then you'll have to spend some money to pay them. And you know that airlines will not give you a deal to fly people and carry excess baggage no matter how altruistic your project. And you know that most hotels will not give you a break. Having said that, IF your project can somehow work in a positive angle for a corporation (ie, airlines, hotels, etc) as a "product placement" within your film, then approach those corporations and appeal to their marketing sense. This is all subjective, so if the corporate reps decide that your project will bring them enough "free" publicity to make it worth it to give you a "deal," then you'll maybe get some kind of break. If they decide that your project won't give their corporation enough positive exposure, then they'll likely pass and you'll have to pay full price. The fact is that production costs money. Anything can be shot and edited, but the quality of that product is dependent on how much money you have to spend. People and corporations have bills to pay just like you do, so any "deals" you make merely mean that someone else isn't being paid enough money to pay their bills. To convince them to do that means that your project is so compelling or altruistic as to deserve it. Brian Dzyak Cameraman/Author IATSE Local 600, SOC http://www.whatireallywanttodo.com