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Venting
13 years ago
Every month or so, Alex Kovas posts videos and photos of some of his performances using our prosthetics (muzzles, ears, tails, etc)
http://www.youtube.com/user/AlexKovas
He never gives credit to us. He'll credit other artists who've made costume pieces for him or did makeup application, but never anything to us. He won't link to our channel, or website from his videos like what he does for others. His most recent video where he had someone else make prosthetics for him, he gave credit to the other artist.
I had to beg him to get a link to our site from his website to only have it buried on his site.
I've asked him about it before, but he states since he pays us for the masks and other parts he won't give us credit. WTF?
Supposedly the other artists are working for free for him (which I find hard to believe). This despite the fact he's being paid (sometimes thousands, which is mentioned in interviews) for his performances.
We've given him 25% discounts off of retail prices and we've done custom sculptures for new pieces for him at cost... yet this isn't "free" enough to get credit.
He won't allow us to use any of the photos he's taken, not even just the headshots, for our website to show off our prosthetics.
His makeup artist has posted photos of the makeup applications she did (yeah, she gets to use the photos) to her facebook and never once mentioned where the mask pieces come from. All her friends compliment her on her work and how wonderful it is. Only when someone mentions how great the mask is and ask her how she made it will she then state that she didn't make it. She's implying she's made everything in the photos and doesn't mention us at all.
Maybe I'm being unreasonable, but other larger clients have had no problems giving us credit and even giving an occasional shout out.
I'm not sure what more I can do other than possibly appearing as a jerk and posting comments in all his videos and the makeup artist's photos stating that we made all his masks. Or should I just go ahead and use his photos? That or just stop selling our pieces to him or maybe charge full price?
TL;DR : Alex Kovas artist avoids giving credit to us when our work is an integral part of his act.
So any ideas?
http://www.youtube.com/user/AlexKovas
He never gives credit to us. He'll credit other artists who've made costume pieces for him or did makeup application, but never anything to us. He won't link to our channel, or website from his videos like what he does for others. His most recent video where he had someone else make prosthetics for him, he gave credit to the other artist.
I had to beg him to get a link to our site from his website to only have it buried on his site.
I've asked him about it before, but he states since he pays us for the masks and other parts he won't give us credit. WTF?
Supposedly the other artists are working for free for him (which I find hard to believe). This despite the fact he's being paid (sometimes thousands, which is mentioned in interviews) for his performances.
We've given him 25% discounts off of retail prices and we've done custom sculptures for new pieces for him at cost... yet this isn't "free" enough to get credit.
He won't allow us to use any of the photos he's taken, not even just the headshots, for our website to show off our prosthetics.
His makeup artist has posted photos of the makeup applications she did (yeah, she gets to use the photos) to her facebook and never once mentioned where the mask pieces come from. All her friends compliment her on her work and how wonderful it is. Only when someone mentions how great the mask is and ask her how she made it will she then state that she didn't make it. She's implying she's made everything in the photos and doesn't mention us at all.
Maybe I'm being unreasonable, but other larger clients have had no problems giving us credit and even giving an occasional shout out.
I'm not sure what more I can do other than possibly appearing as a jerk and posting comments in all his videos and the makeup artist's photos stating that we made all his masks. Or should I just go ahead and use his photos? That or just stop selling our pieces to him or maybe charge full price?
TL;DR : Alex Kovas artist avoids giving credit to us when our work is an integral part of his act.
So any ideas?
I think withholding the discount would probably be the best idea. After all, if he's not going to extend to you the courtesy of readily funnelling potential business your way then there's no reason you should extend special privileges to him, no matter how hot he looks in your prosthetics. After all, your other customers don't seem to have any problem with your prices and seem quite happy to tell people where they got their gear. And even if someone working on a movie or somesuch receives a steady paycheck, they still have their name listed in the credits (ideally, anyway).
I hope you can get this straightened out. It does rather suck that you're not getting all due credit.
It's just annoying how we are the only ones not getting credit...
That's a REALLY shitty thing to do. You guys work hard on your product, and he should have the decency to spend another 5 minutes properly crediting you.
If he refuses, I'd refuse to do sale with him. Like you said below, you've practically shaped his career with your product-- he'll think twice when that's on the line.
We'll give him an ultimatum next time he comes to us for pieces. Either credit us in the description of all the previous videos using our stuff, or no more discount. A few minutes of work on his part is surely worth the 100's in savings.
Sad you've been mistreated! You should have credit, drop doing more discounts and mention how it bothered you about not being given credit. Sure they may then overreact and act like a bunch of ****heads, the worse they get, the more you should consider not accepting them as a customer. You don't need the stress.
I truly love your work and give you full credit for my discovery of furries through a YouTube video of yours which started my curiosity.
I truly want to give you credit for my entry into this magnificent culture!
I'm flattered that you discovered furry through our videos, I hope it's something you won't end up regretting, sometimes the fandom can be a bit like this bodypainter.
I am a true fur! I am a lion! I discovered so many wonderful things about me relative and from the furries!
Hang in there! There are a LOT of furries that are wonderful people! I keep running into so very many!
No one else has ready-made animal prosthetics & masks like what we have, if not for us, he's just some buff guy in facepaint and wouldn't have gotten all the recognition he has. He wouldn't have gone to Paris nor Japan. His body is magnificent, but the face creates the character.
Most of the other media people we've worked with have been friendly and given us proper credit. The Tonight Show, The Price is Right, and recently The Brick House - they've been dropping our info everywhere, so it's annoying how he's dodged mentioning us in interviews and seems to go out of his way to avoid making any link or affiliation to us.
So I'm thinking "Sooo...Samm Agnew did everything for that costume?"
I would say don't say anything, stop giving him the discount, and if anyone asks in the comments who makes the prosthetics just reply to them with your website and list him as client on your website.
Yeah it's a little mean sounding and stuff. But it's a pretty much good chance that he will start doing soo.... I wish you luck
I wouldn't "demand" anything, especially from someone as well-known as him. A patient explanation about the loss of discount due to non-crediting would be sufficient. Sad to say, but you need to watch your words veeeeery carefully when dealing with people, as they can tarnish your reputation and rant and rave about your "terrible" service and manners if you happen to say any word out of line, even if it's not true.
Although I'm very curious as to why there was a discount given specifically to him in the first place...
tl;dr: Do NOT stray from the path of civility and politeness when dealing with a customer, especially when explaining the terms of the discount. If not agreed to, I'd charge full price and wish him the best, as many others have suggested.