Complaint Review: C + Pictures

This report is filed to recount a breach of verbal contract between myself and C Plus Pictures (The breach of contract is defined as non-payment for my work as background for C + Picture's production film, filming in New Orleans of April 2014). I've contacted both business partners of C+Plus Pictures, Carlos Velasquez and Mark Landry, and both notified me that my payment for background work is indeed due, but at this time, almost a year later now, no payment for my time on set as background has been issued. 

I met Carlos Velasquez on April 15th, 2014 at Rick's Cabaret on 315 Bourbon St. in New Orleans, LA 70130 . He visited the adult entertainment venue with two of his film business colleagues, one of whom I recall to be Dan Fogler (the other, I forget). During their time at the venue, the men appeared to be attempting to recruit ecdysiasts to participate as background actors on set in a party scene for their movie in production. Carlos returned the following night, on April 16th, which was the night I had the opportunity to speak with him one-on-one.

During our conversation, he asked if I wanted to work as a background actror on set, for a total of four hours, for which, I would receive $200 in pay. He emphasized the fact that it was exceedingly difficult to find good-looking background actors in Louisiana relative to his hometown of New York, and that he would be appreciative if I would devote four hours of my time to work as a background actor on set and if possible, also recruit some of my ecdysiast colleagues to further help fill the party scene of his movie with good-looking people.

When I requested for additional information regarding him to ensure that he was indeed who he said he was before I agreed to work as background for C+Pictures, he showed me his IMBD profile to prove his legitimacy.  The movie for which he wanted me as background told a story about an impotent roofer (played by Grey Damon), a suicidal philanthropist (played by Stephen Dorff) and an expensive prostitute (a/k/a escort; "an import from Germany," Scene Magazine), directed by Ted and Bradd Barnes and written by Brad Barnes and Sophie Goodhart. In retrospect, I'm not sure why I agreed to waste my time but the fact that this dude, Carlos,

worked on at least what per the IMDB profile looked like one movie with a compelling premise (e. g. Lifeguard with Kristen Bell), I gave him the benefit of the doubt and am now sorry for it. I've never been on set prior so I thought it would be a fun experience, but as someone that flew out to New Orleans from Los Angeles specifically to turn a hefty profit from ecdysiast work (because in LA the ecdysiast business is especially bad) to take back home, while recouping travel and lodging expenses, it was imperative for me to optimize my time working at the entertainment venue and not at a C+production for what ultimately amounted to no pay.

On April 16 when the verbal contract was made, Carlos instructed me to arrive at the shooting location, 544 Esplanade Ave on April 17th, at 4pm and remain there until 9pm. Upon arrival, I was transported by one of his crew cars from 544 Esplanade Ave to an address where costume change took place and he had requested for me to change into "the sexiest thing [I had] to wear." I was then transported back to 544 Esplanade and was put into one of the party scenes. When that scene was done, I lounged around outside with the other background actors for about two hours. That was when I overheard the background actors discussing their pay as being minimum wage , and grew concerned because I was promised approximately $50/hr for the background work,

which relative to what everyone else was being paid now seemed a lot. At about 8pm, I, along with some others, were called in for the shooting of the last scene for the night. Afterwards, I was able to catch a ride (via one of the company's vans) to change back into my street clothes at the address where the dressing took place. There, I was handed some paperwork which requested my address, legal name and signature. I signed it, admittedly without reading it, then asked the person collecting the paperwork when and how I would be getting paid, to which, he replied that, if I came as "Carlos's friend" , the job was unpaid. I left the set at 9:15.

Under the pretense of paying me for my work on set as background, Carlos requested my legal name and address. I gave it to him. While I do not think an issue for a person that is not an ecdysiast, privacy is paramount to preserving safety among ecdysiasts, especially in a place like New Orleans where there have been several cases of violence against ecdysiasts and other places too, where violence against ecdysiasts is commonplace with harassment and short-payment being the less serious forms.

I had volunteered my information to Carlos per his request and specifically for him to honor his verbal contract. In my agreeing to come on set as background, I believed Carlos to be a scrupulous individual that simply wanted to make his work the best that it could be, with his using rather unconventional means of recruiting ecdysiasts as background actors as one way in which he was just trying to produce a good movie. 

Several days following my appearance as background on his film in April of 2014, members of Carlos's film crew appeared at the entertainmet venue where I was contracted to work, and overtly violated my privacy by calling me by my legal name in front of patrons and my ecdysiast colleagues. This is not acceptable. Almost all ecdysiasts utilize stage names to maintain their anonymity and privacy for safety reasons. I provided my information to C+Pictures for payment for my time on set, and not for any other use.

After my time on set, I contacted Carlos several times regarding receiving my payment as promised. When I had still not received my check, I contacted his business partner, Mike Landry, and he wrote to me:

I'm sure this is a misunderstanding. I checked with Carlos and he remembers that production was told to pay you. Our office is closed for the holidays but I will make sure to check if they have proper paperwork from you first thing Monday morning. It's possible I might need you to fill out some paperwork for payment and if so, I will forward to you immediately. After processing the paperwork, I can have a check cut in 2 days. It's possible a check was mailed out to the wrong address, but I will make sure either way. Sorry for the inconvenience and hurt feelings, I will rectify asap. 

But now, a year later, still nothing.

So in sum, if you are considering working with Carlos, or his business partner, Mike Landry, both of C+Plus Pictures, please consider my experience. However small in scale an infarction, I believe that a person(s) swindling someone over for a small sum ($200 in my case) is capable of swindling someone over larger sums. I believe this entire incidence an abuse of power on Carlos's behalf, and I would not be surprised that an unscrupulous character as C+Plus Pictures has proven itself to be in its dealings with me, is likely to undermine its professional integrity in other ways.