Open letter to Leo Burnett
Out of context: Reply #55
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- monolith0
why are people all getting bent out of shape about this?
Let's put it in simple terms.
Leo hires the studio to create this short film as a pitch most likely. They pay the guys making it thus own the rights to the work. That's why they pay them for.
The client, in this case Ronald McDonald House charity loved the work and they went with it. Leo took the video and redid it with a bigger budget not hiring the original team for who knows what reason (time restraints, previous partnership with another studio or for whatever the reason).
Leo had the right to make this decision. The fact that Asylum guys were butt-hurt (and I understand it's disappointing) for not getting the big budget redux, it's at full discretion of Leo who will get the big budget gig.
Yes, I get that Asylum guys worked hard trying to get the gig but hey, life sucks sometimes and you don't go whining to everyone for not getting the big budget work.
To go open like that is very unprofessional. Leo is under no obligation (quite the opposite) to promote Asylum in making this video.
I am not defending big agencies as they can be sleaze-balls but if you are not aware that the work might go to someone else than you shouldn't be in the business to begin with.
Now, if Leo had these guys do the work as a pitch and not pay them, then rip it off, that would be a different thing but from everything that's been said that's not the case.
This type of shit happens all the time. A big agency finds small creative team and pays them ok money to do shit for them. What they do after it isn't anyone's concern but Leo's.
If you don't want this to happen, try to work with clients directly instead of agencies. Agencies have been and always will be middle men.