Your voice has a chance to be heard now! scamion.com - we bring changes together.
report scam| Country | United States |
| State | Nevada |
| City | Las Vegas |
| Address | 3565 S Las Vegas Blvd |
| Phone | (800) 290-9914 |
| Website | http://www.filmmonkeyweddings.com/ |
Film monkey is a nation wide wedding videography company that sub-contracts videographers to shoot their weddings. I have shot for them for a while and i have been paid on some weddings, it was way late but i eventually got paid. Well that has stopped. They owe me for 6 weddings, 4 of them were shot 6 months ago. They won't answer my call or respond to my emails. I did keep calling their phone one day that actually got them to respond to me via email which just said they would pay me that friday. That of course didn't happen and they haven't responded to any emails since. That was several weeks ago. It is pretty obvious that i am being ripped off and i am going to have to sue them. I just hope that some people will see these reports before working for them. Make sure to look into that and see what kind of company this is.
Did you pursue a lawsuit? I am thinking about starting the process. I am done with their lies and deceit. Any suggestions or tips would be greatly appreciated.
I think the above reviews are fake because my husband and I had an excellent experience with this company. Chris and Rebecca helped us every step of the way and captured our wedding in the most perfect way. Our video was amazing and the quality was great. We got the 8 hour package and it worked perfectly.
DO NOT HIRE! STAY AWAY!
I can not begin to describe how disappointed and upset my wife and I are with this video and the entire process. She became physically ill when we watched it for the first time it was so terrible. This entire process has been an absolute nightmare since the second I paid them.
First they triple charged us and took months to return the over payment.
My phone calls and emails repeatedly went unanswered for weeks. It would typically take me 2-3 voice mails to even get an acknowledgement via email.
Our videographer showed up hours late on our wedding day. No one picked up the phone or responded to emails when we were trying to reach him the day of. As a result, we do not have ANY footage of us getting ready. I still to this day do not know where he was until I saw him setting up a tripod just as the ceremony was starting 2 and half hours after he was supposed to have started filming us getting ready. The skill of capturing the moment that is shown from this video is completely amateur. My 12 year old cousin managed to capture better film on his phone than the "professional" they sent to work my wedding. You can not even see my wife in the ceremony. It looks like I am marrying my father in law. I know the camera man was still behind the camera because he attempts to zoom in and out a few times over the course of the ceremony which resulted in nauseating and blurry images as he attempted to refocus. If he had only taken two steps to the left he would have been able to get my wife on screen. I would simply ask to recut the video, but upon reviewing the raw footage there is almost no usable film. Out of the 7 hours I was supposed to have, less than 2 hours of raw footage was captured. Of that 35 minutes is of the ceremony and another 30 minutes the camera was placed in the corner of the reception where you could not see anything but carpet for miles. The videographer also made no attempt to capture any of our guests in the video. Half of the remaining film is dark and out of focus. Also there are multiple pixels out on his camera which can be seen throughout the video. No wonder it took their editors 30 days beyond the 90 day contracted time to get me something. They had nothing to work with.
Upon confronting the company about this, their response was curt and short. Ultimately, they offered a refund if I were to send the order back to them, but when I asked where to mail everything there was radio silence until I threatened a lawsuit. Upon asking again for the mailing address they told me their legal department said a refund was not needed.
I really didn't want it to come to this but I have also experienced very unprofessional actions by this company. I filmed a wedding with another videographer and thankfully we kept in touch because he had a very similar experience with them as well. It took us a good two months to finally get paid for both weddings, and this was after fighting with them through threatening emails and more. We filmed the first wedding and both submitted our footage to them through dropbox right away and they offered to hire us for a second wedding the following week (This is before we received payment for the first) and we trustingly agreed since we figured we would get paid for both. I had emailed them about payment more than once on the first wedding and they hadn't responded. I wasn't until I threatened to report them to BBB that they responded back right away saying that I was being unprofessional etc.They said that I would have to send them the footage for the second wedding in order to be paid for the first wedding. This has never happened. I've filmed plenty of weddings and they always pay right away, sometimes even at the event during dinner! Alarms went off, I knew they were trying to scam me. They figured I would unintelligently send over the footage for both weddings before even being paid for one, there was no way that was going to happen, especially since my colleague was going through the same ordeal. I told them that I would not send the footage for the second wedding until I was paid for the first. After arguing about it, they sent over the footage for the first wedding. I asked how I would be sure that I receive payment after I sent the footage for the second wedding especially after this length of time and battle for the first. They finally paid me for the second wedding and then proceeded to say I should be more professional next time etc. I told them I would send them the footage for the second wedding and I uploaded them to my dropbox and shared the files with them.
I just received a notice in the mail that they are filing a complaint against me through BBB, using my tactic against me, I've decided to do research on them and it turns out they've done this plenty of times in the past with names like Kustom Films, and maybe more names, Jesse J Clark, poses as Chris and Becca Portman to scam people. If they want to take this to court, I have plenty of evidence with time stamps for all of the emails we've had back and forth, I have the time stamps for the dropbox files, I have a witness that worked with me, plus the endless information I've found online about them.
STAY FAR AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY!
This needs to stop!
THIS COMPANY OWES ME HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS.
FILM MONKEY STUDIOS AND CINEMA STAFFING IS THE SAME COMPANY AND BOTH COMPANIES WILL SCAM YOU.
I DID A LOT OF RESEACH ON MY OWN AND FOUND OUT A LOT.
FIRST YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT FILM MONKEY STUDIOS AND CINEMA STAFFING HAS COVERED UP THEIR ''DOMAIN'' WEBSITE NAME UNDER A SERVICE COMPANY CALLED PERFECT PRIVACY,LLC. (WHICH IS OWNED BY WEB.COM) YOU CAN REPORT FRAUD HERE ( [email protected] ). ANOTHER THING YOU CAN DO IF YOU HAVE BEEN SCAMMED BY THIS COMPANY IS REPORT IT TO THE NEVADA STATE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HERE ( AG.NV.GOV/COMPLAINTS/FILE_COMPLAINT/ )
I DID AS MUCH RESEARCH AS possible WITHOUT HIRING A PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR AND COULDN'T FIND ANY INFORMATION ON ''THE OWNERS'' REBECCA PORTMAN OR CHRISTOPHER PORTMAN .
I'M NOT SURE THEIR EVEN REAL PEOPLE AND THE NEVADA SOLE PROPRIETOR CERTIFICATION IS PROBABLY A FRAUD AS WELL. I DO HAVE THEIR INSURANCE POLICY IN WHICH I HAVEN'T INVESTIGATED YET BUT THAT'S NEXT.
STAY AWAY FROM FILM MONKEY STUDIOS VIDEO WEDDING COMPANY AND CINEMA STAFFING !
Unfortunately, Jeremy and I are dealing with our wedding videographer: Film Monkey Studios. They have not given us our wedding video and they haven't responded in weeks. They have breached our contract because we were supposed to get our video within 30 days of the event. We have contacted them several times through email, phone calls, twitter, reviews, etc. Their emails bounce back and their phones go straight to voicemail. We paid them up front $1,050 because of a promotion they were having. So no money or video. We are writing a certified letter, but we are afraid their address is fake because it does not show an actual location in Google Maps. We are just so so so sad. Film Monkey Studios -The owners names are Rebecca and Christopher Portman. They also might run a company called Cinema Staffing which is also a scam. We are disputing the claim through paypal right now.
I read in one of your outscam about a videographer not being paid by film monkey studios in las vegas. Add me to the list of another videographer who got stiffed for four weddings in the san francisco bay area by the same film monkey studios. Since i'm in california i would have to file in the las vegas small claims court to even register the legal problem and know they probably wouldn't even pay a judgement against them. That's why i hope to alert as many brides and videographers to beware of this company's poor business practices. They don't even follow the terms of their own written contracts. They will write a contract for a videographer, saying they will pay $100 up front within 24 hours after the contract is received via email through paypal, and the balance several days after they get the sd memory card of the wedding. But then come the excuses cited by another videographer on this same outscam.
Also, paypal seems to hold back any payments they do make until the check clears.
I had feedback from unhappy brides and had to explain i have nothing to do with the business end or editing process. One bride said that film monkey studios promised her two videographers, for which she paid, but i was the only one who showed up and videoed her wedding. When she asked for a refund for the no show videographer, she got a reply, "we don't do refunds." very sad to see any company in america operating this way. Yelp gives a bigger clue to the terrible experiences with dozens of complaints there.
The better business bureau in las vegas said they won't even rate them because they have gotten to many complaints! i've reported them for fraud to the las vegas police fraud squad, but have not gotten any reply from them. The nevada department of corporations has no listing for them, nor do they have a business license in las vegas. It is difficult to file a small claims court action if you live in another state, so one begins to see how scam outfits like this keep in business scamming more unsuspecting brides and videographers. They started out at $50 an hour and it was slow pay for the first two weddings, then it dropped to $40 an hour and they refused to pay a $10 parking fee in congested oakland at a wedding overlooking lake merritt, nor would they even pay $20 for gas roundtrip for me to get there. Karma, where are you darlin'? We need you to star in las vegas at film monkey studios!
Film Monkey hired me for two weddings in February - one in Los Angeles, another in San Diego (they offered to cover gas by saving receipts). I signed their agreements, shot the weddings and did a good job for them. When it came time to deliver footage I requested to be sent a hard drive because I had over 150+ gb of footage and that would take days to send via drop box. It took them three weeks to send a drive. I uploaded the footage onto it upon receipt and sent back that day.
I only got partial payment on April 8th. That was after being promised to be paid weeks before, then they kept pushing. Finally I got a payment, however they did not pay me the amount we both signed and agreed upon. They still owe me $327.90. For two weeks, I've tried calling, e-mailing and nothing, no explanation or promise of full payment.
Videographers: do not, I mean, do not work for these people. They are terribly organized and will throw you under the bus. They are scammers not only to us, those who are outsourced and the only reason why their business can exist, but to those that hire them. Just read the yelp reviews!
Do not get scammed by Film Monkey. I know you want work for shooting video but this will only guarantee dissapointment and frustration.
Film Monkey Studios is operating under a very old system of increasing their bottom line. Their cheap prices obviously come from the fact that they do not pay the cinematographers they contract. As a wedding film maker with over 10 years experience and hundreds of films to my credit I have never worked for a company that did not pay me, at least not until I worked for Film Monkey Studios. I am owed for 4 weddings from 5 months ago. As a relatively young company I tried giving them the benefit of the doubt that they did not know that the standard in this industry is to pay anywhere from the day of the event to within 30 days. They will not answer my emails and they never have answered the phone. I live in Florida and my attorney suggests making them come to Florida to Small Claims Court. They have one more month to pay me and if not they should pack their bags for a trip to sunny Florida where a judge will decide whether or not they should pay me what they owe me.
Film Monkey is a terrible company. I tried to cancel right away after seeing horrible reviews on yelp and they threatened to sue us and ruin our credit if we cancel, the bank once the payment was processed removed the charges, now 3 months later, they have the charges back. So for weeks i have been asking them to provide the names of the photographers and videographer since many of the complaints say that they never showed up and if they did they never got their product. After weeks of texting emailing and calling them, the owner rebecca has sent me very rude, condensending and sarcastic emails. I keep asking her will you refund the money or will you provide the service, she will not answer that question. SO I am assuming that she will do neither.
This company does not return messages. I have been owed for over 6 months for a Wedding in did for them. Married couple has received video and are pleased. But Film Monkey will not pay or respond to my many messages and calls. Looking at other reviews this seems to be common for them. And I also have read they post fake positive reviews Would not suggest using this company.
I contacted this company because I found them here highly rated on The Knot. I could not believe how fast they responded to my emails, I was in direct communication with Chris, the owner, who was really helpful in explaining me the whole process. He knew exactly what I wanted and I loved the sample films he showed me. I loved how easy their online booking process was. My wedding was at the Grand Floridian and Marco and John were videographers. They did a great job and captured everything throughout the day. They were on time and professional. After my experience with Film Monkey and their team, I would HIGHLY recommend them to anyone. They had the best packages I've seen and I did a ton a research before booking.
The location of our wedding was in Los Angeles. Vladimir was our videographer. We had a wonderful time and everything ran smoothly. Very smooth and painless booking process. Rebecca was our direct point of contact. She was always super fast in getting back to me. Overall this was a great choice. My family loves the highlight film.
I booked these guys last minute due to a quick decision to get a videographer. I was a great decision. The team was professional and put in a lot of hard work. I hardly noticed them throughout the day. I am really happy that I have my day on film to look back on. Becca was so nice getting everything all set so last minute. I really appreciated it! I would strongly recommend Film Monkey.
Choosing Film Monkey was the best decision for our wedding. I was immediately blown away with their work on their website. I had my wedding in Newport, RI on May 29th. Chris and Rebecca were so nice to work with. Their cinematographer, Jon, did a great job. You can see a lot of time was put into our film. Rebecca was super fast in responding to all of my emails and needs. The customer service was spot on and I really appreciated that. I would HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend Film Monkey for your wedding.
My wedding was on June 2nd! They were fun to work with. Our cinematographer was Chris and he was awesome! He did a fantastic job filming our day. I found this company the David's Bridal site and they were one of the only companies that worked with my budget. I wish I could give more than 5 stars! Exceptional experience! Will recommend!
I hired film Monkeys to film my wedding.
The videographer showed up very late, and didn't even capture the Ceremony!!!
Once we addressed the issue with Film Monkeys, they said they would look into it. Rebecca Portman said she would get back with us.
They never reached out to us, and don't answer our e-mails or phone calls!
And we still haven't received the Wedding DVD!
Avoid Film Monkeys
I am the owner of the company and we were never late to a wedding. We have no record of this person or this wedding in question.
Rebecca Portman
DO NOT HIRE! STAY AWAY!
I can not begin to describe how disappointed and upset my wife and I are with this video and the entire process. She became physically ill when we watched it for the first time it was so terrible. This entire process has been an absolute nightmare since the second I paid them.
First they triple charged us and took months to return the over payment.
My phone calls and emails repeatedly went unanswered for weeks. It would typically take me 2-3 voice mails to even get an acknowledgement via email.
Our videographer showed up hours late on our wedding day. No one picked up the phone or responded to emails when we were trying to reach him the day of. As a result, we do not have ANY footage of us getting ready. I still to this day do not know where he was until I saw him setting up a tripod just as the ceremony was starting 2 and half hours after he was supposed to have started filming us getting ready. The skill of capturing the moment that is shown from this video is completely amateur. My 12 year old cousin managed to capture better film on his phone than the "professional" they sent to work my wedding. You can not even see my wife in the ceremony. It looks like I am marrying my father in law. I know the camera man was still behind the camera because he attempts to zoom in and out a few times over the course of the ceremony which resulted in nauseating and blurry images as he attempted to refocus. If he had only taken two steps to the left he would have been able to get my wife on screen. I would simply ask to recut the video, but upon reviewing the raw footage there is almost no usable film. Out of the 7 hours I was supposed to have, less than 2 hours of raw footage was captured. Of that 35 minutes is of the ceremony and another 30 minutes the camera was placed in the corner of the reception where you could not see anything but carpet for miles. The videographer also made no attempt to capture any of our guests in the video. Half of the remaining film is dark and out of focus. Also there are multiple pixels out on his camera which can be seen throughout the video. No wonder it took their editors 30 days beyond the 90 day contracted time to get me something. They had nothing to work with.
Upon confronting the company about this, their response was curt and short. Ultimately, they offered a refund if I were to send the order back to them, but when I asked where to mail everything there was radio silence until I threatened a lawsuit. Upon asking again for the mailing address they told me their legal department said a refund was not needed.