Business News

Wed Mar 31

The Difference Between a Creative Agency and a Production Company

Written by News Co

Creativity comes about in various ways. It could be one individual, a small group, or a larger firm that takes part in the creative process. It’s confusing if you don’t know what to look for within each creative entity. It helps to know when you’re set on hiring a specific creative to design a project. Here are the differences between a creative agency and a production company.

Creative Agencies

Today, there are tons of creative agencies taking on projects all the way from the small guy to the big corporation. New advanced software allows friends to combine their skills in design, display, or print, to launch a website seeking clients. Creative agencies often carve out a niche and stick to what they're good at.

The range is endless, but most include advertising and creating projects for commercial television, celebrities, or online e-commerce brands. Creative agencies are hands-on, often helping a business find its voice or solve issues with its brand. One example is Next Thursday Advertising Agency. These talented agencies are behind some of the biggest brand names on the market. They give a corporation the big picture and help define strategies that can push their brand forward.

Production Companies

A production company has the equipment to help bring a creative agency’s project alive. They often find locations, have a crew ready, create schedules and budgets. They take each client through various steps until their project or film is done. This includes pre-production, production, and post-production. Production companies also help with building large sets for television series. This is a major job and takes a lot of people to pull it off. They often handle the transportation of equipment out of the country or to another area. Most of these companies work in the film and television industry. Production companies assist studios in getting the film made within budget. The main staff members include the production manager, producer, writer, CGI art or editor. An individual can be a production company by choosing to create their own project under a Limited Liability Company they own.

Skills

Creative agencies have people on board who turn a bland-looking logo into a dynamic powerhouse on the market. It’s the creative and out-of-the-box type of thinking most agencies look for in their staff. Some have a strong concentration in art design, strategy management, or digital marketing. They often rely on people who understand social media and are good at creating impressive ad campaigns. Personalities are intense and free-flowing with ideas within a creative agency. It’s good to have strong leadership and a motivator who can create anything out of nothing. It also helps to have effective people skills to bring clients in the door, and show them what you can do for their business.

Those working for a production company are hands-on with editing equipment, expensive top-of-the-line cameras, and understanding schedules to break a project into phases. The skillset entails planning and budgeting a project at or under cost for the client. Leadership plays a big role in a production company. It tasks the production manager with hiring crews, evaluating their skills, and placing them on projects that fit their abilities. Those working in production companies face long hours of work. One may work in another country or within a small town. The hours to get a film shoot right can go on for 12 to 14 hours a day. Administrators of the business need to understand contracting and working with celebrities. This can turn into a massive job quickly as some production companies can employ over 100 crew members for one project.

Why do I need to know the difference?

Once you understand the difference between a creative agency and a production company, you’ll know who to hire. You’ll also find out fast if you’ve overstepped the line asking a creative agency to do tasks more suited for a production company. Take the time to research each type of business. Remember, a creative agency and a production company can range from small to large. The sole entrepreneur may have a huge following for their creative skills when working for small businesses or mid-size companies. It’s possible one person can be their own production company. Instead of having a crew on payroll, they’ll hire independent contractors skilled in each job set. This can include lighting, camera, script development, editing, sound, and talent liaison.

How to find jobs

Use the internet to find work within a creative agency or production company. Most open positions are posted, but word of mouth can often get you hired. You can also create a website displaying your skills. This is often stronger than the basic resume. Join forums and try to meet people who work for creative agencies or production companies. Many people have started channels telling viewers how to get jobs and what to expect. Read trade magazines to learn what companies are looking for and what they’re paying. Do research about salary offers, and always know what you're worth.

These are the differences between a creative agency and a production company. Understand that a creative agency is strategists who know how to revise a business brand for success. They are intense thinkers who see the larger picture at play when giving a corporation a fresh look. Agencies or studios hire production companies for planning and using the equipment to make a film. They often take on projects and break them down into three production phases. They create budgets, schedule, and edit the end project. When you decide to hire a company, know what you want the agency to do versus the production company. This makes life easier so you don’t overpay for not getting what you expect from either business. Knowing the difference between these two businesses helps you make better hiring decisions. If you want to get hired within a creative agency or production company, search online, join forums, view channels or try to meet people employed with these businesses.

Wed Mar 31

What is Considered as "Reasonably Necessary Treatment" on a Workers Compensation Claim?

Written by News Co

Have you ever thought of the possibility of being involved in an accident while performing your job? Probably not. Regardless of the job you are in, however, it is important that you know your rights when that happens to you. After all, someone should be liable for whatever injury you sustain in the line of duty.

Did you know that under the law, your workers compensation insurer should pay for your medical expenses when you get injured at work—regardless of whether you were at fault or not? But there’s a catch—your insurer is only required to pay if your medical treatment is deemed as “reasonably necessary.”

In this article, we will discuss what types of treatment are considered as “reasonably necessary” under the law.

Which expenses are considered “reasonably necessary?”

According to Section 60 of the Workers Compensation Act of 1987, your insurer is liable to pay for your “reasonably necessary” treatment and other related medical expenses after you have sustained a work-related injury. The fact that there is a label “reasonably necessary” means not all treatments you will receive after the accident will be covered by your insurer.

To be categorized as “reasonably necessary, there are a few things that your insurer needs to consider. Under the law, these factors include the following:

How the treatment may help you improve your daily function
Whether or not the treatment is related to your work-related injury
Whether or not there are other alternative treatments available
How much the treatment costs
How the treatment will actually benefit you in the long run
How medical experts accept the treatment as being appropriate and effective

With these considerations in mind, only the following expenses will be covered by your insurer:

Medical and related treatment which includes any treatment you receive from medical practitioners during your hospital stays and other appointments
Rehabilitation treatments, including occupational therapy and speech therapy
Domestic assistance services, including personal care, registered nursing, and other attendant services
Provision of artificial aids such as wheel chairs and other assistive technologies
Nursing and medicine supplies, including those provided outside of hospital treatment
Ambulance service, both emergency and non-emergency

The “reasonably necessary” expenses also cover travel expenses, including those you have incurred attending to your medical appointments. To claim this, however, you will need to show proof of public transport such as receipts, or a record of your mileage if you used your own car during your appointments and hospital visitors. The current maximum amount payable for private transport is $0.55 per kilometer.

Which expenses are not considered “reasonably necessary?”

While the Workers Compensation Act of 1987 seems encompassing, there are certain claims for treatment and care that it does not cover. Some of the services and items that the law does not cover include the following:

Treatments you had before the accident that caused your work-related injury, unless you had a pre-existing condition that was made worse by the incident
Household items such as linen, furniture, and others you may have used during your hospital accommodation
Services received for injuries not related to work
Additional hospital expenses such as newspapers and extra food
Treatments provided for family members

When making a claim, it is also crucial to remember that the program does not cover the payment of your wages while you receive treatment for your work-related injury. Under the law, wages and other benefits should be paid by the insurance agent of your employer, not your insurer.

Can the insurer pay for your medical treatment without prior approval?

In most cases, no. But while the law stipulates that the insurer should pay only for the cost of medical treatments with the prior approval of the insurer, there are cases when a lack of prior approval is considered acceptable. In such cases, the medical expenses should still be covered by the insurer. These exceptions include the following:

All treatments received within 48 hours of the injury
Expenses incurred during a meeting with a nominated treating doctor
The initial consultation with a medical practitioner specializing in your case, as referred by the nominated treating doctor
All x-rays performed, as referred by the nominated treating doctor
All services provided in the emergency room
Pharmaceutical items approved by the nominated treating doctor within 3 weeks of the injury
The first 7 treatment sessions with a physiotherapist, osteopathist, or chiropractic doctor
The initial consultation with a psychologist and the succeeding 5 treatments or counselling sessions
The first 5 sessions of remedial massage
The first hearing needs assessment with the nominated treating doctor
Other expenses that the Workers Compensation Commission orders the insurer to pay for

How do you make a claim?

Once you have determined that you can make a claim for your reasonably necessary treatments and other expenses, you can get your claim number from the nominated insurer and give this number to the medical practitioner treating you. Your doctor will then send their accounts directly to the nominated insurer to get payment.

But what if you are already done with the treatment and would like to seek a reimbursement? Well, in that case, all you need to do is to gather all your receipts from the treatment and other medical appointments and present them to the nominated insurer to have your money reimbursed. You can do this by itemizing everything on a spreadsheet and then attaching all your receipts on the printed document.

It usually takes insurers up to 21 days to approve compensations for reasonably necessary treatments and expenses, but the process may take longer if you fail to provide adequate information. When this happens, you may request the needed information from your treatment provider.

If you think you have provided sufficient information to the nominated insurer but the insurer still fails to respond to your claim, you may refer your case to experienced lawyers such as the personal injury lawyers in Perth for legal advice. You also need to consult an experienced personal injury lawyer if the insurer denies liability for the payment of your reasonably necessary expenses, even after being presented with sufficient documents.