Used to figure mediation was just a box to check before the real fight. Then a buddy of mine took a $400 settlement on a $900 claim because the release buried a line about giving up his right to come back for the rest, and that was it. Turns out the mediator was the only one who read the whole thing, so now a release gets read line by line before anything gets signed. Good on you for running the numbers on that 5% before cashing out early.

Funny thing is this same stuff shows up way outside of shooting coverage. Look at local news when there's a big storm or a factory fire and you'll see the same handful of "witnesses" giving interviews, sometimes wearing the same outfit they wore at a different event months back. Part of that is just because news crews all grab whoever is willing to talk, and some people love being on camera, so they chase every event in town. But the pattern is real and it gets weirder the more you look at it. Started noticing it with those paid crowd gigs too, like the people who show up at rallies or store openings holding signs, same faces, different city. Once your brain locks onto it you cant unsee it, and that is the part that messes with you, not any single clip.