DEAR HARRIETTE: I participated in an amateur filmmaking competition with a group of four, and we won it. I am very proud of myself and the hefty cash prize. The money has not been split up yet, and two of the members believe that I should get the largest sum because I did all of the shooting and editing. The third, "Steve," thinks that it should all be split evenly. Steve barely did any work on this film, but he supplied the camera. How should we end up splitting the money? -- Cut!, Denver
DEAR CUT!: Congratulations on your award! This is very exciting. Your biggest challenge is that you did not discuss the division of the prize before winning it. Now, it's a question of group consensus and morals. What I can tell you is that you will never feel good about how you divide the cash prize unless the group agrees on a plan. For what it's worth, you wouldn't have been able to make that film without Steve's camera, so do not diminish his contribution.
To keep peace, I would recommend an equal split. In the future, you can talk among yourselves about how you might handle such a windfall should it come your way.