40th Anniversary Corporate Video

[Paul Patton]

Leo I apolgize for my bruntness to your response and sounding rude to your response.

thanks
paul

[Paul Patton]

I am a telecommunications technician. In the field of videography I do event videography, I have done 1 documentary of an annual event that occurs in my area. and then I was given numbered still images, for sequence. video footage with timecode of footage that would possibly be used. an outline of what was wanted in the final product. and a script for voiceover talent.So At least I had guidelines on the flow of the project.
I was given this project because I am the person on campus with exposure to the video industry.
It’s purpose is for showing at 2 events, fundraising and promotional/recruitment.

[Mark Suszko]

I understand comp time exceedingly well: I’m a state employee on essentially the same system. In my place of work, you burn off comp time before vacation time, and any remaining unspent comp at fiscal’s end has to be converted to a cash payment after the end of the fiscal year. Some years that was a HECK of a lot of O.T. and made a nice summer bonus, but you have to understand that if it seemed like lots of money, it was at the cost of a lot of missed sleep, lost weekends, blown opportunities etc, that I am loathe to give up now that my kids are at an age where I need to be around them. Also, money lost to extra staff compensation is typically money borrowed from equipment maintenance and upgrade money, so it’s not in my interest to try to accrue too much OT or I never get new gear. I would try to take time off to burn off the comp time, but they wouldn’t have anybody cover my job while I was off, so as soon as I came back I had a larger pile of work to catch up on, leading to more comp… they could break the cycle by hiring more people, but that’s not going to happen.

Don’t hire or pay anybody, just dragoon some students, or folks from the alumni association. Or the Boss’ secretary. Have the bosses pull strings and assign you some kids for extra credit. It’s only 2 weeks or less now. The whole project is snowballing towards ridiculous. You are going to have to either get an extension, get more autonomy for the job, or decline it and let them hang. You’d be surprised how suddenly accomodating they can become if they promised THEIR superiors a product by a “date certain”, and you tell them you’re not going to do it without concessions. Don’t sweat retaliation. If you’re a state worker, chances are you have some job protections unless you are considered “management”. They can’t sack you just for turning down an impossible request. Worst they can do is put a reprimand note in your personnel file, one you are entitled to write a long and colorful rebuttal to, so who’s punished by THAT? I would say, despite whatever bluster they give you, YOU are the one in the power position now, as only YOU can deliver on their promises.

You said they wouldn’t hire anybody outside to do it, so you are the only game in town. Use that. Leverage that to get them off your back: demand only ONE contact person from their group to deal with, and have that person have signature authority. Demand that if you get the RESPONSIBILITY for the job, it MUST come with enough AUTHORTY to execute it, or you’re just going home, and they can do shadow puppets at the big presentaton dinner..

And tell them where to stick the TPS forms:-)

[Paul Patton]

well comp time here is a joke. you either take it of orj ust plain dont get paid. if you have it you are supposed to use it before vacation time. and are only allowed to carry over vacation time at a max of 240 hrs. at the end of year. So either way I loose. You can work all you want but when you decide to use it the paperwork gets mysteriously lost. i will probably wind up in the chancellors office next week. As the next 2 administrators that this project started out with continue to drop the ball. as far as any extra help that also is a joke. i dont’ have authority to take care of discipliary problems we have with current student workers I have and going to my immediate supervisor has done absolutely no good. So if I tell them to do something and they don’t its my butt. depending on students for anything of this nature will result in bigger problems because of this lack of support. I can count on 1 hand the number of student workers I would even consider giving a job recomendation, and this is in 7 years.
the problem with this video project is the reason I originally posted this question, It has gotten worse since then.

[Marc Rolph]

Comp time? What’s that? We don’t get any comp time, we’re classified at Professional Staff…exempt from overtime and comp time. Plus, and here’s the kicker, I and the rest of my cohorts also work athletics on top of our usual duties.

Marc Rolph
Producer/Director
Mississippi State University

“If you chase two rabbits, both will get away.”

[Paul Patton]

as professional staff your salary is probably considerably higher than classified staff, (Grunts) in case you don’t know what classified staff are either. as I know our salary difference is rather considerable.

[George Socka]

I have done this, but as an independent producer. And there is never enough time or budget. If you need 12 minutes, lay out a 12 minute timeline. Start filling it with stuff you have. First as a story board ( in Word if nothing else ) then on the timeline of your favourite editing program. Put in stills with music. Lots of fancy moves and transitions. Replace with the bits that others expect as it comes in – but if they don’t deliver, then you still have something. You can’t afford to deliver 12 minutes of blank screen. And, if it is as bad as it sounds, don’t go asking for approvals at this late stage in the game. Create the best you know how to do, and let the chips fall where they may. At least you will have something on screen.

On the other hand, here is little value in whining about how badly you are being treated – government employee or not. What is this thing you call paid vacation? Comp time? I only wish I had that. IMNSHO, if you talk to the rest of your peers, whose cooperation you need to succeed, in the same tone you are using here with those from whom you hope to get free consulting advice, then you most certainly will fail. And others will take pleasure in seeing that. It appears little wonder that you are getting no cooperation or respect. As we say in hockey, suck it up. Give you head a shake before you create a self fulfilling prophecy.

[Mark Suszko]

Actually George, that would be “Thuck it up”, due to the hockey player’s missing dentition:-)

Everybody needs to vent from time to time, he just can’t afford the time to wallow in it too long, and while we’re sympathetic, we really can’t do as much for him as the love of a good woman. If it were me, since I don’t drink but twice a year I’d go beat the hell out of my piano’s keyboard for a couple hours until I got it out of my system. Headphones on, volume to eleven. Blues moving into reggae works well, I find. Then it’s time to hunker down and bull thru the job until it’s been conquered.

It could always be worse: I could have to dig ditches or wear a stupid plastic nametag on clothing I don’t own. Here they pay me to do the same thing I would do at home for fun. One way or another, the crisis will be over eventually, with a lifetime ahead to put it out of your head and move on. Don’t let one little bad job kill you. Look ahead to creating something on your own, of your own.

[George Socka]

And I would add, dont let others goad you into screwing up. No matter how wrong they are.

[Paul Patton]

What, like the goad in your previous post. As I really don’t think you would like my response. i am trying to make the best of an already screwed up situation,(by the people originally given this task, that did nothing but sit on it for 2 month’s). And put together something I can be proud of.