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Do I take the job?
Hi!
I’m hoping to receive some advice in response to this post.I currently am working a few part-time video production jobs in a medium-sized city. My goal is to make commercials and right now I’m doing mostly videography and video-editing that is always very creative. The money is good though.
I just had an interview for a commercial producer at a really small television station in a pretty unpopulated part of the state. The pay is low, but enough to get by. I’d be writing, shooting, editing and narrating the commercials. When I asked about creative freedom, the ad sales lady notified me that a lot of the clients like their new commercials the same as their old commercials. But sometimes you’re given free reign. The equipment is all really old. They have a couple lights, an old DVC-Pro Camera, and a really old linear editor. They use a character generator for the graphics.
I have my own IMAC-G5 with Final Cut Pro HD and After Effects 4.0 on it. If they offer me the job this week I’d like to ask them if I can use my own post-production equipment.
The job sounds like it would get me back on track towards creative production. I’ve received mixed messaged from those I’ve spoke to about the job. One of my boss’s says I’m over-qualified and should keep plugging my resumes and portfolio around town until an opening happens around here instead of in the boonies. A lot of people seem to think I should try to make it work here where I’m at in a city of 300,000 instead of a town of 12,300.
Any advice?
P.S. Here’s a rundown of my past experience:
Mass Comm Grad. 2003
Studio Crew at TV Station
News Video Editor TV Station (Assistant to Commercial Producer when needed)
Back to College for Independent Study making commercials
Video Editor (cutting swear words and bad scenes out of PD movies)
Camera-Operator for city meetings
Videographer for legal depos
Second-camera for a short film produced in town -
7 Replies
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Forget the job, you’re already past what it has to offer you.
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I agree with Bob. Nothing wrong with small towns but the people who work in them tend to stay there. You’re too young to get trapped into that. You would be much better served by taking even a parallel position in a market bigger than where you are now.
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Run away, as soon as you hear things like the clients are not into new creative ideas, run away.
Andy Stinton
Corporate Video
Live & Stage Events
Business Practices -
Don’t take it. As the others said, the larger the market, the better for you in the long run. I’ve been tempted by the same thing in the past, but I took the job where I didn’t have as much creative freedom and I’m better for it.
Don’t get me wrong, I love creative freedom, but that freedom tastes best when it’s been given by a client whose trust you’ve earned.
Here’s why:
Even the greatest artists (i.e. DaVinci, Michelangelo) had to work within a budget and express themselves within their clients guidelines. If you can demonstrate a knack for doing that, you’ll have skills that are in more demand (…and the amount of freedom in a small market is often no different than a larger market. If someone else is paying for the project they usually have final say on how much “latitude” you will have for that product.)
Anyone can create when they are mostly pleasing themselves, but a truly gifted Producer/Director/Editor who can demonstrate creativity while pleasing their client and other
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(oops. I pushed Tab after typing in the subject on that last post. Note to self: don’t do that.)
Hi Everyone~
Thanks to those who posted advice. I will be telling them whether I’ll take the job or not on Friday.
I guess patience and persistance is the key to getting the job I want. If you all have more to offer on the last subject, or general advice on how to land jobs in making commercials, I’m all ears.
Thanks again!
Jill -
If you use your own post gear then you need to charge for it but don’t expect the client to be so ready to start paying out for post gear when they consider their gear good enough.
Even if you use your gear and don’t charge them then you are responsible for the technical issues which develop as a result.
It is more pain and liability than it is worth in the long run.
Tony Salgado
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