I QUIT…. Working for nothing.

[Mark Suszko]

I thought you’d had your final word and quit already… why are you still here then?

[Andy Jackson]

Get updates to my mobile.

Need to keep up with the cows members who are still in denial that the industry is doomed!!

[Mark Suszko]

Not to belabor the point, but it seems to me the consensus here, Andy, is that there are *levels* of “Doom”, and what you describe as “doom”, we refer to as “change”. If you think you’re going to convince several thousand members they should sleep in tomorrow because you’re personally having trouble finding better clients, well… the fault lies not in our stars, Horatio…

I said before, you can learn to surf an incoming wave, or be smothered by it, but the wave itself has no regard at ALL for your feelings, either way.

[Andy Jackson]

Thanks for the advise but your words won`t change the situation with the millions of video professionals who are out of work trying to compete againt the free work newbies.

[Mark Suszko]

Pros don’t compete against newbies in the first place. Newbs compete against other newbs, driving rates down in a race to the bottom. Pros look for pro gigs, and they demand a pro wage. Because they can prove they’re worth it. I’ll agree with you just this far: that the days where well-paying gigs can just fall into your lap are past. You have to go out and pursue the work. Sitting at home crying about a lack of work does nothing to employ you. Get motivated!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6wRkzCW5qI

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[Andy Jackson]

I think your in denial mark.

Another video I see!

Your living in fantasy land.
You do know the videos you are watching are scripted and not reality!

Hope you have not become to obsessed with fiction.

[Mick Haensler]

This Is Total Rubbish!!

Then you have a meating with a president of another multi million company. Your a video producer not a shareholder. You would be lucky to get past the receptionist.

After reading your profile it seems your ego and dreams seem to be getting ahead of you and slightly exaggerated.

I would not read into anything in this post!

WOW!!! You make a lot of assumptions Andy without knowing the situation.

Mick Haensler
Higher Ground Media

[Mick Haensler]

Awesome news, Mick. To me, what it points out is that our job isn;t just production, and never was. production is one facet of the main job which is TO SOLVE THE CLIENT’S COMMUNICATION PROBLEM.
Sometimes that means make a video, sometimes it means nixing that and goin in another direction. And sometimes it means assessing the underlying foundations and needs, and telling the client what they didn’t know.

Now, Mick is taking a risk in laying out his advice for free, sure. Some low-baller could undercut him, or some guy in the company can say they can handle this. But the odds are good Mick gets the job because he’s already proven he knows what’s going on. When somebody works that hard for your business, you’d be smart to give them your business.

Looking forward to the follow up and the happy ending.

Exactly Mark. While I would much prefer the old days(2007) when decent paying work just fell in my lap, the reality is those days are gone. Before I even pitch a client anymore, I’ve done a lot of back end work researching them, researching their competition. I get to know as much about them as I possibly can before that first meeting so when we sit down at the table, I’ve already brought something of value to them. More so, I’ve shown them I’m willing to go above and beyond just to get the CHANCE to work with them. Imagine what I’ll do when they hire me!!

Being able to do work we love is a privilege not a right.

Mick Haensler
Higher Ground Media

[Mark Suszko]

You are so right, Mick. I don’t know that Andy is ever going to come around to our way of thinking. Perhaps I’ve kept up on this thread this long because I have an 18-year-old at home who has graduated high school and is “looking” for work. He’s a great kid and the search has been long and hard in a bad economy.

But he needs me to put a boot in his butt on a regular basis when the current leads don’t bear any fruit, and he just wants to play x-box and complain how unfair life is. Then i start interrogating him on how hard he’s tried to apply elsewhere, who he called today to network and ask around about openings, how many online applications he’s filled out today… and the pity party dries up as he gets up for another day of looking and asking. I tell him, looking for a job IS his current job, and you should work at that job as hard as if it paid you a salary. Oh good Lord, I’m turning into My Old Man. 🙂 There’s plenty worse things to be, though.

[Andy Jackson]

Well can I make a suggestion Mark.

If you know the video industry is still lucrative and there is plenty of work to grab, why don`t you win the jobs at the top notch price then employ your son and give him some experience within the business.

Seems a waste to have a son whos father knows so much about this business and not giving him a chance and a wage until he finds something else.

Im sure you will be able to compete with the free newbies and get the prices you demand.

You are so positive so it should not be a problem.