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WFH, cloud editing, thoughts for the future
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[Jeremy Garchow] “But if you need less in the office and costs go down. Editors take home gear that is otherwise idle.”
Well… If you start with gear that was already purchased. I was approaching it from the standpoint of not already having the machines. Comparing what costs had been superfluous. Hence my last scenario where you would supply editors with MBP, if you were to supply any gear to them in the first place.
[Jeremy Garchow] “and I think you’ll need more storage and not less.”
Maybe, but just more portable drives for proxy files to take home.
[Jeremy Garchow] ” I don’t think capex for gear goes downward, necessarily, it’s more lateral”
If I’m hiring freelancers, their gear is their own cost. The exception would be if I opted to own and check out the gear to them. However, if they are just cutting proxy media, I would only supply laptops. No way would I buy and supply MP, iMac, or iMP to them. I would for on-prem suites. So the difference would still be lower cap-ex.
[Jeremy Garchow] “I am going to need more minutes, I’m going to need a better storage system that would sync with the office system”
And you, not your boss, will most likely pay for it.
Note as well, that a number of tech companies are talking about paying less for WFH employees. Hopefully that’s not a trend.
– Oliver
Oliver Peters – oliverpeters.com
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[Oliver Peters] “Note as well, that a number of tech companies are talking about paying less for WFH employees. Hopefully that’s not a trend.”
Facebook has said that the pay structure adjustment will be based on one’s geographical location. A contractor or employee in San Francisco or New York has a much higher cost of living than that same contractor/employee in other more affordable places.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tmprods
https://tallmanproductions.net -
[Oliver Peters] “If I’m hiring freelancers, their gear is their own cost. The exception would be if I opted to own and check out the gear to them. However, if they are just cutting proxy media, I would only supply laptops. No way would I buy and supply MP, iMac, or iMP to them. I would for on-prem suites. So the difference would still be lower cap-ex.”
I guess it would depend on what you’re doing. If someone needs a MacPro at the office, for whatever reason, I would imagine that they would need one at home. You can’t get the same work done from a 13″ MBP than you can on a MacPro. And yes, the cost could be deferred to the freelancer, and I would assume that cost would be reflected in the rate, just like anything else. A rate from the shop includes cost of gear, salaries, overhead, the soda machine, the espresso maker, everything. The same should be true for a freelancer, or perhaps they get a “gear fee” as a line on the invoice instead of an hourly/daily charge. Whatever it is, that would indeed need to be worked out, and I think it would be easy. We work with freelancers all the time, some have hourly rates, some have daily rates. Some charge for gear separately, some don’t. At some point, the production company is paying for it. It might not be as one lump some, but the fees should be included as part of the negotiations if the freelancer wants to remain in business.
[Oliver Peters] “And you, not your boss, will most likely pay for it.
Note as well, that a number of tech companies are talking about paying less for WFH employees. Hopefully that’s not a trend.”
I pay for gear now. Not all of it, but some of it. My home system is all paid for by me. The office infrastructure that I use is supplied to me. So, I am already doing this and have been working this way for a long time. And if this continues, I will consider adding a smaller raid that will sync with the office system (same brand), and yep, I will have to figure out how to pay for it.
I just wish there was an e-learning situation that was as engaging as school for my son. That is literally the hardest part of all of this. The amount of gear and money and time and all that stuff can be figured out, but having to be a teacher, mentor, friend, as well as a working, client engaging, creative , and providing parent has been the single biggest point of stress and failure.
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