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What do they call you?
I used to just shrug it off when people introducing me in work settings couldn’t quite name my job and would describe me to the person being introduced as “video guy”, “camera man”, “the TV person”, etc.
Well, I was working with some pros in a project and noticed I was getting treated pretty shabbily, like a juvenile without any input in the process, until I stopped the semi-denigrating nicknaming of my job mid-sentence durng yet another introduction and said: “Actually, you can call me the Director of the video project, because I am one. I went to school and have awards and everything”.
I was going to say Producer, which I am too, and Editor, and etc. etc. but lay people don’t know what a Producer is, though they have generally formed some individual concept that a Director gets awards and gets to shout at other people on a set and be all “artistic”. Lay people consider Director the top of the film-making pyramid.
Anyway, that little perceptual shift sopend doors for me and got me deference and cooperation where before, my inquiries about facets of the location work were left unanswered as if they were minor details.
I am curious about how you folks let yourselves be identified when being introduced, or when introducing yourselves. No offense to my awesome COW friend Grinner, who I’m sure would be happy with “Video dood”, long as the checks are good, but “Video Guy” in many professional settings sounds like “Pizza Guy” or “A.V.-cart-pushing projector guy”.
I think we should not be afraid to own the awesomeness of our job titles when we earn them. You?
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19 Replies
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Things I’ve been called…
Colonel Cut
Keyframe Artist
My Boss
Dude
Graphinator
Tilt
DadRich Rubasch
Tilt Media Inc.
Video Production and Post
Owner/President/Editor/Designer/Animator
https://www.tiltmedia.com -
I’m usually introduced to clients either as the “director,” or “creative director.” They are fairly interchangeable, although I think I’m more often introduced as creative director if our company is responsible for all of a project (concept on up). I’m usually introduced as “director” if, for example, we are working with an ad agency and producing from their script and concept.
My business cards say “Creative Director.”
My tax returns say “Corporation President,” but I’m fairly never referred to as such. We’ve had clients much after the fact, and much to their surprise, discovered I was the president, founder, and principal owner of the joint. Since I’m rarely at their first meeting and dress a bit like Kramer in cargo shorts, I think they often think I’m just a hired gun.
We have a freelancer that we hire on occasion to grip on shoots, etc…. and a long time ago I told him to refer to me as “Captain My Captain.” A joke, of course… but he called me that then, and sometimes he still does.
T2
__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
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I always wanted to get “Editorial Ninja” printed on my business cards, but in seriousness I just say Video Editor.
Editor / Motion Graphics Artist
http://www.GlenMontgomeryIII.com -
[Mark Suszko] “I think we should not be afraid to own the awesomeness of our job titles when we earn them. You?”
My title is Creative Genius. That’s what it says on my business cards.
It used to be Creative Director but after watching Wil E Coyote hand his business card with “Genius” to Bugs Bunny, I immediately changed it and have had that title going on 5 years now….
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Editor, Colorist, Director, Writer, Consultant, Author, Chef.
HD Post and Production
Biscardi Creative Media“Foul Water, Fiery Serpent” featuring Sigourney Weaver coming soon.
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So, would you be insulted by the monniker “Video guy”?
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I think “Director” or “Producer” are best if you will be giving other people, er, direction, and they need to know what your role is.
But it is true, lay people do not know what different job titles mean. People always ask me what a key grip does. I reply, “The Key Grip is like a Clapper Loader only closer to a Gaffer and less like a Best Boy” which gives a good laugh without giving any useful information!
I have been called “miracle worker” and “MacGyver”.
I like to quote Al Pacino from Scent of a Woman “I’m in the amazing business!”
Mike Cohen
Problem Solver
Solution Provider -
[Mark Suszko] “So, would you be insulted by the monniker “Video guy”?”
Ted Turner used to introduce the Edit Pool as “These guys do video” when he gave tours of CNN. That was always good for a laugh. Still the best boss I ever worked for….
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Editor, Colorist, Director, Writer, Consultant, Author, Chef.
HD Post and Production
Biscardi Creative Media“Foul Water, Fiery Serpent” featuring Sigourney Weaver coming soon.
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“They call me MISTER Tibbs!”
(Had to get that out of the way.)
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I think it depends on what you do. For those that only edit, I think ‘Editor’, is appropriate. Even if you do VFX/MoGraphs, I think it gives a general idea of where your at.
Even though I Produce, I mostly Direct. Either single camera, or sitting in the truck behind the switcher. My editing is often an extension of that work, so I go by the term ‘Director’. It’s simple, and best describes what I do, live or in post.
I stay away from the term ‘Creative Director’, since at a lot of broadcast and ad houses, this is often a promotional type of job associated with contests and events.
Is the term ‘video guy’ offensive? Maybe. Disrespectful, probably. Unprofessional, definitely. I wonder if the head controller would like to be introduced as ‘the money guy’, Producer as ‘the paperwork guy’, or the GSM as ‘the sales guy’.Mark
“I used to just shrug it off when people introducing me in work settings couldn’t quite name my job and would describe me to the person being introduced as “video guy”, “camera man”, “the TV person”, etc.”
Perhaps the best way to avoid this is to be proactive, and introduce yourself with your preferred salutation.
If that is not an option, I usually just correct it right away. Firmly, but polite. As a Director, I don’t have a problem establishing my territory, and putting the kibosh on that ‘video guy’ nonsense is a good place to start.
So it would go like this.
AE to ‘Bob the Client’: “Bob, I’d like you to meet Mark, our video guru.”
Mark: “Bob, its nice to be working with you. Actually, I’m your Director, and I’ll be guiding your project through the production phase.”
Then you shake hands and hand Bob your card with your preferred title on it. Now Bob knows your in charge, and feels confident that his project is being managed by a professional.Scott Sheriff
Director
SST Digital Media
https://www.sstdigitalmedia.com -
“Hi, I’m Bill. I own the company that’s producing your video.”
In my experience, that introduction establishes that I’m qualified to toss my 2 cents in on ANY subject at hand from budget to wardrobe. Credibility with the others on-set, in pre, and in post has to be earned by my asking intelligent questions and making intelligent comments that are experientially based – as opposed to theoretical or formed by WATCHING content.
But in capitalist culture – nothing trumps OWNER. Period.
FCP since NAB 1999
creator: muti-track movies
http://www.starteditingnow.com
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