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What do they call you?
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People are always looking for a shorthand to describe our jobs, which are usually multifacted. My biz card just says “videographer”, and many days that’s all I am/do. But I would go broke trying to customize a card for every function I do, and lumping them all on one card like a Chinease menu looks like trying too hard to impress.
The Apple folks like to play with titkes, I think Jobs’ title at one time was “Evangelist”. OF course, when you own the company, you can call yourself whatever the heck you like:-)
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I have a few clients at large companies who forgo titles altogether. Instead, their biz cards have their name and a department, ie:
Joe Bob
Policy, Government & Public AffairsI see this trend at more and more companies. As people’s jobs take on more and more responsibilities, deep and wide, it’s often hard to have a title that concisely explains what they do.
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[Mark Suszko] “”They call me MISTER Tibbs!”
(Had to get that out of the way.)”
Just don’t call me late to dinner.
(Had to get that out of the way, too.)
Being the “Griffin” in Griffin Communications makes it fairly clear where I fall in the pecking order, but the real “tell” is how you act whether its on set, in the edit suite or in their conference room. And while I like the shorts and Hawaiian shirts 90% of the time, the $2,000 custom-made suits at meeting time also set the tone for who’s who. It’s also very helpful to position oneself as a peer of, not beneath, the top executives.
But that’s just what works for me. Your mileage may vary. Member FDIC.
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Well, I am still called the same boring thing mostly… “Editor.” Because that’s what I do. And Colorist (even though I am not), Finishing Editor, Online Editor…edit monkey.
But, lately someone else has started calling me a “post problem solver.” Because I have come to know more than one edit system (starting to try to figure out a third)…and given the deliverables, and the shooting formats, I can figure out the best way to get from A to Z. Or, if handed a dilemma…a pickle someone has gotten themselves into, I can figure out how to eat their way out of the pickle. Most of the time.
So I like that. Post Problem Solver. Although I would like a better way of putting it.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
I think you should go with, “Global Lead Communications Director of Marketing, Branding and Video Solutions for ACME incorporated formally know as video guy.” I would add Creative into the title but that would make it to long 🙂
In all seriousness, I”ve done videos where I had to Lower Third people with longer titles then the one above.Stephen Smith
Utah Video ProductionsCheck out my Motion Training DVD
Check out my Motion Tutorials
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I have found when making lower thirds from business cards that the LOWER your name on the corporate totem pole, the longer your title usually gets.
CEO
President
Vice President
Assistant Vice President
Deputy Assistant Vice President
Deputy Assistant Vice President for xyz Affairs…And don’t get me started with the degrees. Or degree-like acronyms that sound like degrees, but just mean “certified something-or-other”.
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Personally, I wouldn’t like being called the “video guy” since I am a woman! When doing video work I tend to call myself a “videographer” since I rarely only do one aspect and that feels like a nice catch-all title, and it sounds professional.
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Yes, client perception is important! “Video guy” suggests a very casual or unimportant attitude around your role. I think you are right to very politely and confidently correct those introducing you. A “videographer” does weddings in my opinion, so I will correct others when they refer to me as such.
Scott Sheriff
I think it depends on what you do.Totally agree!
When I produce and direct films/movies, I’m the director. For corporate video I produce. Whether I also run the camera or move lights or edit or do vfx is irrelevant, my producer title supersedes everything. I’d never put producer/director/writer/dp/editor/vfx on my card. My business card says producer. My website says producer and creative director only to differentiate myself higher than my other producers.
Mark Suszko
OF course, when you own the company, you can call yourself whatever the heck you like:-)Yes, and I’ve seen a lot of tacky titles that communicate one is a new business, or a tiny one person shop. I would never any more put owner, ceo or president on my card unless I had at least 30 employees and were well established. Again client perception is everything and I don’t want a lead discounting my business in those first few seconds because of something so small and easily corrected. Just looked through a large stack of cards on my desk; I would put owner for a restaurant, or a local well known brick and mortar store, but that’s about it.
Cory
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Cory Petkovsek
Corporate Video
http://www.CorporateVideoSD.com -
They call me tater salad.
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