[Bob Cole]

I’ve read the responses thus far, and though the technical advice seems sound, the “business” advice is not as clear.

When you want to keep a client, and another professional (whom the client trusts) has thrown you under the bus, what is the best response?

I’ve heard a lawyer say that if mud is thrown at you and you try to brush it off, you only make yourself look worse. But if you wait, the mud dries, and you can just flick it off.

My advice would be to tell the client that it is very important to you to understand exactly what went wrong, and you’d appreciate the cooperation of the AV company to investigate what happened. It isn’t a question of fault — it’s a matter of finding out how to make something work.

Bob C

[Bob Cole]

make that: backup to at least two hard drives.

I’ve been using hd’s to archive for the past two years, and despite care and gentle handling I just had my first failure (out of 29).

[Bob Cole]

If you go the digital still camera route you may wish to check out harbortronics.com for their intervalometers.

[Bob Cole]

It depends.

If they hire me to shoot, and ask for the media, they get them, no charge, even if our previous understanding was that I was to do the editing.

If someone hired you to produce a specific show, and asked for tapes, there are three possibilities:

1. The relationship is great, and the request is harmless – they just want to be sure the tapes are safe, or someone wants to try to edit or repurpose the media for a web video – give them the tapes.
2. The relationship is rocky, and any unusual request for media might be a sign they’re leaving. Make sure they’ve paid for all work to date, and give them an estimate of what it will cost to make copies for them.
3. You and your client are getting a divorce, & they’re definitely leaving. If your contract does not specify that they are to get camera tapes, etc., then enforce the contract, and don’t give them a thing.

In any case, you have a responsibility as producer to inform the client that there are other rights-holders (actors, musicians) involved, and they have to sign a receipt for media that includes an acknowledgment of that fact.

I’ve been lucky enough only to be involved in Case 1 above, and the client gave the tapes back very quickly so we could use them in the next show.

[Bob Cole]

Impressive. CS 9?

There are so many applications for these ideas in video compositing.

And for still photographers, the problem of choosing that one group portrait where everyone looks good is now more easily solved.

Thanks for bringing this to our attention.

Bob C

[Bob Cole]

[David Roth Weiss] “As your friend, I’m gonna tell you bluntly that, I think that’s a lot of hooey.”

I don’t think you read my post with your usual detail – I did urge Sebastian to use a second camera.

btw, I ALWAYS tell my new grips – many of whom arrive with that “show must go on, what we do is SO IMPORTANT” attitude — that the worst thing that can happen is NOT coming away without results — it’s getting somebody hurt on the job. It’s up to me to see that the shoot is successful. I want everybody else to stay cool and safety-first.

I mainly posted because I don’t like to see folks jumping all over a guy for posing a reasonable question, basically, “How can I prepare for something going wrong, despite my best efforts?” “Something going wrong” DOES NOT NECESSARILY EQUAL “I screwed up” or “I’m not a real pro.” Steve Wargo told us about a tape which may or may not have been ruined by the client — that and Ron’s comment about the close-up-kiss-coverup were the most helpful remarks yet.

I still don’t believe Sebastian’s question has been addressed adequately, despite the length of this thread, which seems mainly given over to “I’m such a pro” examples. I believe you! I’d like to know more about the whole E&O insurance deal, especially the critical question: has anyone ever actually used it?

This topic of bad video hit the news recently. Did you see the story about the Canadian Liberal Party leader (Stéphane Dion) who provided Canadian TV with an out-of-focus video of his speech? The camera was focused on the bookshelf behind him, including a book titled “Hot Air.”

Happy holidays.

Bob C

[Bob Cole]

You folks are too hard on Sebastian. Sure, it’s great to cover yourself, be careful, check everything. But every professional I know has at some point made mistakes, or failed to notice immediately when a piece of equipment has gone wrong. Every piece of back-up gear I carry has a story behind it. That’s why I bring it.

I think Sebastian is indeed demonstrating a sense of professionalism in posing the question, “What if?” Most people in his position, just starting out, are a lot less aware of the fact that bad things do happen.

Ron, your suggestion for a cover-up of the missed kiss is great. I’m convinced that the wedding videographers started a whole black-and-white vogue, when they shot the happy couple emerging from the church… still set to tungsten!

But back to Sebastian’s question. Here’s a hypothetical situation:

Client hires you for a one-camera shoot of a fast-paced event. The event is a one-time-only deal. No time for monitoring, no opportunity for checking tapes, and the event can’t be adequately covered by a static, unmanned second camera. It’s all dependent on your camera operating perfectly. You maintain your camera well.

In that case I think it is perfectly professional to tell the client, “You are hiring me to cover this event with one camera. I have never had a failure to record with this camera. But it could happen, and due to the one-of-a-kind nature of this event, I think it should be covered with a second camera, just in case. If we don’t, we’re running a risk, however small, of not covering the event in its entirety, with perfection.”

Stuff does happen, folks, and usually it ain’t us, thank God. I covered a construction “event” involving a new concept, requiring an extremely complex “dance” of very large cranes, dozens of workers, even a weatherman. We used two cameras. Both worked fine. They haven’t asked for the footage though; the structure partially collapsed a week later.

I think it is reasonable, for Sebastian’s level of production, to include a clause stating that his liability is limited to the amount of his fee. But at the same time, he really should just have a second camera as a wide shot to cover any glitches.

Actually, Sebastian is making me think: what if, on the way home from that construction job, my vehicle were totalled and burned up, destroying all the tapes/back-ups. Would the construction company be able to bankrupt me because I’d cost them the irreplaceable opportunity to document their event?

Obviously, that’s where insurance comes in. I’d like to hear from some of you about your experiences with actually filing a claim. I have a very low level of trust in insurance companies. Seems to me they are in business for two reasons: (1) TAKE your money; (2) KEEP your money. And they have all the lawyers and resources to execute (2) to perfection.

Untoward events are, thankfully, so rare that most of us have zero experience of actually exercising our insurance. Anybody able to shed some light? Good, ethical E&O companies who have actually paid claims?

Keep your head up Sebastian. Get that second camera for event coverage (or cover two performances). Do what you can, work hard, be honest. Perfection is the goal, not the promise; your best effort is your promise, and if you are successful, it will owe a lot to your skill, your hard work, and some luck!

bob c

[Bob Cole]

[Chris Poisson] “ould try SoundSoap, which is a killer app when you learn to use it properly.”

Hey Chris — there are several different flavors of SoundSoap, ranging from about $50 to $500.

I’ve been using SoundTrack Pro in the FCS2 suite, and thought STP’s noise reduction and EQ filters were pretty good, although I find that you need to use a very light hand; removing all the noise can result in a very weird electronic background presence, and foreground voices that sound synthetic.

Looking at SoundSoap SE, SoundSoap standard, and SoundSoap Pro — which level is required to make a significant improvement on STP’s noise reduction filter?

Thanks!

Bob C

[Bob Cole]

[Todd Terry] “On that note, did anyone see Stephen’s interview with Barbara Walters on “The Colbert Report” a few days ago? They really did something brilliant…. very glowing soft focus, very typical of the way you usually see Walters shot. Except it was only on Stephen’s camera, not Barbara’s. Hilarious.”

Yes – great point. I did see and notice it – very funny. Barbara was pin-sharp – they may have enhanced the detail! The Colbert Report really gets it.

Bob C

[Bob Cole]

Lawrence, assuming this video has your clients in it, there is one more step: If the clients are slightly chubby, and somewhat gullible, then use the entire width of the 16:9 frame, and scale up the height only to fill the 4:3. They’ll be your clients forever, because nobody has ever made them look so skinny.

I’m surprised that DRW, who lives in Los Angeles, didn’t know that. Or, maybe everybody in LA is just naturally thin.

Bob C