[Bob Cole]

Very informative articles.

The Dorrough article inspires me to ask, again — anything else out there that comes close to their dual-mode-in-one concept? The Radio Labs device that Michael Brown uses?

– BC

[Bob Cole]

The glib answer is to multiply your hourly rate. But I just ran into a project where the client and I miscommunicated about the scope of the DVD part of a big editing job, with the result that I spent about twice as long on the DVD authoring than he had any intention of paying. So I have just “gotten religion” about becoming more businesslike.

Obviously, the amount of time that it takes to author a DVD can range from a few minutes to many hours (days/weeks), and for all but the simplest project, it can be hard to predict how much time it SHOULD take. Even deciding on (or designing) a button can take anywhere from no time at all to lots of time.

I assume that most of you simply give an hourly rate, and get some guidance from the client as to how many hours they can afford. Is that true?

Having said that, I’d be curious as to some benchmarks for how long it takes to author a typical DVD, say with five menus, one language, all basic graphics provided, and what clients are used to paying.

Also, I would appreciate some feedback on a related topic:

I am about to venture onto some more-sophisticated authoring. I’m willing to spend my own time to learn before I start applying it to paying jobs, but inevitably the first project on which I use this new knowledge will take longer than it should. Typically, I don’t charge for this extra time, or for the additional software I’ve acquired — it’s just been a cost of staying competitive with the rest of you folks. But I’m beginning to wonder about this. After all, when a computer programmer works on something new, does he discount his time just because it’s taking him longer than if he had already done it? When a client stretches you, do you charge him for every hour you spend?

— BC

[Bob Cole]

[Nina] “Say you get a full script for an edit, timecodes for every shot. How much would you generally deviate from the paper edit?”

Have you tried asking the client, “Do you want this to be a frame-for-frame copy of what’s in the paper edit, or do you want us to make suggestions?”

The client may fear that deviating from the paper edit will lead to more expense, or to antagonizing someone in their own organization who had signed off on a specific approach.

I can recall, in the days when I had to go to an expensive post house to finish a show, that I really just wanted the editors to use their fancy equipment to make a high-quality COPY of what I handed them. I did not go to them for their creativity — I just wanted an online edit of what I had created in offline, as cheaply as possible.

— BC

[Bob Cole]

Mpeg movie footage carries a “flag” which sets the aspect ratio. This flag may be observed and reset with freeware such as ReStream, available from the second site listed at https://www.videohelp.com/tools?tool=Restream

— BC

[Bob Cole]

In winter, depending on how far north you are, the sun won’t be as directly overhead even at noon.

[Bob Cole]

[Peter Perry] “I am assuming that when you say analog meters, you mean VU meters; and when you say digital meters, that you mean peak meters. I hope that those are correct assumptions.”

Thanks all. If I may impose some more on your patience…

I still don’t understand about analog/VU vs. digital/peak metering. It sounds as if both types of metering are essential, though perhaps peak metering is a good “final check” rather than something you would want to use for the mixing process. Please explain more if you would about how you use the two.

(Michael, I also am still using an edit* system. Works pretty well for an “obsolete” NLE.)

— BC

[Bob Cole]

Two messages I’m hearing: desire to learn more about your craft, and burn-out.

Think about taking courses in an area that is slightly off-topic: art history, instead of a Photoshop course; watercolor painting, instead of more tapping on a keyboard and guiding a mouse around a screen; or even something further afield.

It’s a good thing that you’re looking — it shows you aren’t really totally burned out — yet!

— BC

[Bob Cole]

[Michael Kellam] “So far, they want me to pay $5200, but I don’t feel too good about that because this one wasn’t new.”

That stance alone would tell me it’s time to look for a better employer.

Very likely, the company “expensed” (on their taxes, depreciated to zero) the camera the day they bought it. So I’d start at zero value, and work up, rather than new value. Or, another way to look at it: What would the trade-in value of the camera (less lens) have been on the new one? The fact that they bought a new one two days later makes me think they were ready already!

Also, we have only your side on this, but if using the gear was an offset to a low salary, then it was NOT a purely “personal” use and you don’t owe them a cent. I hate to say this, but these guys don’t sound like great employers… and it doesn’t sound as if they value your services too highly either.

If you want to keep the job, you may have to offer them something, but I too would feel ripped off if they demanded full value. What kind of company is this? Do you really want to work for these folks?

Maybe your “trip” was the first step to another and better job….

— BC

[Bob Cole]

Is the Radiolabs meter any better than the meter on my Mackie 1402-VLZ?

— BC

[Bob Cole]

My first “bugfix” didn’t work, the second time this happened. But of course, all you have to do is go into Photoshop and create the layer set that Encore failed to make. It turns out the new button was in the layer set with the original button.

I never had this problem until yesterday, and now twice in one project. Strange.

— BC