John Grote, jr.
Forum Replies Created
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Well they do care when you are placing a $250,000 dollar buy or more on their network for a week or so. In my case I am placing media on New York broadcast television and also in the Philadelphia broadcast markets.
Why Mark should we have to take it? I’ve been sent specs from a station in Philly that were pre Law going into effect. That is not my problem. I demand that the station adhere to the law and broadcast my spot in HD as it was meant to be broadcast. Not pre Law bull crap that someone that doesn’t have a clue will fall for hook, line and sinker. There used to be and still should be a universal standard for all broadcast stations. Our industry has radically changed over that past 5 years and it has seemed to be a vast wasteland of misinformation and a whole lot of people not only content providers but at the network level who don’t have a damn clue. It gets really old having to make something six ways of Sunday, because no one can agree on a standard format for deliverables.
J. Grote, Jr.
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The awkward transition? Deliver in HD? What version of HD do you want? What file type? What file size? Do want the spot with or without a slate? should there a 2 pop?
Hell we are almost 3 full years into this HD delivery world. Every Tom, Dick and Harry can now shoot and produce a spot in full HD (even if some of it is one the prosumer/non professional side). Discovery Channel has done away with the whole 4×3 graphics thing now and they are a cable outlet. These stations no matter how small need to get on board. There cheap way of getting around this whole HD world was and still is to up convert everything.
Honestly it doesn’t confront me any that the view who either did get a converter box or hasn’t bought a newer TV sees the text get cut off. BTY I guarantee that over 80% or better don’t even know how to set their newer TVs up anyway. So stations please stop, stop sending me outdated specs and also stop sending me what it will look like on those older TVs. Just broadcast the spot!!!
J. Grote, Jr.
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My point Bob is where are the industry standards that we all, at one time, had to know and love? As someone who creates and delivers the content and is paying to have it aired on these stations, I should not be beholden to 4 different set of specs, because the networks and stations can’t seem to get their head out there behinds. This means 4 different versions for my clients to send out. Seems a little screwed up to me?
There was a Law that went into effect in 2009 about HD and almost 3 years later there is no one leading the charge for some sort of uniformity. Hell some are still asking for a Beta Sp dub as a back up. Yeah that really works when my client has spent a fair amount of money to produce the best ad possible for his budget.
J. Grote, Jr.
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I want to add to this because they sent me what they were using for standard;
The Digital TV Transition: Production Implications for Advertisers
An ANA White Paper from the Production Management Committee » June 2008
Well this paper was dated June 2008, 7 months prior to the Law going into effect.
OVERVIEW
Television broadcasting is entering a new era, and advertisers need to be prepared now.
• By law, on February 17, 2009, full-power television stations in the United States must
stop transmitting analog signals and begin broadcasting exclusively in a digital format.
• Networks likely will accept commercials in only one format. Advertisers will have to
choose to ship either a high-definition (HD) 16:9 or standard-definition (SD) 4:3 format. Some networks already have this requirement.
• The choice of formats will have financial and creative implications for advertisers.
The digital transition could be the biggest change in the industry since the transition from black-and-white to color television.
The following is intended to provide background and guidance to help advertisers make decisions that are necessary now.Am I missing something or is this paper outdated by three years?
J. Grote, Jr.
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A day/weekly rate is the norm here in the DC area from Discovery Channel, National Geographic thru many of the Post Houses here in the area. Funny though Discovery and Nat Geo and some of the Post Houses work on an 8 hour day for editorial and a 10 hour day for crews, because of travel time.
Cheers,
John Grote, Jr.
J. Grote, Jr.
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Hello Mark,
I appreciate the detailed and thought provoking response. I know myself, I sometimes forget the other costs that go into being a freelancer and honestly my time and my rate are what they are. Not to say that there isn’t room for negotiation, but in the end I need to feed my family and pay the bills.
I see way to many either not thinking about the other business expenses or just undercutting what they make so that someone else doesn’t get the job. It seems with the latter, more times than not, the client gets what they pay for.
Cheers,
John Grote, Jr.
J. Grote, Jr.
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Hey Mark thanks for the response as well. So would you adjust your day rate as well?
J. Grote, Jr.
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AMEN to that!!!! I’ve got the Staples Easy Button Right next to my keyboard.
J. Grote, Jr.
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Why are you now seeking out this question? Not that it is not a valid question, but this is a question to be brought up before you start. What are your delivery requirements, is a question that you must ask prior to even beginning any project. This saves a lot of trouble and aggravation in the long run. What should I deliver in is something that should be addressed with you and your client. The same goes as far as how it is being delivered.
We can tel you a thousand different ways and codecs, but ultimately it your client that should dictate that to you. You may have done this project in the highest Rez possible, with hours of render time to find out all they need is a DVD or a smaller file. Or of course it could be the opposite and now they want a 1080i file and your in 720p.
A lot of pratfalls in our industry and the only way to move ahead and hopefully is to be prepared. Do you homework before and CYA, because in the long run 90% of the clients don’t know what the need or want to begin with. So ask as many questions up front and it will make the process much smoother for all.
Cheers,
btveditor
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Wow Walter,
Glad I don’t work in good ole Georgia. Bad enough I had a clueless company in Baltimore try to enforce their will against me when I left. The bs non-compete that I had signed, had no time restriction, no radius and had trade secrets. (Trade secrets, hell I’m an editor for heaven sakes, not chemist or know the 11 herbs and spices for KFC.) What a laugh I got when my lawyer so go ahead try it. Just because the company I went to at one time made a pitch to Under Armour, they thought this would be cause enough to enforce their non-compete. Hell if that was the case then for the most part I’d be out of work. Why? Because, I figure any agency or facility has at least taken a shot at a big account here or there, even if it was just a pitch.
This to me is slave labor or indentured indentured servitude. I was an editor, not a partner, I had no trade secrets and the skills I have I brought with me, and they sure in the hell didn’t provide me with any other training to further my skills.
Cheers,
John
J. Grote, Jr.