[Mads Nybo jørgensen]

Hey Walter,

[walter biscardi] “Having a job in your profession takes drive, skill and a whole lot of luck today.”

Actually repetition and persistence is in my opinion a bigger factor in succeeding – do something 10,000 times and you’ll undoubtedly end up doing it very well.

All the Best
Mads
London, UK

Latest video to watch here:

Mac Million Ltd. – HD Production & Editing
Blog: https://macmillionltd.blogspot.com

[Mads Nybo jørgensen]

Hey Nick,

[Nick Griffin] “But for every one who is working how many are there with an expensive degree or certificate in our glamorous profession who are working behind the counter at the corner convenience store?”

True. I don’t think that in the UK it is as difficult to get into universities and do Media as it would be to study to become a surgeon or a lawyer or in financials etc.

You’ve got two problems in the UK, one is that the universities, as much as they are heavily subsidized, they are also running a business relying on “customers”. And it is very hard not to pass a media degree in comparison to some of the other studies. I’ve actually had one job interview where the applicant told me that he was no good at anything else, so media looked very attractive as a degree – which he passed.

The second is that we have a government that want to send 50% of the youth to university, so in the bigger scheme of things + it looks good for the “international standing statistics” to pass as many as possible out of universities, with a degree – even if that is in media.

The effect is that students coming out are actually offered (if any) a wage lower than that of a person working in a corner convenience store. And then only on a 6 month contract, or the employer would have to offer pension, maternity leave etc. So currently, if you want to break into media you need either an uncle working on the inside, or parents that are willing to fund you after your degree. Until you one day wake up and realize that you can’t afford the mortgage, car, dog, kids, spouse and so forth – hence why you will have to end up where you started – teaching at the college or university in media studies… Unless you’ve found another calling.

All the Best
Mads
London, UK

Latest video to watch here:

Mac Million Ltd. – HD Production & Editing
Blog: https://macmillionltd.blogspot.com

[Mads Nybo jørgensen]

That is a difficult one. Often it is easy to say that “if you can’t make it in the business, go teach”. However, I too have several very talented friends that has gone into the media teaching profession, and as much as they IMHO are turning out students of which many will never get a job in the industry, those old colleagues of mine would never have been able to get a mortgage, afford the babies etc without taking that full-time job.

So it is really in part a question of personal priorities, but also very much about whether the industry that we work in offers any real prospects of a decent living standard for anyone wanting to make a career out of it? And that is the bigger Question?

All the Best
Mads
London, UK

Latest video to watch here:

Mac Million Ltd. – HD Production & Editing
Blog: https://macmillionltd.blogspot.com

[Mads Nybo jørgensen]

Hey Dan,

In addition to the other comments and previous threads on this forum. If you don’t have a contract, what did you invoice the client for? If it was for the final DVD, then that is what they purchased.

It is always annoying when another company takes over your hard work. However, a lot can change within your clients business in two years, such as new mangers, location, product changes etc, and if you haven’t stayed in touch with them, you’ve left the door open for the competition to go in.

Look at the positive, as David says, you can charge top-dollar for accessing your library and converting the materials – after all, you are providing a service saving them money at the other company.

All the Best
Mads
London, UK

Latest video to watch here:

Mac Million Ltd. – HD Production & Editing
Blog: https://macmillionltd.blogspot.com

[Mads Nybo jørgensen]

Hey grin,

Good idea, just be careful that your post-card doesn’t alienate all the other producer/director clients that you work with.

I switched my company’s direction a few years back to go down the route of offering full production services, which was mainly in response to my client base buying their own editing equipment.

Just a few penny thoughts 🙂

All the Best
Mads
London, UK

Latest video to watch here:

Mac Million Ltd. – HD Production & Editing
Blog: https://macmillionltd.blogspot.com

[Mads Nybo jørgensen]

Hey Tim,

[Tim Wilson] “And it’s not only magazine and book publishers – it’s newspaper folks too. Once Apple has your credit card (and they already have something like 125 million of them on file), it’s one button to buy a newspaper or magazine. Costs for magazines so far are just below newsstand pricing, so there’s theoretically money to be made there.

That said, nobody’s actually making much money with these things via existing apps for iPhone and iTouch. I think they will, though.”

Yes, interesting enough I’ve been discussing this idea with a few “local” proffesionals over the last couple of days, and the cynics within suggested that there is only one making the money in Apples distribution system – is Apple. Not unlike how Google and many of the other big companies are making their revenue – buy low and sell high when it comes to content.

Whether we are authors, publishers, music creators or film makers, to survive and prosper we have to find our own revenue model within that system. In my opinion; don’t lock yourself to one platform for distribution and make sure to create a sincere value proposition for the buyer. Holy grail, uneasy stuff to achieve – consider your Apple’s, Amazone’s and Google’s of this world as your marketeers and a way to drive people into your “cave” and then once they hit your site or shop make sure that they stay 🙂

All the Best
Mads
London, UK

Latest video to watch here:

Mac Million Ltd. – HD Production & Editing
Blog: https://macmillionltd.blogspot.com

[Mads Nybo jørgensen]

Hey Zane etc,

Interesting comments about publishing. I agree that you need an healthy bank balance to make it work on a higher level + that the print industry has been hit in recent years.

However, I am encouraged by this recent “Outside Shot” in Business Week: https://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/dec2009/tc20091229_795528.htm?chan=magazine%20channel_business%20views which is suggesting that gadgets like the iPad will bring the consumer back to paid subscriptions + encourage the publisher to use video in their digital magazines – that can only be a win-win for us 🙂

All the Best
Mads
London, UK

Latest video to watch here:

Mac Million Ltd. – HD Production & Editing
Blog: https://macmillionltd.blogspot.com

[Mads Nybo jørgensen]

Hey Sam,

Grants is all about location and who you are helping?

I worked on a similar project some 23 years ago – we purchased 2 U-Matic LowBand top loader VTR’s with a edit controller that frame accurate up to 3 seconds. That was the days 🙂 However, the initial system was paid for and installed in the local Youth Club to help the kids get off the street and get into team work.

Within a year, the local cable operator purchased a second editing system with camera to go into a small office to produce news stories and help run an info channel. Their finance came through subscription and advertising. Part of it was than rather than paying $16,000 at the time to someone like Discovery, the money would be used locally and support local people – this a very small cable network.

Depending on your location, I would ask the local TV-Stations if they have any surplus kit. And I would ask local government and NGO’s whether they would like to be a stake-holder in return for educating the kids and at the same produce programs that will benefit the community. Once you’ve got traction with local support, you can then start applying for grants – which I reckon you’ll have more luck as a going concern than a upstart.

All the Best
Mads
London, UK

Latest video to watch here:

Mac Million Ltd. – HD Production & Editing
Blog: https://macmillionltd.blogspot.com

[Mads Nybo jørgensen]

Hey Gary,

With all due respect; as much as I agree that there is a “shortage” of engineers in comparison to production staff, there is also an increasing shortage of jobs for the engineer. With the cost of kit falling (Throw out mentality rather than repair) + introduction of tapeless + the common use of an I/P network infra-structure versus old style video/audio networks, the role of your traditional Broadcast engineer will be diminished.

I think that a way of future proofing yourself if you want to work as an engineer in Broadcast, is to become either Telecom or I/P specialist and/or architect. Or train for a secondary job such as Vision engineer (OB & Studio) or in grading/Quality Control.

At this point; cue Bob Zelin for his 10p 🙂

All the Best
Mads
London, UK

Latest video to watch here:

Mac Million Ltd. – HD Production & Editing
Blog: https://macmillionltd.blogspot.com

[Mads Nybo jørgensen]

Hey Eibe,

Niche is such a difficult thing to maintain. Once you’ve got it, and are earning good money on it – everybody else will join you in that game. Niche is often driven by trend – currently 4K 3D productions seems to be it – tomorrow it could be interactive digital design with wifi, or it could be Mobi-TV. Yesterday it was Time lapse, which then became Digital Slow-motion at 4,000 fps – still a good niche to be in, but an expensive hobby to have and a hard sale too.

I would rather suggest that if there is something that you are really, really good at and enjoy doing then that is your niche. No matter how many other people do it, if you can do it better and more creatively with a smile your, clients or employer will always be willing to pay top-dollar.

But don’t fall in the trap of becoming a “runner” whilst figuring it out. Just go straight for it and do not stop at “GO” 🙂

All the Best
Mads
London, UK

Latest video to watch here:

Mac Million Ltd. – HD Production & Editing
Blog: https://macmillionltd.blogspot.com