[Mark Raudonis]

Greg,

I know you’re a long time grazer in the pasture, so I’ll try to be gentle here. Vaccine is NOT about you, it’s about everyone else! You can make any choice you want , but you’re not gonna get any sympathy from me or anyone else that you might lose work because of your “choice”. Buck up and accept the consequences of your choice. Don’t try to play the “it’s not fair card”.

[Mark Raudonis]

Yep. Sure would be nice. However, their current user agreement does NOT allow this kind of use. One dish. One address. Can’t put it on your RV and enjoy the WWW from your campsite. Here’s the language from the contract: <b _ngcontent-cht-c112=”” style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Agreement to Purchase Starlink Kit and Services.

<strong _ngcontent-cht-c112=””>Residential Use. Services and the Starlink Kit are for use exclusively at the address you provided in your Order, and only for personal, family, household or residential use.

[Mark Raudonis]

Bob, I’m sure you know that there are designated spots on the capitol grounds where anyone can set up a tripod and NOT be questioned. These spots have been negotiated with the media and offer “classic” dome background angles. Having lived in DC in another life, the “no tripod” rule applies to just about EVERY public space in DC. The mall. The monuments. The museums. I’d also add that here in Los Angeles, you’re going to get the same response: Tripod? Where’s your permit?

[Mark Raudonis]

I’d suggest reaching out to these prospective buyers and asking them for their formatting templates. Every distributor has slightly different requirements. But, the commonality is that a “one hour” show is never 60 minutes. It’s more like 44:30 or something like that to make room for commercials, promos etc.

80 minutes would be closer to a “90 minute” programming block. We’ve done plenty of “90 minute” episodes, so it’s not impossible, but you really need to speak with the network. Nobody in this group can answer the question “how long is too long”. Frankly,
if the subject matter is compelling, most buyers want MORE rather than less. Good luck.

[Mark Raudonis]

[Tim Wilson] “To work for me, you’re gonna need $25,000-$40,000 worth of gear” is cutting out nearly everyone in their 20s and a good chunk of folks in their 30s.”

Tim,

30 years ago that number could be TEN TIMES that. Million dollar rooms were NOT that uncommon. There has always been a financial barrier to entry in this biz, yet somehow new talent still breaks through. I’m not worried about millennials. Never before has that barrier to entry been so low or the tech so simple. They WILL find a way to make it work.

I say this because I think you’re VASTLY over estimating the cost of gear. For basic off-line “story telling” editing, a low end iMac or comparable Windows system is fine. You could eBay one for way less than $5K, all in.

Sure, a high end system for color correction can reach $40K, but if you need that kind of system, chances are you’re making the rate that can support it.

As you point out, many trades already include the cost of their tools in their rate. It looks like post production is headed that way.

[Mark Raudonis]

[Warren Eig] “An employer can’t expect to profit and get free gear that we have to purchase and maintain on top and only pay a salary that they are already paying.”

Warren,

You’re missing the point. You seem to have an “us vs them” POV. (Typical of a union relationship).

I’m talking about a win-win situation, where convenience and lifestyle come into play. Nobody is trying to take advantage of you. I’m suggesting that in a situation where it’s YOUR CHOICE as to wether to come in or not, does the employer really have to supply you with another system?

[Mark Raudonis]

[Warren Eig] “I’ve never had the option”

Just because you’ve never had the option, doesn’t mean there aren’t other companies out there where this kind of
“hybrid” arrangement may become the new normal. I know we’re considering it.

In this conversation of WFH, people seem to focus ONLY on their own situation. The one thing I’ve learned in the past few months is that EVERYONE has a different idea of what WFH means. Therefore, the solutions, costs and technology deployed to make it work is going to be different for everyone.

[Mark Raudonis]

Warren,

What happens when the decision to WFH or in the office is yours, and you want to do BOTH? Let’s say you want to work two days a week at home ’cause you’d rather not spend an hour on the 405. Who pays for your system at home for those two days? Do you expect the company to pay for TWO systems?

[Mark Raudonis]

[Bob Zelin] “My great fear (and no offense Mr. Raudonis) is that what will happen now, is what happened when the writers strike happened in LA years ago, and “reality television” was created, just to get something on the air. It was “good enough”. “

Oh BOB… you had to throw down the gauntlet, didn’t you?

All I will say is that you are correct about the writer’s strike, but where are we a decade later? (Pre Covid) Talking about “Peak TV” and the greatest outpouring of AMAZING scripted series ever! So, so much for your ” good enough” theory. The market has increased to the point where there’s room for EVERYTHING. Hi budget, no budget and everything in between.

You can blame reality TV for a lot, many people do. But, you CAN’T say that we’re responsible for the the “good enough” trend. Ultimately, the only arbitrator of “good enough” is the story. If the story is “good enough” then the technology don’t matter.

Evidence: All those “no budget” movies that went on to make millions of dollars, like Blair Witch Project, and the no budget horror genre. Tech marches on, but without a good story, nobody cares.

So there! Mr. Zelin. Now leave me alone and go pick on your usual suspects of cheapskate, techno idiots who get your blood pressure boiling. Nothing to see here!

[Mark Raudonis]

What have we learned? Simple question… complicated answer. Here’s my take.

There is NO “one size fits all” when it comes to WFH. There are too many variables of workflow, project expectations, and technical details. Unless you very specifically define your expectations for a successful “WFH” experience , you will be disappointed, frustrated and fail. I’m not just talking about technology. People have to understand the limitations of the process. They must take into consideration the added time of various steps along the way. And… have a realistic understanding of the costs involved with supporting a WFH effort. (Hint: It’s NOT cheaper!)

I could go on and on about the various tools available to support remote editing, but that’s not at the heart of Oliver’s question. What I’ve learned about WFH is what we’ve known all along from WFO (work from office). That is, communication is key! WFH makes it even harder to communicate. You’re going to need to lean on your review and approval software. You’ll definitely be using a lot of Zoom, Teams, Hangouts or whatever. Slack instead of email (depending on your age!) Old fashion phone calls!

So, in conclusion, if you have unlimited funds and therefore REALLY FAST internet connection, a cloud based solution is optimal. If, like most of us, there are limits to your budget, then a hybrid solution is your friend. Finally, I strongly believe that we will NEVER go back to “always in the office”. Over the last 10 weeks too many people have proven that post CAN function quite nicely remotely.