[Mark Suszko]

We LOVE the Bravo Primera Pro. It worked perfect with our FCP workstation right out of the box, no messing around at all. When we moved it to work off a PC tower, we had some teething troubles with the PC based software, but it eventually worked fine there too. Sorry about your experience Walter, but the Bravo is very popular for a reason; it works for most people that buy it.

For batch jobs bigger than 100, we generally use a Microboards-built, 10- drive dubbing tower and a separate Rimage thermal-based B&W or color thermal printer with robot arm. The Microboards tower is scary fast and self-contained, no needing a PC hooked to it. But then again it’s not also a disc printer.

“Oh, you wanted to RECORD that?”

[Mark Suszko]

Meh, as they say its a “push”.

The webster is an idiot not to state up front that he charges for consults and how much. You expect a lawyer to charge for every call and discussion, and they’ll tell you, up front, if and how they do. Since he didn’t inform you what parts of your conversation were “on the clock”, and your email trail doesn’t have a specific order or agreement on it (does it?) I don’t think he’s got a case to make you pay, especially since he didn’t AFAIK TELL you anything specific that you could use to then do the job without him. So if I call the Chevy dealer to ask about the price for a car with so-and-so package on it, I’m liable to buy it because he spent some time looking up stuff in the catalog? PLEASE! He can’t arbitrarily charge you for his “research time” until later, when he bills for the completed work. (AKA “Dealer Prep”) Not unless you had another understanding up front.

He’s doubly an idiot for acting this way, because he doesn’t lose his knowledge just by sharing some of it, and conversations like this are what lead to actual customer deals, if not now, usually later. “Bob, what’s the name of that guy, you know, that gave us the advice about the dynamically updating RSS feed thing? Yeah, he’s good, call him about this new gig, see if he can take it”.

If we got charged every time we asked a vendor a few preliminary product research or application questions, we’d have no money to actually buy products or services.

That said, we know it is bad form to ask for them to research a complete package down to the last detail, just to give that info away in open bidding process or use their report as a shopping list to buy each piece somewhere ourselves. It is a delicate balance; the vendor spends a certain amount of effort and expertise to lay the groundwork for what might evolve into a deal. That’s his gamble, his investment, and he has to decide how hard to work on the proposal before it’s wasted time. That’s part of being a salesman, not every pitch gets closed. Most of the time it IS a waste, but it leads to a deal often enough that its worth doing again and again.

It is not fair to lead him on with false promises you’re ready to buy, if it’s just an inquiry. It wastes both your time and his, and destroys the working relationship. Have the guts to say: “This is for informational purposes only right now, but if we move ahead to a bidding/ buying situation we’ll let you know”.

A proposal is not a deal, its a description of a deal’s elements and asking for the deal. I can “propose” marriage to Jessica Alba but she’s not under legal compulsion to take me up on it, even if I researched where to go on the honeymnoon. (Well, the restraining order issue too, but that’s not germane to my argument)

This is why its important to establish the boundaries up front when you transact for data, just as you do for a physical purchase.

Back to the webhead: seems like he’s trying to bill you for something the previous client already paid for. He already did the “research” part when he built the previous site, if you’re asking for a clone of the other site.

His actual expenses would be his time to make the adaptations and customizations, the extra licenses if needed, sure, but it’s not like somebody erased his memory of the past year after he completed the prior job

( “Paycheck”, starring Uma Thurman and Ben Affleck, actually a pretty good underrated movie for video nerds, you’ll enjoy the first 30 minutes in particular)

and he’ll have to re-discover all the software tools again…

I don’t accept his claims of proprietary trade secrets too much either. Yes, he’s not obligated to tell you how he builds the clock, just to tell you what time it is. Unless you’re specifically paying him extra to teach you the tricks along the way. But come ON, he admits half the thing is off-the-shelf software, the other half is custom code, but the off the shelf stuff is a state secret? That’s dumb. Its the custom code and integration that makes the deal. Like saying I can’t tell you what NLE I used to make your video?!?!?

Maybe a closer analogy would be, you created a card flip or spinning video cube effect template in Aftereffects for one project. Took you five hours to build it, but it’s saved as a template, and the first client cares not if you re-use it as-is. Another client wants the exact effect, maybe to use in a parody of the first spot, but with his own footage applied. That’s probably a one hour job in comparison, to just add the new footage to the old template and hit the render button, but are you really going to bill him for the five hours again, as if you had to re-construct the thing from scratch? Shame on you if you do. Such skills and assets are part of the package when you book me, that’s WHY you book me, because I’ve built up skills and experience and a bag of tricks that gets it done better and faster. Every client gets the benefit of what I’ve learned on the projects before him.

[Mark Suszko]

I think writing off FCP is way premature, it’s value to Apple in terms of publicity and prestige helps them sell the boxes to consumers. “Own the same powerful software Hollywood studios use!”

Shake may be another story, there are rumblings for some time now that Apple hasn’t put much into further development of it, and nobody buys an Apple just to run Shake. Adobe has such a clamp on the compositor market, I worry because we own Combustion instead of AE and Autodiscreet has not exactly been blazing with updates or announcements past the addition of the color warping tool.

Also, Motion keeps getting more and more capable, so Apple may be looking to thin the herd there a little bit, but FCP is a flagship software product that absolutely sells macs, so I think that’s likely to stay strong for some time yet.

[Mark Suszko]

Apple knows it can be one (albeit large) player in an expensive crowd at NAB or be the entire raison d’etre’ of Macworld. That’s a big difference. Apple has between two and four huge shows every year that are all just about Apple and anything that runs on or leverages off Apple. Not to mention CES.

Apple is not a broadcast Tv equipment company. Its a computer hardware and software company, a decidedly consumer-oriented computer company, that happens to sell some kick-ass software and hardware that’s also popular with broadcast Tv production people. But that is not their main line of business. That’s where Apple is different from Avid, in that only Tv people buy Avids, you don’t buy an Avid to run games or spreadsheets or all the other consumner things. People don’t line up at the Avid Store to buy Avipods or aviphones.

Also I think the tanked economy plays no small role in the decision.

I also think that as far as video production goes, Apple’s biggest competitors by sheer size are Avid and Adobe. If Avid drops away, maybe Apple feels it can relax a bit with regards to Adobe. At any rate, Apple is making huge money planetwide with their consumer products and besides FCP, what would they be selling at NAB?

I think Avid made a decision because they had to. Apple made it because it chose to. That’s a big difference.

[Mark Suszko]

Congratulations, if you got an interview, you are well on the way. Companies don’t waste time interviewing unless they think you’re a good candidate. Just how good is what they want to find out next.

For one thing, they want to see you in person to check if you are a flake or a fake. So dress and comport yourself as a professional would. Be punctual. Be precise as you can. Remember you are an applicant, not a supplicant: you are a pro called in to help solve a problem, not an alms beggar. This is not charity, this a business transaction between equals.

Interviews are mostly about seeing what kind of person you are and how you relate to and could get along with other people. They are taking a gamble you can deliver what they need. Bring spare copies of your reel on DVD and tape, maybe even on your iPod, be ready to leave them behind along with spare copies of your CV, personal or pro references, and etc. This shows you are aware, prepared and a good planner, anticipating needs. Bring a small notebook and pen to jot down facts and questions, but keep most of your attention on the person. If you get a tour, be curious and ask intelligent questions that relate to how you would be using the stuff or how they manage the process. If you know of high-profile work they’ve done, a tiny remark here or there to show you have done research goes a long way. “This is where you did the so-and-so compositing for the XYZ spots, isn’t it? I bet that was an exciting job! Did it take a lot of storage space up on the server?”

You’ll possibly be grilled on a few technical questions or asked your professional opinion on something, as a way to confirm you are who you say you are. Think it thru before you say it. Don’t get dragged into politics or sports or religion or anything like that during the small talk, keep it light, professional, this is not “The Weakest Link”. Whatever you say, underneath, it should convey:

I know my subject.

If I don’t know this particular answer, at least I know where to find out in a hurry.

I can deal with pressure and deadlines, I take them seriously.

I am flexible when the client’s needs change.

I can think my way around or out of problems that could crop up.

I have realistic goals and expectations.

I love my work, this is not just about getting paid. I am highly motivated and inspired by the material.

I know how to collaborate, and I know how to work independently, when that’s what’s required.

I have some idea of what other people get paid for this work.

It might be well for you to have examples for each of those items in the back of your head that you can make quick references to. While this is a temp job, it could lead to full-time, or other references, you never know, so act with that in mind, you are building bridges to future work.

I think your rate is low. That might be a strong reason you got the interview, you don’t cost much.

One way to try to explain it, if it comes up, might be that you’ve been charging less when you do all your work independently on your own flexible time, working on several project at the same time, dealing exclusively thru email and web with clients, or that your work has been subsidized so the rate is not a true reflection. If you had to come to an office and work, your rates would, of course, have to be commensurate with industry norms. This is a temporary gig for three weeks?
Then they are not going to cover you for benefits or anything, and everybody understands (or should) that when you have to cover your own benefits and pension, etc., on a freelance basis, you have to charge more or you are actually working below market rates.

The common opinion of people here is that you need to know your true costs, determine a rate that works for you, then stick to that rate in negotiating.

The first guy to name a figure loses.

Anybody that asks you to lower your rate on the first job in exchange for a lot more future work at better rates is a liar and your best bet is to terminate the interview right there. In over 20 years, I’ve never seen such a deal work out, ever, and people that make that kind of offer tend to be scammers.

To really have any power in a rate negotiation, you have to be willing to walk away from the table if they can’t meet your minimum. You don’t have to be a brat about about it: “Boy, I sure would love to help you with this project, it has a lot going for it, I can see in my head right now just how I would tackle it, and if the budget gets revised upwards at all, I’d love for you to reconsider me for it, or for some future project…. But my best guess on doing a project like this, based on my previous experiences, is N amount of hours. The range for stuff like this is between x and y typically, so unfortunately we’re not yet at a figure I can work with, for the amount of hours I think this kind of job will take. If we perhaps could look at the requirements in another way, that would require fewer hours, perhaps we could make that work?”

And if they stay firm; “Oh well, no hard feelings, I understand you have a lot of constraints to juggle on a project like this, it just wasn’t a perfect fit this time… But I really appreciated the chance to see your place and meet with you, perhaps we can do something together in the future. (start grabbing up your notebook and coat)I know things change a lot in this business, please keep my contact information on file.” (Smiling warmly and genuinely, with aslight look of sympathy for their money problems, stand and put out your hand for a good-bye shake) Depart with the air of someone who has another three client meetings to get to. Even if you’re just going to hit the pub and cry into your beer.

Then you remember to send a thank-you card the same day as the interview. In it, you briefly thank them for the opportunity to meet and discuss their needs on the XYZ project. You repeat that you enjoyed the place and the people, and ask them by name to give you a heads-up if another possible project ever comes up.

You’d be surprised how often a little detail like the thank-you note makes a big difference.

Homework: you need to find rate cards for comparable businesses that work out of that part of town. You are very weak in negotiating if you don’t even know the range of pay for what you do. Make some calls, dig around the net for user groups in the area and ask around.

[Mark Suszko]

I think wherever you study, what you want is to find the best balance between the fancy book larnin’ and the practical hands-on. To know how to get a certain shot and why it should be that way.

Too far in either direction is not healthy. You could take a cram course at a place like FullSail or similar vocational type operation and come out ready to push some buttons and work a specific camera or other piece of gear within a certain range of ability. But without some foundation of theory and aesthetics, you are not going to be the first choice to run that gear, because knowing the buttons is not enough to use the tool effectively. Then you get dead-ended into being a mere “technician” and not a “creative”.

Moreover, technology changes so fast, a simple skill that was vital two years ago may be useless next year. All the gear I learned how to shoot and edit on has been scrap metal for a long time. What does not get stale are the principles used on those cameras and editors. Be sure you concentrate on the reasons for cutting a certain way rather than what color the button is that makes the cut. When you ge the chance to do practicum work, try every job in the place even if you don’t like it. A good director and producer has to know enough about everybody else’s job to be able to manage a team and get results.

On the other side, an overabundance of theoretical prep that ignores any hands-on application of the techniques means you are just as useless on location. Decide if you want a job as a media critic, or a media maker. I’ve had graduate students come thru here quoting Proust and semiotics and mis-en-scene at me, but they didn’t know how to turn a camera ON, much less point it at something and tell a story with it. All they could do was stand around and critique someone else’s work after the fact. They weren’t much use even as a grip, not knowing any terminology or having enough understanding of the production process to anticipate someone’s needs and be ready to supply what was needed. Their career will wind up being a professional Blockbuster Video rental customer. Or perhaps, Assistant VP of Development:-)

On top of those two pillars, theory and practice, you have to make the personal commitment to your education, that you are going to squeeze those egghead professors of yours for every scrap of knowledge they can give up, and you are not going to be satisfied with just doing the assigned reading and template projects, you are going to use every free minute, every opportunity to access their gear, to make stuff, to explore technique, to find your personal voice and style, to see what your gifts are. If you just coast thru the assigned curriculum and do nothing more than that, you are not going to get work in the industry. Too many better-motivated and talented kids are ahead of you.

If I had some influence on a curriculum for this business, I’d stress English composition and writing, particularly script writing, as well as practical business courses like accounting and the fundamentals of marketing. I would spend a semester on the entire film making process from a finance and accounting and budgetary standpoint, from getting the money to running the boards and planning the payroll and covering insurance, rights, etc.

To that I’d add an aesthetics layer comprising a review of the highlights of art history, of music history and appreciation, still photography, with an emphasis on shot composition and lighting, and some form of 2-d or 3-d animation, student’s choice. I would add a theatre appreciation course that stressed direction and acting, where evrybody had to rotate thru all the jobs.

Radio is fun to take and can be very useful if you write and perform a lot of pieces and learn micing and recording and editing techniques. But I think any school that pushes radio as a “career” is lying to you: there are few and soon fewer than ever jobs DJ/ announcer/ production jobs in radio that pay worth anything, you can thank Clear Channel and the FCC’s support of massive centralization and consolidation of media holdings for that. While some very talented voices can usually find *some* work, the idea that you can walk out of school and become a DJ at your local station for a liveable wage is, I fear, a fantasy now, more than it ever was. The AUDIO production business is strong and thanks to podcasting and digital recording techniques, a growing business, but “radio” is IMO a shrinking, if not dying, field. Take AUDIO courses but shy away from “radio” courses in the traditional sense of the word, IMO. Unless you just like doing it for fun.

[Mark Suszko]

SoundDogs is very nice, but not all the clips are free. Though I found them very resonable on price.

The Hollywood Edge is also a great staple. I hear pro stuff all the time that uses their sounds.

A lot of people use and like the sound effects collections from DigitalJuice.com. They now also package some keyable wipe patterns that already come with apropriate sound effects, calles “swipes”. Worth checking out their site, I think we’re going to buy their new sound effects collection.

Just be careful: these are to be used sparingly, like condiments. Too much pepper doesn’t make the meat any more flavorful. And because the Digital Juice products are relatively popular and inexpensive, you risk looking like everybody else that has the same package unless you take the extra time to customize and not just use the presets stock.

“Oh, you wanted to RECORD that?”

[Mark Suszko]

The best NLE is the one you like the most.

They are all more or less equal now in features but all have slightly different implementations and interfaces, and perhaps one area that they excel in, be that graphics, file organization, rendering speed, audio capabilities, whatever.

You are going to have to live and work with the machine every day, so try the free evaluation copies of each candidate system your hardware can run and see which ones feel most intuitive to use FOR YOU. Are you a mouse-clicker or a hotkey-tapper? Do you like film style bins with picons or a list? Do you like everything in one screen, or a modal interface, where you do one step at a time?

Because the only way to get good or get better at editing is to do a lot of it, and if you love the machine and the interface and feel comfortable, your learning curve is going to be easier and you’ll have more confidence to try new things and experiment to build even better skills. Even if your machine is not as powerful as another person’s, you will do better work because you will have pushed beyond the boundaries of just the canned effects and procedures to really KNOW the system inside and out and MASTER it.

If you hate the machine and how the software works, you will just put in the minimum amount of effort into the work. It will show.

NLE systems are like shoes. If they don’t fit your feet, no matter how pretty or expensive or fashionable they are, they won’t get out and be seen much.

For your evaluation period, try to do the exact same project with identical footage on each of the platforms. Since you are mac-averse, look at Sony Vegas, Avid, Premiere Pro for Windows, Edius, and Incite, to start with. Keep notes on how hard or easy and how fast each system was in doing the same tasks of import, file management, accesing the media, working in the timeline, transport handling, effects and compositing, graphics, audio, export options that fit your needs, things like that.

Then pick the pair that fits like a well-broken-in pair of mocs.

[Mark Suszko]

You might want to read this thread from your fellow Michigander.

https://forums.creativecow.net/readpost/17/859557

We revisit this topic often enough, I think if the site’s software allows for it, the threads regarding young folks and career advice to them should be collected in a “sticky note” file, all in one place, easier for them to access. Saves a lot of retyping and re-stating of the same messages.
Every kid’s situation is a little different, but I think it would help them to read up on the older related threads, if they were collected in one spot. Search bars alone are not always going to catch all the right threads because the titles may neot relate strongly to the content.

[Mark Suszko]

Listen to Rick.

One way that some people use to be able to take credit cards, without a merchant account is to use PayPal. The customer uses their credit card to pay into a paypal account and you draw that out. Not quite as handy as being able to run a credit card directly, but simpler than some other methods of payment. Read the fine print at their site to see what is and is not protected, and how things work.

I find I now use PayPal more than a regular credit card for my online transactions, and have never had a problem getting a payment either. In some cases, it’s more fraud-proof than taking a guy’s personal check. And you get an electronic audit trail for records purposes.

Perhaps this will work for you as your “starter system” for managing payments and billings until you develop the business a little more.