[Mike Cohen]

I once did this with a new surgical procedure. The hernia mesh is inserted through a small incision and the surgeon’s finger spreads out the mesh by touch. Impossible to shoot.
We did a dry run with a local surgeon, to figure out the best angle and the use of a laparoscope to get the inside shots, before flying out to Seattle to shoot with the inventor of the product.
Time well spent, and good customer service. If it is a good contract, you may add the camera rehearsal as a value added service, since it benefits you as much as the client.

Mike

[Mike Cohen]

Mark told you my favorite trick – save slides which are blank.

We do a lot of on-camera powerpoint lectures, taking the output of a laptop, into a scan converter and into a TV, plasma or projector.

Then in post we edit the slides into builds.

Let’s say a slide has 5 bullet points.

I would make 4 copies of the slide, and then carefully delete all but the first bullet point on slide 1, add point 2 on slide 2 etc. I say be careful because Powerpoint likes to automatically resize text to best fit the screen, which of course kills your build.

Inevitably Powerpoint is not safe title compliant. In those cases, when importing the slides into your NLE, scale them down so the text is safe, then create a mask to cover the black space around the edges.

If your talent has created slides with typical PPT backgrounds, I like to replace those with a plain blue color, as the bitmapped PPT patterns can vibrate or fall apart on TV.

If you can, record an ISO of the scan converter output with audio, or cut it live to tape, as a rough cut.

Mike Cohen

[Mike Cohen]

I would reinterate what the others have said – know what you are getting into, and use whatever talent you need.

If you will handle post, then act as producer and budget for 2 matching cameras with operators, and audio person, a lighting person (could be part of a for hire 2 camera crew). Check out the location with the client – possibly before you even bid – make sure the client understands what they are getting into.

You don’t want it to look like a video shot in a high school gym, basketball hoops, bleachers and lunch tables in the background.

You might build into your proposal a rehearsal, where the talent goes through their routine, and you shoot this with 1 camera, so you can try out different angles, and then review the tape with the client. Planning, planning, planning.

Let us know how it goes.

Mike Cohen

[Mike Cohen]

Depends on the job. Corporate interviews shot with DVCPRO. Everything else shot with PD-170 DV or DVCAM.
Have a V1U HDV – have only used it in DV mode so far.
Freelance crews tend to use BetaSP or XDCAM these days, so it’s a mixed bag.
A lot of people send us stuff they shot and/or edited, on DVCAM, mini-DV and unfortuantely DVD, which we dub off to DV anyway.

Mike Cohen

[Mike Cohen]

Another fascinating book is “When the shooting stops, the editing begins.” The author talks about saving the careers of Woody Allen and William Friedkin, whose first movies were utter disasters after the first cut.

I would ask:

What do you do about editor’s block. When no matter how you look at it, you can’t cut a scene and be happy with it.

By the same token, what if you are unenthused about a project, but it pays the bills, how do you get into it.
Mike

[Mike Cohen]

Responding to my carefully worded response, stating that I was not informed a fee would be incurred to get the proposal, the guy replied:

“If that is your position, fine. You won’t get my help moving forward. Best of luck, an you burned this bridge.”

You think?

This can be part of the above thread “watch what you say”.

[Mike Cohen]

speaking of googling people, thanks to the COW, it now only takes 18 search results to find my version of Mike Cohen!

[Mike Cohen]

On a few occasions I have had freelancers who like to blab about inappropriate things – ie, politics with the client. Are we still allowed to slap people on the back of their head to get them to shut up?

Mike

[Mike Cohen]

Very interesting responses everyone. Cheers.

[Mike Cohen]

it seems to me, maybe he does not do much freelance work, maybe does not understand how to behave in a business environment.

Regardless, any adult should understand that one must be very careful what they say and do.