Ned Miller
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COW Coins
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Ned Miller
Chicago Videographer
http://www.nedmiller.com
www,bizvideo.com -
And Happy New Year to all the B&M amigos! Thanks for all the good advice over the years. Wish all a prosperous 2015.
Ned Miller
Chicago Videographer
http://www.nedmiller.com
www,bizvideo.com -
I was waiting until Sunday to reply. I’ve been in your shoes and I’ve been in his shoes. I remembered all the incidents like these. Having PTSD.
I used to do a lot of what we now call “indies”, short narrative films, student films, slasher films, direct-to-video horror, spec jobs. I used to shoot with my Aaton Super 16mm film camera hoping to attach myself to the next up and coming Spike Lee or Quentin Tarrentino but that’s easier to do in LA than Chicago. A couple of things:
• Is the DP a fellow student or an older, “real” professional DP? If he is the latter than it is not expected for him to do the blue collar, loading into the truck in the rain parts of the wrap. When principle shooting for the day is complete and he has safely put the camera related parts in their cases, the DP if he is an older pro should shake hands, pass out cards and find out when and where the wrap party is. He is not a grunt crew member. I ask these questions because I have done a couple of dozen of these where I was 10, 20 even 30 years older than the rest of the crew and it was basically running a film school and one does get tired and the young eager beavers should do the heavy wrap chores, not the DP. And you will find this true when you get into the real pro world. So please let us know the facts regarding this.
• Leaving, such as in saying proper good byes, is different than “walking off”, as in mad, swearing, steam coming out of their ears. I have only done that a couple of times when I was thoroughly abused on 16 hour days, and it mainly was due to a Lack of Craft Services, which is something they don’t teach in Film School. Student and independent productions don’t consider the calorie burn off and need for breaks, the producer/director types are running on stress induced adrenaline but we crew types are really burning calories, carbs and protein. One starts to think of how hungry one is rather than how to fix that shadow or kill a reflection. Throwing a Subway sandwich at someone every 5 hours doesn’t count, you need a table laid out. Avoid sugar. A big pot of coffee brewing at all time, not take out coffee allowed to get cold. Craft Services is actually an art, indispensable, and the main reason one gets crabby after 10 hours. So, when you say “walked off” we old pros need to know why, such as in disgust from length of day, no meals, etc. and it must be factored in with the above: Student vs Pro.
I feel he is entitled to a final version of the film in a high resolution form for his own samples, I would never give a crew person raw footage unless that was in the original deal memo. There are outtakes, etc. that could find their embarrassing way onto YouTube, etc.
Lastly and very importantly, if it is a fellow student who is the DP, you should really, really, really bury the hatchet. The reason is, when you all graduate and go your separate ways, some of you will get jobs that can help the others. You form an informal alumni association so to speak and social media will help build, maintain or torpedo reputations. Something my age group didn’t have to worry about. So if I was you I, if he is a fellow film school student, I would find a way to make amends and have him at the wrap party, smiling.
That’s my .02¢
Ned Miller
Chicago Videographer
http://www.nedmiller.com
www,bizvideo.com -
Hilarious! That will be my new address from now on.
Ned Miller
Chicago Videographer
http://www.nedmiller.com
www,bizvideo.com -
I do see your point but…young people move often, they’re usually renters. I know from all my young crew members I have to constantly change the address on their checks. I bet the OP will end up with hundreds of outdated cards.
For many years I used the phrase “Chicago-based” because if I passed my bc to an out-of-stater he would have no idea where far north suburban Libertyville is. Could be in the far southern tip by Kentucky for all he knows.
When I list in professional directories I use a downtown Chicago address I choose randomly. There is a negative to being outside the hip, happening city and a negative of working out of one’s home, although most freelance editors now do that.
Ned Miller
Chicago Videographer
http://www.nedmiller.com
www,bizvideo.com -
In response to Matt’s post, as a DP & Producer who DOES NOT edit, I try my best to never bring my post to an editor who owns production gear, knows how to shoot and/or produces. I realize that many post specialists have had to migrate to producing since The Crash and the younger ones are “generalists” but…
No one spends more time with my clients than the editor. He or she will have a lot of communication back and forth with my client(s) while I have moved onto the next gig. No one starts out planning to steal their client’s client but relationships do develop, almost like romances, but in the business not biblical sense, and the original guy gets elbowed out. Seen it a million times, experienced it several. Vendors and clients fall for each other, it’s a chemistry.
So in sum, if your bread and butter is cutting for other folks, make the card seem like that’s ALL you do, or perhaps have two cards. For many years I had a DP card and another for producing because many producers will not hire a videographer who also produces based on the reason I list above. Money comes between friends, even family, so it’s not wise to introduce your potential competitor to your clients.
As to a logo, yes a nice one helps but…I have piles of biz cards on my desk/shelves held down by rocks and paper weights, I use them as we used to use Rolodexes (Google Rolodex), because total strangers are not worth the effort of inputting their data into my lists until I need them or they have proven worthy. The category I put them in is more important than the logo. Also, I think your name should be in your company title because when you deal with a prospect like me, where my memory is not my greatest attribute, I will forget the connection between a cutesy company name and the person I met. And that is why I changed back from BIZ Video to Ned Miller.
No one will turn a bc over to see what’s on the other side, at least it would never occur to me.
Try not to use the word Post, that’s inside baseball. If you are passing out your bc to non-industry types they understand the term Video Editing and they may not get Post. I know this from causing confusion on cost estimates, regular Joes think post is a part of a fence.
Pass out your card to everyone you come in contact with who has the term Marketing, HR, Sales, Advertising, Creative Director, PR and Corp Comm in their title. If you meet people in a local, hot company and become friendly ask them to pass your card onto the person “in charge of video” at their company, especially if they are friends with that person. I’ve gotten many gigs that way. No one cares about you until a hot potato video project is thrust upon them and then they scramble to find a “vendor”.
Lastly DO NOT have your physical address on your card because you could be considered GU (Geographically Undesirable). When time is of the essence I need to drop off drives, etc., or have a shoulder to shoulder meeting going over footage, etc. so if I know someone lives very far away I may rule them out.
Good luck!
Ned Miller
Chicago Videographer
http://www.nedmiller.com
www,bizvideo.com -
I also like Voice 123.
However…you are best to send them a paragraph and ask them to do a test recording, especially if they are female. The reason is, unless they’re an old, really experienced pro, they may use software to counter sibilance, cut out breathes, etc. Sometimes they put in funky filters I don’t care for. I prefer they record flat, cut out the breathes and then send me the best takes in a higher form such as wav.
I also ask them to write down their settings, microphone used, etc. In case the client needs revisions in the near future. If it’s a short read I may ask them to do it a couple of ways: High Energy, Smooth, etc. since 90% of the time it’s unsupervised.
In sum, my biggest issue with the non-techie types is that they don’t cut out breathes on a timeline they use gating software and some use sibilance software instead of experimenting with mic placement.
Ned Miller
Chicago Videographer
http://www.nedmiller.com
www,bizvideo.com -
People- If you have more work than you know what to do with then don’t waste time reading the following…
Hey Todd,
I am a LI addict and have gotten quite a bit of work from it. NOT from people finding me and then contacting and hiring me, rather, I use it as a powerful prospecting tool, especially the Advanced Search Function.
I too do not understand Endorsements, never pay attention to them and feel guilty I do not reciprocate. However, I have used the Recommendation function to extreme advantage as a marketing tool. Let’s say I have a great experience with a new client, I will shortly (that day) ask for him or her to Connect. They usually do it instantly or within a day or so. Then…I send a Recommendation request, what we normally call Testimonials. I ask if you have a couple of minutes could you write a few sentences. Naturally I would never ask a curmudgeon. So they send the blurb but on LI itself it is useless.
So this is how it helps with my marketing: I then edit their Testimonial (Recommendation) and add it to a two page PDF that has a photo of me. So there’s about 15-20 testimonials about my cameraman/producing services, saying Ned is the best thing since sliced bread, my business would be in the toilet without Ned, if I wasn’t already married I would marry Ned, etc. They have the real person’s name, company and title in 90% of the blurbs, the other 10% I don’t want my competitors hitting them up.
Finale: When I get a nibble in the form of an email, or perhaps when I do a cold call email, I have attached two PDFs below my signature, one is my slick brochure and the other is this fantastic 2 pager of testimonials. I like using LI to request them because I think doing it directly is too pushy. Here is my LI testimonials but it looks cleaner on the PDF:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nedmiller
That URL is also part of my email signature.
And as to accepting Connections, I only do it for people I know but salivate if they are what I call my Prospect Class, meaning an exec or someone in a position to hire pro video services such as a manager or VP of marketing, sales, PR, corp comm etc. I mask my connections so my competitors can’t troll them but most of these folks from the Prospect Class DO NOT HIDE their connections so if they are local to Chicago, WOW!, I now have a lot of new peeps to hit up. Of course I only do this on days I’m not doing real, profitable work and it has to be crummy outside, but I have gotten a lot of biz from LI due to my prospecting. Never a nibble from someone finding me. I have taught many slow buddies who do not compete how to use LI.
Ned Miller
Chicago Videographer
http://www.nedmiller.com
www,bizvideo.com -
OP writes: “we want to start a family.” Uh-oh…Independent video/freelancing/producing and having a family don’t go together unless:
1) You married a rich girl.
2) You married a girl who makes a high salary.
3) Preferably a combo of #1 & #2
4) You are from family money.
5) Most preferably a combo of #3 & #4 which many in video are!Otherwise you’re forced, as a male who wants to start a family, to go staff/steady paycheck. I’m an exception to the rule, being freelance for 36 years, but my generation rode the Golden Wave of making great money (until Digital/Internet/DSLR destroyed it). What was good for the masses was bad for the Pros. You was born 20 years too late. Now there’s too much competition to make a really good living like we did. Sorry! Supply and demand, Econ 101. Too many people now doing video. Clients now have a lower expectation of quality and won’t pay like they used to. Unfortunately, video production has become a commodity if not DIY, unless you find or stumble across deep pocket clients which is getting to be like finding hens teeth.
Everything changes, not when you get married but when the (first) baby comes and it gets tougher when the stork keeps dropping by. Then your career choices narrow because you have to make even more (steady) money and you become: The Bread Winner. At that time a steady paycheck with job security and insurance overrides all. Even with the Affordable Care Act because that has very high deductibles. Your “happiness” takes a back seat to putting food in the fridge, making the car(s) payments, rent, etc. Even if your wife goes back to work it will be tough. Once you have two kids it can be cheaper for your wife to stay home with the kids than the price of day care for two or three kids. So be prepared: You must figure out a way to make the most money, regardless if you find the work “fulfilling”. Sorry about that. I hope I’m not the first one to tell you.
Unfortunately Zellin is right. Things look different when you’re young and starting out, bright eyed and bushy tailed, overly optimistic. When you start in a “cool” occupation that perhaps once was a passion or hobby there’s an excitement level, when you have to do it as a way to make money, then it can become work or the clients/projects/mission grind you down. I know this from dealing with too many people who quit their day job to get into video or stills as a livelihood.
I would say for your generation, if you have landed a corp video staff job, the “secure” career path I have seen (I shoot for many Fortune 100s) is to get a more advanced degree and/or certifications, that will allow you to stay in a creative dept (marketing, advertising, video, PR, etc.) and make more money. Since you want to start a family keep that gig and figure out how to use it as a stepping stone but DO NOT go freelance or independent unless you have that family money security mentioned above. As Mark said you can release your inner filmmaker on your side jobs, maybe do charity fund raising videos for non-profits, music videos for local bands, etc. But…your priority is to provide for your family once the first bambino comes.
The REAL PROBLEM of the video biz is basically there’s no real cash flow like a for real biz, it’s a PROJECT centric business, like contracting:
• Look for work
• Get work and complete it.
• Get check (which can take awhile).
• Spend profit
• Repeat- over and over. And there’s no predictability or stability.It is however the perfect profession for people who do not care for regularity and that is why freelance creative services draw the ADD & ADHD crowd. That may be what’s bugging you: The Regularity of Corporate Work. Many of us life long freelancers can’t handle the regularity but deep down we’re jealous of a steady paycheck and matching 401K contributions, and did I mention health insurance?
If you go independent there are 4 identifiable stages to your career:
1) Who is Ned Miller?
2) Get me Ned Miller
3) Get me a YOUNG Ned Miller (meaning I’m considered too expensive)
4) Who is Ned Miller?I am in stage 3 right now and trying to elongate it.
So nowadays, if you aren’t from money or married into it (which many in the creative arts are) it is nigh impossible to:
• Save for an engagment ring.
• Pay for a wedding.
• Save for a down payment for a house then make payments.
• Afford kids
• Have decent car(s)
• Save for a college fund
• Have a nice annual vacation
• Put money away for retirement
• Etc. Adult life. Ugh!I have two kids in their late 20s and I would not recommend this business to them (or anyone). We made the mistake to teach them to “follow your bliss”, it’s more important to be happy than make money. Well, my wife and I were wrong. Mr. Rogers was wrong. Now they are doing something that’s fun, fulfilling, challenging and helps Mother Earth but there’s NO MONEY in tree hugging. It is hard to be happy when you’re older if you’re broke. In fact, that’s an old expression: “There’s no money in it.” Even in a corp video dept, which is susceptible to the axe in hard times, it doesn’t pay that well. That’s why you need to move up the corporate ladder, learn how to play golf, be good at shmoozing, etc. Get an MBA, get certified:
https://www.iabc.com/abc/
https://www.prsachicago.com/professional-development/accreditation-apr/You want to have a lot of letters after you’re name if you’re in a corp. And in regard to those posters who suggest starting your own “production company”, if you are a one-man-band you are NOT a production company, you’re a freelance producer. That’s me, I know.
I know from whence I speak, I was just hired as a Wisewords Advisor which is consulting to people wanting to enter the DP profession. I also will be starting a blog for young DPs on my new website, mainly because I do not have the time to answer every email query about how to get into the biz. I will tone down my real perspective but I can tell you honestly, if you are planning to have kids, in this crazy irregular business, keep your staff gig at all costs and save every damn penny. LBYM (Live Below Your Means). I am one of the fortunate few but that is because I entered the biz at the right time. Now it is too late, unless you have that back up money mentioned above.
So normally I would charge you for that advice but since you’re a buddy on our forum it’s gratis. Here is the site where you can get advice for $25:
https://www.wisewords.co/experiences/all/?page=1&cat=30
Well good luck! Let us know how it goes.
Ned Miller
Chicago Videographer
http://www.nedmiller.com
www,bizvideo.com -
Yes, that’s all true. If I feel it’s not worth my time, they can’t afford someone like me, I offer to put them in touch with my “young up n’ comers”, meaning cheap kids just out of school. I tell them they will need “adult supervision” but will probably be half of what I charge. These prospects are very grateful, they didn’t want to have to post on Craigslist. And the kid who gets the gig, usually one of my rookie crew members, is eternally grateful to me, thus building loyalty and good will.
However, as the decades have gone by, they seldom return the favor as they mature and grow busier. Human nature I guess…
Ned Miller
Chicago Videographer
http://www.nedmiller.com
www,bizvideo.com