Nick Griffin
Forum Replies Created
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Not sure if the design of the Dionic 90 allows for this, but on other AB-style batteries having the internal cells replaced is a relatively simple and much less expensive way to go.
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[Todd Terry] “if I chose to bother”
I had to. After 20+ years with the same email domain our spam got to the point where, between three email addresses, we were getting a minimum of 200-300 spams a day — EVERY day. Our hosting company offered us a product called “Happy Mail” that nearly completely eliminated spam. Problem is that I still get things that at some point in the past (for dumb reason at the time) I signed up for. I routinely hit “unsubscribe” when it’s offered, but because so much internet traffic is coming from outside of countries with strict laws, often the unsubscribe link doesn’t work.
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[walter biscardi] “Don’t forget the sound tech”
And for everyone, don’t forget meals, breaks and plenty of water, soft drinks, etc. In the long run being generous with crew members pays off. You get better work and a higher degree of “buy-in” to the project.
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[Mark Suszko] “It was shot by a non-pro, so that means you may need to apply a lot of work to improve the final product.”
Mark’s answer. as is Mads’, is spot on. But I think the question that’s missing here is how good is the amateur’s coverage from which you will be cutting. I’d ask to review the raw footage before agreeing to anything, let alone a price.
Coverage from different viewpoints is critical because if all you have to work with is a handheld camera looking at the action from just one place and at one focal length there’s only so much you can do to make a decent end product. Graphic cut-aways may be the ONLY way you’ll be able work with what you’ve been given and even then the end result may be stunningly boring. In other words: something with which you don’t want to be associated.
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Hopefully we can have someone who knows something about how YouTube handles music contribute to this conversation. We always use licensed music and it seems to always get challenged and we have to jump through a few hoops to prove that we, in fact, have rights to the music.
BUT… I believe there are some instances where pop music is accepted provided a link to purchase said tune is shown with the video. I think it’s a good bet that this is the case with only some of the older, lesser known pieces and there would be no possible way to do this with say a Beatles’ song.
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Allow me to draw a few conclusions and observations from this thread.
The difference between a seasoned pro and an inexpensive beginner can be the success or failure of a project. Granted that may not be an either/or situation. There are usually degrees of difference but any sane individual will lean heavily towards success and attempt to avoid the things that risk failure.
An example close to home: In March & April I was producing a 12 minute video which required five shooters for talking heads in five cities across North America. I was able to do one of the shoots myself, but for the whole project I was the writer, producer & editor.
The best of the four outsiders was, as I have praised him here, the COW’s Ned Miller. Given a terrible room in which to work he made the best of a situation none of us could control. He also was extremely aware of how the interview would be edited, meaning that he knew when to ask the subject to re-state or simply re-phrase his answers to the questions the client was asking over a speaker phone connection. Ned’s knowledge and attention to detail made my job easier.
Contrast this with one of the other cities where the person to be interviewed told us, “Oh you don’t need to hire someone, I know someone who does this.” The client thought this was a good idea since he could save money. Needless to say this was a newbie with a DSLR. He knew enough to double system with a separate recorder for the audio but not enough to provide a clap or any simple means of achieving synch for devices started who knows how far apart. (Thank God for Pluralize.) Add to that the framing was extremely against one side of the 16×9 frame. The interviewee repeatedly stumbled yet was never asked to re-state any part of his responses.
Conclusion: Ned is a pro well worth his fee. The kid with the DSLR may have been far less expensive but his product was inferior and consumed more editing time than it should have. Probably because he’d not spent much if any time around and learning from those more experienced than he is.
COST is not the only and most important concern, getting the best result is and we should always be reminding our clients of this. Quality rarely comes from the cheapest provider.
Now, back to the original subject of this thread. If I am advising someone who wants to start in video or any related field my best advice, that many others have stated before, is you can’t do simply one thing. Those days are over and have been for a while. (Although I fondly remember Mark’s reference above to the days when we were viewed as “techno-wizards” because we could operate machinery that mere mortals could not.)
The best way to succeed, and especially survive the down times, is to be in multiple businesses. If you’re an editor you better also be fairly good at colorizing and audio. Wouldn’t hurt if you also had experience shooting. Also would be a good idea these days to be working in broader, semi-related areas.
Although I have a strong preference for video production my company also creates print advertising and brochures, web pages, trade magazine articles and more. Usually when one area is dry the others are not. If we weren’t diversified we might have had a much harder time sticking around for this long. Acquire a LOT of skills, kids. You’re going to need them.
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Glad to hear that there are some positive things about the school that I did not mention by name. I especially like the idea of taking art classes before attempting art on a computer.
[Tim Wilson] “but it doesn’t speak at all to the lure of this industry, except to the extent that people are willing to roll the dice on their future on that scale.”
But it doesn’t seem to be an informed roll of the dice. Where are the guidance counselors and college advisers who should be discussing reality with these young innocents? One of my daughters would like a career in journalism and she was advised by multiple working news professionals to pursue a degree in almost anything BUT journalism. Their argument was that, as long as she is a good writer, learning about other subjects that she can bring to a journalism career is far more valuable.
[Tim Wilson] “But the thing for lawyers is that only 63% of the jobs they find within 9 months of graduation require passing the bar”
Tim has, as usual, researched the stats so it’s hard to disagree on his specifics. BUT, even today, having a JD after your name means a lot to long term success even if one hasn’t passed the bar. I’ve seen multiple JDs over the years doing quite well in business because they are able to deal with levels of complexity that many others are not.
I too agree that the current state of student loan debt will be damaging for the country as well as the individuals. Hopefully people will start listening to Elizabeth Warren and do something about this. Speaking of which, has anyone noticed that some of the most interesting ideas in the current pre-election run up are coming from the extremes of both political sides? Maybe we should have a Bernie Sanders/Rand Paul co-presidency. (Sorry to get all political.)
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[Mark Suszko] “This used to be the deal with “Radio schools”
Yea, I remember an “Institute of Broadcasting” that was around here in the 1970s. I’m certain that the vast majority of its graduates got high paying jobs at gas stations and convenience stores.
Some of us however went to the six week crash course for passing the test for the FCC’s First Class license – a requirement for working at many stations. It was taught by an ex-military instructor as if the entire class was in the military. Not sure how much of the education in 1930s and 40s radio technology has (or even had at the time) much relevance, but we sure as hell could pass the test and get the license.
As to “Partially Put To Sea,” not being among the worst still does not forgive the pretense that there are lots of jobs in exciting fields if only one has the degree that they offer.
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[Ned Miller] “they needed someone to steer them towards a profitable future when they were picking their major, not at graduation”
Which brings me to the fundamental amorality of the growing number of for profit schools teaching “valuable skills” needed to get a job in the field. Or in animation. Or game design. (In particular “Partially Put To Sea,” to name one of the bigger ones without using their name.)
REALLY? I’d like to see the numbers on just how many of the kids going through this so they can work in a “cool” field actually GET to work in the field. These schools are only to happy to take Mom and Dad’s money, the state’s subsidies or far worse the student’s personal debt.
As I said. I find this area to be amoral, generating a large number of broken dreams.
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Thanx, Mark. It’s the whole tracking thing that I’m trying to avoid the massive amount of labor it would take to do it right. Chances are their is no better solution than bringing along a make-up person whether they’re needed or not.