[Nick Griffin]

Yes. That’s a very good solution if:

a)There was a way to know in advance from whom this would be needed, and

b)Client budgets would allow for a make-up/hair/stylist person (which they almost never do).

Guess I’m looking for a post-production solution with Pixar quality on a Bollywood featurette budget.

[Nick Griffin]

I don’t have a particularly good solution either, but here goes. Illustrations do sound like the simplest way to go. You could also supplement them with period paintings. Now… WHERE to find the historian who would know the period and its paintings. I’d advice that you start with the least expensive things first and work your way up. Where I live our public library has a “research desk” which is able to provide a surprising amount of information for free. They could probably also provide referrals for historians. From there you might try the Library of Congress in Washington, DC and see what you can get for free.

Not sure, but I think it’s reasonable that there may be no copyright issues on stuff more than 100 years old. Possible that someone has renewed copyrights over the years, but not likely.

My two cents on a multi-dollar project.

[Nick Griffin]

Based on Cody’s challenge, I watched the whole thing. Liked most of it but thought the athletic field part was the weakest and could easily be left out. Also a few shots could be shortened without losing any of their power and punch. All in all though, impressive, especially if that’s the kind of feel good work of which you’re wanting to get more.

Question: Dolly shots, a fairly big slider mechanism or even a Stedicam? Beautiful stuff nevertheless.

Now, as to Todd and Patrick’s comments: agency people, who are drowning in reels on a daily basis, almost always need something more than just getting a reel in order to consider you. It can be consistent (but polite) phone calls or drop bys, but it is always best when they hear your name from someone else or see something that impresses them and then they seek you out.

Much of this reminds me of one of my early jobs in a past life as an assistant to the program director of an alternative rock radio station. We would get in literally hundreds of albums a week and part of my job was to listen and pick out not just potentially hot artists, but also which cuts had the hooks that would make them appropriate for our air. It got to the point where I could skip through an entire LP (see… I AM old) in 20 to 30 seconds or less.

Come to think of it, that’s pretty much what I do these days when looking for VO talent, and one of the reasons I’d much rather browse the VO services on-line myself than ask for auditions and have to listen to a hundred or more inappropriate voices to find one I like.

[Nick Griffin]

[Steve Kownacki] “do you opt in and pay worker’s comp on yourself?”

Steve-
I don’t know how it is in PA, but I believe in the past I was told that as the owner of a company I would never be allowed to collect unemployment pay. Not sure if this has any relation whatsoever to workers comp, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it were the same. Probably a question best asked of your CPA.

[Steve Kownacki] “Do you have a Disability Policy on yourself or key employees?”

Yes. I’ve had one for myself for about 20 years. By having a 90 day period before any benefits would kick in the premiums have been very modest. This is one of those things that seemed like a good idea at the time, but now as the hair grows more gray by the day, maybe not. And, no. I haven’t gotten around to getting a disability policy for my VP… yet. Probably should along with “key man” life insurance.

[Nick Griffin]

Yea, what Mark & Mads said, but let me add:

Make it a simple choice for the new agency to use you. Tell them you want xxx,xxx.00 for the project files or one quarter to one half that much if you’re the ones making the changes. Further explain that you will be far more efficient (and cost effective) than anyone attempting to re-work a project you already know inside and out.

[Nick Griffin]

[Mads Nybo Jørgensen] “Run, and run as fast as you can!!!”

I fully agree with this sentiment. Unless you are starving and have absolutely nothing else to do, politely decline their changes to your contract. The only way I’d proceed on something like this (if I was starving and had absolutely nothing else to do) would be to split the job into two parts: the shoot and post and get paid up front for the shoot with no contingency for a claw back of monies already received.

These days I wouldn’t say that they can’t find SOMEBODY who will take the gig given their conditions, but they won’t be anyone good.

[Nick Griffin]

The technique that works best — I’ve heard from others and not tried myself — is to playback a recording of those speaking and then you yourself read that, in just your voice, into the Dragon software. Like most things audio, mic placement is critical. I’m not familiar with current Dragon software, but one used to have to train it your voice and that made accuracy much, much better. Here again is where a single, well mic’d voice will get the best results.

[Nick Griffin]

If I had to pick one book I’d go with Avid Agility over Uncut. It’s better organized on the nuts and bolts of how to use the Avid. Uncut has a lot of workflow examples that seem more like what you might like to review well after you have the basics down.

That said, personally I found the best way to learn was to not look for any one thing, but to look at everything. Especially the free tutorials like the ones here on the COW from Kevin McCauliff and other freebies that can be found on iTunes. When I originally purchased Avid MC from VideoGuys it came with a free Class On Demand series which was also extremely helpful, although fairly pricey if you have to buy it on your own.

[Nick Griffin]

[Jaeson Jrakman] ” Not sure how to answer that one.”

Shrug your shoulders and say, “I do what I’m told. If my ideas are over-ruled I move on.” To a prospective employer that says you’re a team player and when they can see that your ideas are clearly superior you look all the better to them.

[Nick Griffin]

Yes. Good idea. Create a shadow portfolio but you probably should never show any of it to your boss if he/she is a control freak. That could just generate ill will.

One tip for interviewing for that next job: NEVER say anything bad about your last employer. Say that you’re looking for bigger and better “challenges,” not that the last place sucked.