Timothy J. allen
Forum Replies Created
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Speaking of the infamous “white flash”…
Long ago, I used to do this making a full screen white graphic then simply fading or dissolving out of it to the shot. What I do more often now – that like much better – is adjusting the gain levels on the clip to start on a cut that blows out the shot to white then keyframing that back down to normal over seven frames or so. This way, the effects is customized for each shot – almost looking like the shot builds itself organically during that quick white flash. The clip builds from the darkest parts of the shot to the lightest. This has an energy to it that simply fading a white flash just doesn’t have. I also found that I prefer cutting to the white then getting it back to normal rather than going to white than back out, even when it’s very quick.Of course with any “white flash” effect, you still need to make sure your brightest whites don’t go out of the broadcast legal color spectrum.
* I like getting the videographer to shot some various “whip pans” when they can so I have a blurred transitional element that matches the color spectrum between two clips. Sometimes I add blur to that.
* I like to use some of those esoteric “transitions” on text. I’m not talking about keyframing text where it types in and rotates or anything like that. Using some of the really cheesy transitions that I’d probably never really want to use on full screen video has turned out pretty well when it’s used on text that has an alpha channel around it.
* Playing around with various blending modes in transitions or composites. (Such as “multiply”, “color dodge”, “lighten” or “difference”.) I use Boris Red a lot and I love being able to keyframe and adjust the blending modes over time for unique looks.
As far as NLE specific tricks, I’m using Avid Adrenaline HD right now, so my top two today are:
1. Map the “add edit” button to your keyboard.
This lets you cut on the fly and keep going. If you hit the “add edit” icon on the interface, it stops playing after your cut. That drives me crazy.2. The “Extend” Key – learning to use that feature has probably saved me hours of trimming footage.
-Tim
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Part of the equation depends on how long you want the infomercial to run. The longer “shelf-life” they want it to have, the more I’d be inclined to shoot in HD.
It would probably be worth your time to work up the costs for each production path, present the pros and cons of both options to the client, then let them decide which way to go. I’ve found that my clients value the preproduction discussions and education they get regarding HD vs. SD.
I started working in HD about seven years ago, but true HD production only became “the standard” for our scripted productions in early 2004 – AFTER we got high-quality HD scopes and monitors. Now the only thing we shoot or post in SD is “quick turnaround” events like press conferences.
The camera (and lens!)and first HD decks cost a lot, but the hardest cost to bear for us was upgrading our routing infrastructure, scopes and monitors. We absolutely had to do that in order to give our clients the quality and turnaround time that they had come to expect with SD material.
On today’s computers, the render time actually doesn’t bother me so much anymore. Using so much hard drive space for the media still bothers me a little, but at least that space doesn’t cost anything near what it did a few years ago.
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Good stuff so far…
You’ll learn a lot by talking to the client. Some dealers have done TV spots for eons and the guy on camera will know (or at least think they know) exactly what they want. This is not always a bad thing, if you figure out the reasons why they ask for certain things. For instance, I’ve had dealers that wanted to tape a new spot every week UNLESS it rained the day before but WASN’T raining during the shoot. Why? Because puddles underneath the cars give the subliminal impression that all the cars leaked oil. 😉
The funny thing was that they didn’t mind doing the spot if it had been raining for several days and it was still raining WHILE they taped, since they didn’t worry about people mistaking what was clearly rain for oil. Since they did a new spot each and every week, they knew that once sunny skies were there again, the customers would also show up again, and they would rather update the spots than air one that was two weeks old.
Other dealership clients we had focused on the affluent market, so they wanted a broader campaign, with more longevity. This meant that we couldn’t get specific with current deals, but focused instead on building the dealerships image of high-end quality. So we shot on film, used the jibs and dollys, and spent WAY more time on lighting and audio etc. etc.
I guess what I’m saying is that even though there might be a typical “car-spot”, it’s still good to really find out what image your client wants to project. What differentiates them form the competition? If you can make your spots stand out, SOME clients will keep you for that reason. Then again, others just want quantity at “decent” broadcast standards rather than high art. There are good business cases for both types of campaigns. Just make sure you understand the requests, so you don’t get frustrated.
By the way, the gear that you listed gear is most likely fine as long as you know how to use it well. If you find out they want shots that you need more gear to pull off, simply rent that gear and charge them enough to cover the overhead.
We had one client that always wanted to shoot at night, since the talent was the general sales manager and he was always very busy during the daylight. We rented HMIs and all was well…
(Although our audio tech strongly suspected that the sales manager only wanted to shoot at night because “salesmen are technically vampires”… Seems the audio guy didn’t get the discount on the new vehicle he thought he’s get from working on their spots. 😉 -
JF,
It really depends on your equipment costs. Will you need to rent an HD-SDI vectorscope and a broadcast quality HD monitor?Do you usually by the hour for render time? Are you delivering this material on hard drives or DVD-Rom?
Not to be simplistic, but basically it’s still the same formula as SD… figure out your actual costs, decide how much profit you need to make on top of that, then price accordingly.
I don’t simply charge X% more for HD. For me, it’s basically the same profit margin as SD. I do end up charging more because of equipment and material costs, but the charge for my time is the same no matter the resolution.
That’s just my approach. I’d be interested in seeing what others say.
-Tim
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Yep. Here in Texas, I’ve been seeing between $500-$850 for most projects.
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Hey I’m very professional and (important)! I think I’ll call them up…
[dialing]
[click]“Hello?”
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“Yes, Hello? I’m calling about the position you posted on Craigslist…”“Am I available next Friday and Saturday? Sure!”
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“Yes, I have about 15 years of production experience…”
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“I can bring my HD VariCam, if that works for you.”
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“Yes, I can get my demo and resume to you right away.”
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“References? No problem.. You’ll see that I’ve spent the last decade and a half building a stellar reputation. ”
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“Transportation? Yes, I have my own.”
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“Well…actually it’s a Minivan.”
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[I’m sensing a lost opportunity] …It’s a Dodge Caravan… (trying to recover)…but the stereo system in it is killer!
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“Well, my cousin has a ’79 Impala convertible with a great new paint job. I’ll ask him if I can use it that day, if you need it for the shoot.”
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“Side items? Um… well… Does garlic butter for the pizza count?”
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“It doesn’t? Well, see, I’m just not much of a cook…”
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“Well, I never really thought that would be part of the interview, sir.” [Voice in my head] “Uh oh… another snag in the interview, Get it together, Tim! RECOVER!!! YOU NEED THIS JOB FOR THE KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU WILL HAVE THAT YOU PLAYED A ROLE IN SUCH AN UPLIFTING AND MEANINGFUL PROJECT!!!“If John Davidson brings the potatoes, can I bring like… I don’t know… napkins or something?!?!!
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“Oh… you just need potatoes… and corn. I see. That’s why you advertised for two videographers. Yes, I understand. Just potatoes and corn… and the Impala…
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“No napkins needed, then?”
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“The audio guy is bringing them? O.k., then.”
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“I guess I’ll just be glad that I still have my day job at NASA.”
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“Oh, by the way… since I’m not the one you are looking for, I was just wondering, couldn’t you divert some of the budget that you saved from not paying your crew towards the food?”
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“No?”
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“Oh. I see….You have to use it for the “mad bling”. What’s “mad bling?”[click]
(Can’t believe he hung up on me. So rude.)
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Grinner mentioned Avid Media logger. I use it too. It can save a lot of time. What camera and NLE are you using? That would make a difference on what I’d recommend.
For a long time, I just used Microsoft Excel. The advantage was that I could convert to various formats to import and batch digitize (using things like Avid Log Exchange) without ever having to type clip names and timecodes in an NLE app.
-Tim
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Lauryn,
I’m sorry to see that you haven’t had much response on this yet.Not counting travel costs, I’ve seen a range between $125 to $225 per hour for in-person individual instruction, depending on the software, location, instructor, etc. Having said that, I personally wouldn’t charge by the hour, only by the day or half day.
The again, I’ve stopped by a friend’s office on the way home and provided informal NLE instruction for no more of a price than the good feeling I get form knowing I helped.
I’m moving more and more towards getting web-based instruction, and while it still doesn’t offer that immediate back-and-forth like you get with a real instructor, I’m pleasantly surprised by the quality vs. the cost. For instance, at about $130 for six hours of Boris RED training, it’s MUCH less expensive than in-person instruction, and the bonus is that since I don’t have to be away from the office, I can stop to work on a pressing project, if necessary.
Hopefully, some of the pros from places like Future Media Concepts or Avid themselves can chime in and offer additional perspectives on this.
-Tim
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Of course you will want to get things in writing. The whole point of a contract or “memorandum of understanding” is to make sure that any issues between anyone participating in the project are resolved during negotiations before you start production. No one should go into any project that has a risk without being clear about everything they can be clear about.
If the documentary is dependent on the participation of those “key people”, it would be prudent to include words that confirm the level of participation in the project. Financing for documentaries such as this may be dependent on a completion bond” or other written guarantee that you have the means to complete the project.
But… before you start writing the contract… make sure you have clear in your mind both the minimum things that you need from them and what you really would like to see. Also be clear in your own mind about what you want to provide as consideration and where your own personal lines on that will be drawn.
Make sure that you have a way to compensate them fairly even if the project ends up not being as popular as you think it might, but also make sure that you don’t feel taken advantage of if it does do as well as you hope.
After you decide your terms and your flexibility for those terms, call the key players in this and talk with them first. Prepare for some creative “back and forth” before you draw up the documents that includes clauses for their payment or “consideration”. When I’ve arranged for things like this in the past, often the person appearing in the production wants even less (or something different) than what I would have offered them. They had a better idea of what they wanted than I did, I just had to know whether I would agree with their proposal. 😉
I’ve presented “memorandums of understanding” only to be presented with a similar document from the actor’s organization. Since both memos said basically the same thing, I was happy to sign their document (after I talked with my attorney and made sure that I was clear about the language.)
Just make sure you present the “memorandum of understanding” as a means to make sure that everyone involved is clear about their roles and rewards of the project… and again, be prepared to be flexible – at least up to that line you have already drawn in your mind.
Oh… and you should still get an entertainment or media attorney to help with this, it’s way cheaper to have them at the front end than the back end.
Good luck!
-Tim
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Well, I will agree with you on your point on the “cease and desist” letters being sent. That’s USUALLY as far as it would go for an internal non-broadcast video…unless it’s a Metallica song that was used. 😉
It’s just a really small world, and the artist’s cousin could very well be in the audience. Paranoid? Maybe. Professional? I do my best.
Like you said… from what I’ve seen in my 15 years in the business, the problem isn’t so much that the “Editor” is going to be sued… the problem is on the Producer’s shoulders.
But if my company gets a “cease and desist” letter because of the (wrong) decisions made by a Producer or Editor that I hired, I’m not hiring the person who made the decision to use the music ever again. They should know better. Plus, they are giving up an extra revenue stream.
If a client insists on using a popular song, it’s incumbent on my Producers to find out how much that “privilege” would cost them. (Plus the charge for our work in finding out and providing that information to them.) If it can’t be licensed under agreeable terms, we offer alternate options, such as stock music or custom music that fits their needs. Again, it’s an opportunity for us to stay professional and perhaps earn a little extra for our trouble. above all, we provide the client with all ethical options and let them make the decision.
Of course, being a business Co-Owner and a Producer as much as I am an Editor these days, I’m pretty cautious about legal issues like this. I’d rather my business close because of lack of clients than because of being sued for using unlicensed music.