[Timothy J. allen]

Very good points, guys.

As Mark said, “there is plenty of work for the very cheap side, but it is all going to be done by the clients themselves.”

So, one of the “targets of opportunity” is to mentor the clients how to do the low-end quick stuff and make it look better than their competition. We have to keep in mind that our real job isn’t creating video, it’s solving problems for the clients. Often it’s being proactive and solving problems the clients don’t even know they have.

When we are asked to make something “look like YouTube”, it’s usually because the client wants the viewer to feel that the communication is hip, spontaneous and (most importantly) authentic. We try to uncover the motivation behind such decisions and then figure out how we can best achieve the goals.

Showing the client how to not only make expensive shoots look cheap, but how to make cheap, quick shoots look as good as they can look is something you can offer that provides value to the client.

For instance, we gave a client some basic tips for lighting and showed them what difference it makes when you put some space between the actor and the background. They appreciate it because even though they are using a Flip cam, our tips helped keep the quality of the video from impeding the message. We are remembering to focus on the relationship between us and the client and how we can add value – even if it means giving away what some might call “trade secrets”. (Really just basics of how to get quality picture and sound.)

Because when it comes down to it, they aren’t buying us for equipment anymore, they are buying us for the experience we bring and our ability to make them look good – no matter who is pushing the little red button or how much that button costs.

On a side note, it’s amazing how so many of the principles I learned regarding how to light a scene back when we used tube cameras has come back around with the rise of super cheap equipment. The other day I showed a client how to use foam core bounce for fill light and I thought they were going to hug me. We take this stuff for granted, but to an office worker that has suddenly been tasked with creating YouTube videos as part of their job, this is still valuable knowledge.

[Timothy J. allen]

Chris said: “You’re talking about a world that most of us are not familiar with. We don’t have 100 million dollar budgets.”

That’s exactly why 3D is the big news this year – because the equipment is about to dip below the price point where many (or if not even *many* at least *more*) producers will be willing to invest in it.

I’m willing to invest in it to get an early edge over the competition. But to do that, I realize that I’ll need clients that also want to invest in it in order to get an early edge over their competition. Luckily, I choose the majority of my projects in part by how forward-thinking the clients are.

(And although it’s a topic for another thread, I still think it’s important to have set criteria for “choosing your clients” – especially when the economy is bad – so you don’t waste your life working on things that don’t give you a worthwhile “return on investment” for growth in both knowledge/experience and your financial bottom line.)

Back to the topic of 3D video production… Just like HD, I’m sure we won’t use the technology for every project – it will depend on whether the technology actually adds more value to the end result than it costs. Just like everyone else, we still have extremely low-end projects where 3D won’t make any sense. That said, considering the opportunities where it will add net value, I absolutely expect to start producing 3D video products by late summer or fall of this year.

-Tim

[Timothy J. allen]

I think you are correct, Nick… but titles are weird and it’s not above some people to call the guy carrying their tripod an “Assistant Producer” just so they can bill more.

But seriously, it’s probably a person to run powerpoint/music-type things.

Full disclosure: I’ve only videotaped two weddings in my life, one for free as a favor to a friend – and one that had a video production budget in the tens of thousands of dollars – where I was only one of a crew of a dozen people. Guess which couple is still married?

[Timothy J. allen]

OMG, I hope this isn’t OT, but don’t you H8 obtuse acronyms?

NEway, this is a WAG, but FWIW, I wanted to get you an answer ASAP, so I’ll give it a shot… (YMMV).

IDK, but IMHO it could mean “Onsite ‘Audio Visual Producer or ‘Audio Video Producer’, or ‘Assistant Video Producer’? I’m guessing it’s either someone who runs powerpoint (.ppt) … or a production assistant (PA) of sorts. W/O more ConTXT, It’s hard to C what they are going 4… so DQMOT.

BTW, wherever you read this term is the place to ask. Don’t feel like it’s an industry standard term though – at least I’ve never heard of it.

L8R,

T
AH8R*

*Acronym Hater

[Timothy J. allen]

I can’t speak to local or state employment since I’ve only freelanced at that level, but my big break for federal government work came through an ad that a large contractor placed through tvjobs.com to augment their staff during a contract bid proposal 10 years ago. I actually didn’t know a soul at NASA until I started working there.

Most, if not all of the largest federal contractors bid on video related service contracts from time to time, so they are a great source of employment within the federal government.

For shorter-term jobs, I’ve placed ads for subcontractors and freelancers through the typical job sites like monster.com, right here on creativecow.net in the “jobs offered” forum, and yes… craigslist. (To be honest we never hired anyone from craigslist, but if the right applicant had come along through that route, we would have.)

Anyway, if you are interested in a federal government gig, I’d suggest that you focus your efforts towards a large contractor or directly with the U.S. government.

Here is a link to the top 100 federal contractors for 2009:
https://washingtontechnology.com/toplists/top-100-lists/2009.aspx

For a federal civil servant job, the best way is still to know someone for references, but you ultimately need to apply through this website:
https://www.usajobs.gov

There are benefits and drawbacks to being a civil servant or a contractor, so you would probably have an inherent preference for one role or the other… but that’s a topic for another thread.

[Timothy J. allen]

Tim Wilson, I finally found a thread I’m halfway qualified to answer, and you’ve already answered it better than I would. That’s what I get for sleeping at night. 😉

I wish more people would take advantage of video that they – as taxpayers – have already funded. I went over your posts and pretty much second it. There are just a couple of thoughts to add…

Some video, while not classified as “secret” or export controlled, may still be considered proprietary. For instance, when NASA partners with a contractor to develop certain technology, there are times when the outside company retains rights to a segment of the intellectual property. It depends on the partnership agreement.

Second, even if you acquire rights to “public domain” footage, there may be strings attached. For instance, you may very well be able to use an image of a space shuttle launch, or an astronaut walking in space for a corporate video – maybe even in a commercial venture. But be careful. When using NASA footage, you aren’t allowed to use NASA imagery in ways that implies that NASA (or for that matter, the U.S. Government) endorses your product or cause. The NASA logo also has very specific guidelines in how it can be used – even within the agency – and especially by outside organizations.

Also people depicted in the imagery still generally own the right to assign rights to their own likeness. So, you can’t simply pop some video of a recognizable astronaut smiling in your video without any thought of consequences. I’m just sayin’…

[Timothy J. allen]

T2,
I’ve felt that pain. Generally we still deliver on HDCAM masters and see our programs compressed heavily before home viewers see our content. You’ve hit it on the nail to try to trace the signal path and what happens to it in between your media and the set top boxes at home.

Generally I tend to follow PBS Red Book standards for HD video – but most places don’t have specs so well defined. (For those interested in those specifications, you can find them at https://www.pbs.org/producers/redbook/TOS_2007_Submission_8_20_07.pdf )

By the way, as to the Telestream comments earlier in the thread – we had some significant issues with Telestream compression too – but it relly wasn’t the Telestream product’s failing. The operator on one end didn’t fully understand the user settings – and they thought the final was “good enough” to leave at default settings.

Oh… and I’ll be in Huntsville at the beginning of the month for a quick NASA-related video shoot. If you aren’t swamped, I’d love to stop by your shop for a moment and finally meet you in person.

[Timothy J. allen]

In addition to what Mark said, I’ll add…
The people I feel most comfortable hiring are the ones I’ve seen already working with people that I work with (clients, colleagues, competition). Reputation is everything. The way to do that is to get out there and connect with the people who are working in the area that you want to work.

Expand your circle of co-workers a bit, even if it means volunteering as a grip or an Assistant Editor for a charity event. I’m much more likely to hire you if I’ve seen you in action before.

[Timothy J. allen]

I have to chime in with a strong “NO” when it comes to using headphones for full-time monitoring. Your ears/brain will compensate for the headphone’s frequency range and for the sense of space that the headphones emulate and your mix will not be the same as it would be when you can hear the air being pushed around the room.

People tend to think that you hear with your ears. That’s true, but it’s really your whole body that acts as a conductor to bring sound waves to your brain. (Especially your skull and other bones.)

As I write this, I have some Sony MDR-V900HD headphones on – and I’m really enjoying hearing some details in music that I don’t normally get to enjoy. But even though they sound great, I certainly wouldn’t use them as my sole source for mixing. You don’t want to get tricked into the sense that that’s the way the viewers/listeners will hear it.

Headphones can really help you focus on details, but the tendency will then be to change levels and panning based on a false sense of detail. Big picture things… like phase canceling, or overall perception of loudness can even be more difficult to spot with headphones.

The reason high-end studios have engineers come in to “balance the room” isn’t to make the audio sound “good” in an edit suite – it’s to minimize the effects of the room and things in it that will influence or color your mix. The best environment gives you a flat “middle of the road” so that you don’t end up with a mix that compensates for the inefficiencies and tonal bias of your mixing environment – and adds things that don’t sound good in other environments.

All that said… there’s a reason audio engineers try their final mixes out on cheap car stereos and $29 CD players (not as a substitute, but in addition to their high-end studio equipment). You want a mix that will sound *as good as it can* wherever it is played. So… yes, use headphones when you need to do “detail work”, but make sure you have some air between you and some real near-field speakers for the majority of your work.

[Timothy J. allen]

Robert,
Don’t overlook the government video side of things. I went from broadcast to government work about 10 years ago. In general it has better hours and benefits than even corporate video gigs – and much better hours than mid-market broadcast. You do have to be comfortable finding ways to work *within the system* to get things done – or when to risk initiating changes of policy within a political environment. If you can handle that – and be able to diplomatically strive for creativity without getting worn down over time – it might be a great path for you.