People With More Dollars Than Sense

[thisiswells]

So, about a year ago I worked for a non profit religious organisation as a videographer. Fun gig. Got to make all sorts of nifty videos and I was paid well. Replaced by a "creative director" who has more dollars than sense. My fine job (and pay rate) was replaced with three young high school students. Oh well. Life has gotten much better and I've had better opportunities and work in the year proceeding but occasasionally the "creative director" will call me and ask for video advice. Today was HDV v. HVX.

Told him all the usual stuff... You know, HVX is DVCPRO-HD and records to RAM cards, someday it'll record to HDD's, etc... Lotta more bandwidth that miniDV.. He sounded pretty excited. Told him if I had to buy a camera today I'd still get a DVX100a over any HDV product.. He agreed that made sense. He asks me, "so if you were to buy a camera to shoot like TV commercials and ads for the movie theater's what would you get" . . . "because we're gonna get that Nikon lens adapter and shoot commercials"

I listened to this guy (former boss so to speak) blab about things he knew nothing of. I asked him if he had any idea how much this "Nikon lens adapter" was going to cost. He said, "yeah it's pretty expensive, but you know....." blah blah blah. Told him I thought that for the 11K they would spend on an adapter+DVX100a+follow focus+everything else, they would be better off with a different camera with bigger CCD's. Went on deaf ears. These guys have more dollars than sense. They all have less than a year of experience with video and none of it has been professionally on a set.. we're talking like operating Gl-2's and the like. Ridiculous.

Thing is I could really care less what they do anymore. Glad I'm finally over that.. But, it does seem crazy they would drop 15-20K down a dark hole having never shot anything in 24p, never operated a film camera, not knowing what a shutter speed does on motion picture, no concept of a follow focus unit or the role of a first assistant, no idea that they need geared focus rings for the Nikon lenses since they aren't cine lenses, and no concept of renting vs. owning. It's just a big church run by people with more dollars than sense. This kind of thing should be outlawed.

That's my rant.

[nullphonic]

It sounds like that guy is getting incomplete/invalid info from someone around him and he's pinging you simply because he told someone "Yeah, I'll run it by the guy we had before, he's knows his stuff" only to do what he wants to anyway. That way he isn't 'lying' about 'checking into it' before dropping serious cash on something he thinks is 'neat'.

Regardless of what you said, he already had his mind made up. He was just going through technical motions.

[thisiswells]

Anyone else wish to comment to cheer me up ?

[Super Trooper]

Sounds pretty ridiculous to me. But what can you do?

[Jim Brennan]

People rarely want advice, even when they ask for it. They want their predetermined opinions validated. It's what has stalled us as a species.

He'll do what he wants, and probably never know how much better his life would have been if he listened to you. You did what you could. When you throw somebody a life preserver and they push it away, it's their own damn fault when they drown.

[craigbowman]

Most folks who are out of their depth technically will tend to use anecdotal reasoning over facts.

You could spend days with them covering all of the factual information only to hear later they did something completely different because some friend's brother-in-law knows a guy who once saw a video camera in a store window, and he said..

Sound Familiar?

By the way, I have this friend who knows a guy that can spell HD and he says ya gotta capture to a blackberry for HD so..

[Gary_McClurg]

Yes, it sounds so familiar.

How bout losing a music video because someone's brother's cousin's aunt's son wants to make videos.

Then after it shot they come running back to you to fix it.

A friend told me never turn down the work, just charge them more and kick them out of the editing bay.

[vanguy]

Hey, Wells.

You are not alone.

I was working as an editor (and occasional shooter) for a religious organization that used to hire decent shooters, send them all over the world, and came up with some first-rate video footage, a lot of it better than any stock footage I've seen. They created some world-class, award-winning projects.

About 3 years ago, they decided that DV made high quality possible for a lot less money than Betacam. Which might be true, except that they sent people (not shooters, just regular staff) out with DV Handycams, and I had to edit the results. No lighting, no tripod, bad framing, bad audio. It was frustrating to say the least.

Now, they're disassembling their media department because the quality just doesn't seem to justify the expense. Hmm...

I went on to bigger and better things, a lot of the people they'd hired over the years went on to amazing careers, and they've wasted an opportunity to be award-winning communicators in the 21st century.

I'm not mad. It just seems such a shame.

[galt]

Okay, so they replaced you with three other guys. Get over it. Turns out they need four anyway. LOL

And since we are talking about a church, this is covered. Look up "pearls before swine". Save your breath.

[JY_Blue]

sucks. but production is all about finding a "silver lining" to focus on. What has it been in this case for you, thisiswells?

[thisiswells]

sucks. but production is all about finding a "silver lining" to focus on. What has it been in this case for you, thisiswells?
That's a good thing to ask. Also, a difficult question to answer as I haven't reflected on this particular experience in those terms. I'm not sure if you're referring to this singular telephone convo. or the general scenario of not working there anymore. I'll formulate my response based on the latter assumption.

Working at this place was a comfort level. It was stable. It was consistant. It was pretty fun. Being removed from this workplace was difficult at first. I quickly regained ground. Shot a music video with some friends in rock/post-hardware/screamo band. Vacationed to California. Visited one of the studios (on lock down unless the gaffer who helped on your music video still had an access from when he worked there) checked out Gear Monkey (same guy) met some neat people and had an absolutely awesome summer.

Fall sets in. Seriously start working again on some indie projects, quite a bit of commercial editing for a video company (not the film company I've referred to before) some sound mixing for a cable show, associate produced a hip hop music video with the VariCam.

Spring sets in. Sound mixed an independent film, I'm in pre-production on a Romania documentary trip for later this year, more freelance editing, went Kiteboarding on South Padre Island. Spring Break to New Orleans for a week. Went to NAB with my frequent flyer miles. That was cool. Have a New Mexico shoot scheduled for this weekend. Then, more editing.

I'm not sure if there is a point to all of this. I know for sure I wouldn't have been "pushed" to market myself in other ways had things been "comfortable" for me. So, maybe the silver lining is I've learned to take more risks than I would have otherwise if things were "comfortable" I really liked the stability I had when working at a company full time. Now, my life is a little more like every other freelance film person, I'm living a little more "on the edge" now.

So--learning to take more risks has been the "silver lining" of the past two years experience you could say.
Wow, that leaves me pretty vulnerable, huh?

[galt]

Wow, that leaves me pretty vulnerable, huh?

Nope. Less vulnerable. Security comes not from a steady paycheck, which is a trap. Security comes from being able to find your way no matter what happens. Skills are the new gold watch.

[JY_Blue]

sounds like you've created some neat opportunities since you left that place. What's up with Romania?

[thisiswells]

The trip would be documenting some training and a camp in the area around Voronet
(SW of Suceava). If you look online there is a famous monastery in the town of Voronet.
We're sketching plans and discussing style at the moment.
Filming would be near the end of summer.

[kai]

Unfortunately I've experienced this non-profit/religious organization situation far too often as well. I just recently cut ties with one who needed me more than i needed them, but the founder's son (who naturally proclaims himself to be God's gift to media) likes to spend money. Lots of it. On stuff he doesn't know how to work, or what it even is. On my way out of this situation he proceeded to make a huge list of all the new "HD" gear and systems he's getting... varicam, uncompressed kona2 mac's, yada yada. I look at him and say "what are you going to do with that?" (serious question because if i'm not there to run it all...) He went into his spiel on how he's now going to get into HD and "take it up a level". I then told him he'd have to have a lens with his new varicam. "You do?" That shows you his experience/knowledge in the field of production/video. What he plans on doing with HD (with no distribution method) is beyond me. That is if he can get the system plugged in even.

To make a long story short, there's alot of daddy's boys out there with big wallets (not always their own) who like to buy gear they aren't qualified to use. If anything i've learned that even with the best gear you still can't make a diamond out of a turd. It still takes talent, skill, and training to be good at this craft. No amount of big-talking will make up for that.

[thisiswells]

Oh Geez.. Tulsa is full of big boyz churches and well known worship leaders..
.....not to mention Oral Roberts University. I feel your pain. I really do.

[kai]

yep... it's a bubble around here. And in ministry you either go one of two ways... completely legit and doing it for the right reason, or crooked. Sad really.

[Daniel_Runyon]

kai, I remember some time ago you were working on some training materials for the underground churches in China. I sure hope this isnt the same outfit your talking about now. It would just be disappointing. Though not a Christian myself, I still thought what you were doing was an awesome project, if for nothing else than the rebelion of those people following their own way despite the supressions. I say it would be disappointing because I would have loved for the people behind it to have been pretty cool folk....I love knowing there are more cool folk in the world than outward appearances would indicate.

One way or another, how did all that go?

[GenJerDan]

About 3 years ago, they decided that DV made high quality possible for a lot less money than Betacam. Which might be true, except that they sent people (not shooters, just regular staff) out with DV Handycams, and I had to edit the results. No lighting, no tripod, bad framing, bad audio. .

heh heh heh read a post in RAMPS like this. Someone "saved" some money by not sending a sound guy on a location shoot.

The person they had operating the boom had the zeppelin backwards, so he took the mic *off* the person speaking each and every time he switched.

Dan

[kai]

kai, I remember some time ago you were working on some training materials for the underground churches in China. I sure hope this isnt the same outfit your talking about now. It would just be disappointing. Though not a Christian myself, I still thought what you were doing was an awesome project, if for nothing else than the rebelion of those people following their own way despite the supressions. I say it would be disappointing because I would have loved for the people behind it to have been pretty cool folk....I love knowing there are more cool folk in the world than outward appearances would indicate.

One way or another, how did all that go?

Yeah, unfortunately it's the same organization. The project is a success, and served it's purpose well. Just too bad that others behind the scenes are into it for their own glorification and ego trips. But, like I said, the project was a success and accomplished it's purpose despite the situation. 99% of the people at this organization are terrific, honest people. It's just too bad it has to be spoiled by one or two...

[Final Design Studios]

This is funny for me. I'm thinking of working for a church in town who's just starting their media department. Helping them out get it off the ground......should be some fun. Granted it won't be a full job like you were doing. I just hope they give me the creative freedom to grow.

[XCheck]

This is funny for me. I'm thinking of working for a church in town who's just starting their media department. Helping them out get it off the ground......should be some fun. Granted it won't be a full job like you were doing. I just hope they give me the creative freedom to grow.Working for religious/charitable/community organizations has its perils - I just witnessed one. The "best" (ehm) situation is when someone declares themselves an independent journalist/media producer, gets elected to a Board of Directors, and then works the other directors to authorize payments to their venture. It's not only illegal, also highly amusing to watch as it develops.

So, a year later, this person gets a 'corporate sponsor', who gets technically behind the whole thing, providing infrastructure (storage and security, mainly). They set up a web site where they encourage people to join and pay membership fees to watch their "independently produced" shows that feature mainly the sponsors and their 'other business ventures'.

The funniest part is that the site is not secure at all, it took me about an hour to figure how to get around their 'security' and download pretty much any media I want.

As with anything else, watch what you are getting into. You get what you pay for, and vice versa. If the organization relies on other volunteers, ask what's in it for them. Not everyone works from purity of their heart and for experience.

J.

[Final Design Studios]

Too true......thanks for the advice Xcheck

[pptphoto]

The silver lining here is that these people and organizations with too many dollars and not enough sense, is that they help to keep the industry floating, without really being competition. They help keep EVS and B&H doors open, they help pay Rush and other people in sales salaries, and they in the end, contribute to further R&D by spending their money with companies that provide cameras, NLE software, all those little accessories that we all use, etc. It also provides a way for newbies to learn with the latest and greatest equipment, then move on when the time comes. I worked for several years as a photographer for a big office furniture manufacturer. We had INCREDIBLE equipment, a full large format lab, all Sinar/Broncolor equipment, etc. I learned everything I could, and left to start my own business almost 15 years ago. I don't know if I could have made it without that experience... Get out of them everything you can, appreciate the positives, overlook the negatives, and leave when you can do better, or when you can't take the negatives anymore, but they DO have a place and purpose if you look at it objectively.

[Constantine]

That is some mighty fine silver lining. Mighty fine indeed. Nice point pptphoto. You can learn a lot through these organizations. Peace.

[jpbankesmercer]

thiswells,
sound like your DOING fine to me. A good fillmaker uses what he has. I used to play in bands and the bad guitarists always had the best effects. That guy will..
a, improve.
b, not improve and give up.
If your a true media lover/ artist you will provail, he sounds like a dick anyway...