Broadcasting from home during Coronavirus

ahalpert said:
What's interesting is seeing the rise of "iPhone videographers" but I think that will always be a very low-budget affair because if you can make decent money shooting, why not have better gear? And if you can pay someone a decent rate, why not hire someone with a real camera?

But the low end of the market could get increasingly sucked up by very cheap operators with a $2k iPhone kit

I have to admit that shooting simultaneous wide and CU shots is pretty cool, albeit limited in usefulness.
Click to expand...

That’s the thing, though. It’s not just the “low end” of the market, it’s the big boy networks, too, who can most definitely afford it. But the big corporations are even more concerned with every penny they can save than some of the smaller places are. I mean when you’re talking about multi-billion dollar corporations with revenue in the billions every year, what’s a few million a year on the bottom line? It’s a rounding error. Realistically and practically speaking for companies like that operationally it’s nothing, but to the bean counters and middle managers it’s everything. It gives them something concrete they can show on a spreadsheet and say, look how much money we saved the company, never mind that the on-air product looks like garbage. Now where’s my bonus?
 
But the revenues for the broadcasters generally trend down as well. For the most, cutting costs is seeing the future.
 
DLD said:
But the revenues for the broadcasters generally trend down as well. For the most, cutting costs is seeing the future.
Click to expand...

I'm not just talking about now, because of CV. This trend started in earnest, probably five years ago and has been ramping up ever since.

Just had a big zoom video chat last night with about six members of my "work family" at one of the networks(some other shooters, producers and talent). Some of us have known each other well over 20 years. One of the talent said he's glad we're not in our 20's just starting in the business, because it's not gonna be here like this in 10-20 more.
 
Run&Gun said:
I'm not just talking about now, because of CV. This trend started in earnest, probably five years ago and has been ramping up ever since.

Just had a big zoom video chat last night with about six members of my "work family" at one of the networks(some other shooters, producers and talent). Some of us have known each other well over 20 years. One of the talent said he's glad we're not in our 20's just starting in the business, because it's not gonna be here like this in 10-20 more.
Click to expand...

But there must still be a future in applications where operator skill and lighting knowledge are required.

Sure, anybody can point an iPhone now and push the button and the settings are mostly taken care of. You won't get paid a premium for basic technical knowledge of how to operate a film camera or an advanced video camera.

But the basics of camerawork never change - angles, composition, movement, lighting... anyone shooting something more complicated than a basic ENG set-up is going to want a skilled operator. And if they are competing with other advertisers or filmmakers on quality, they'll hire the best DP they can afford. Right?

So maybe it's not just the low-budget sector that will get wiped out by interns with iPhones, maybe it's the entire low-complexity sector?
 
Run&Gun said:
Yep. I used to tell people most of the time my #1 responsibility and reason for being there pre-game on game day(If I was the lone camera) was to shoot Cam arriving to see what he was wearing. Seriously.
Click to expand...
So you were Cam cam?

(painfully obvious, but I'm painfully bored and went for it...)
 
ahalpert said:
But there must still be a future in applications where operator skill and lighting knowledge are required.

Sure, anybody can point an iPhone now and push the button and the settings are mostly taken care of. You won't get paid a premium for basic technical knowledge of how to operate a film camera or an advanced video camera.

But the basics of camerawork never change - angles, composition, movement, lighting... anyone shooting something more complicated than a basic ENG set-up is going to want a skilled operator. And if they are competing with other advertisers or filmmakers on quality, they'll hire the best DP they can afford. Right?

So maybe it's not just the low-budget sector that will get wiped out by interns with iPhones, maybe it's the entire low-complexity sector?
Click to expand...

Yes. But that's another part of it. Shoots that used to have standards that required (at least) some talent and skill(and more importantly care/giving a $h!t) have become little more than "point & shoot" shoots, now. When I started in this business, everything you did, there were high expectations and standards(I know, I'm a dinosaur living in the past). Even "just a live shot" was anything but. We used to put as much effort into LS's as anything else we did. I used to have a show producer who said he could almost always tell when it was one of my LS's without even looking at who the crews were in which locations(and not because they sucked). They were such a big deal, that I remember getting a phone call first thing one morning, because talent looked overexposed on a shot from the night before and lots of people were pissed. I said it had to have been an issue with transmission (probably jacked up settings in the frame store) and if they want to see the tape(yes, a long time ago) to see how it really looked, I'd be more than happy to overnight it(ALWAYS roll in-camera to CYA. ALWAYS). Producer said I didn't think anything was wrong on your end, but I had to ask. And if it had been my fault, I would have probably lost a lot of work. Now, it seems like as long as the shot doesn't go to black while they have it up, its "all good". Blown out background? No problem. Out of focus? No problem. Poor WB? No one seems to care, anymore. Just sad and frustrating, especially considering that we work in a VISUAL medium.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top