I failed completely - where did I go wrong?

M

mrWr0ng

Well-known member
Some people may remember me from another post, "Will you make crap work if that's what they want?" where I got a pretty thorough talking down and learned a lot. I would definitely say that it opened my eyes a good amount, I learned a lot, and I've been working hard at making good use out of what I've learned. It certainly helped me a lot to put things in perspective.

But I've got another problem. With the same video. They want to pull me off of it now and either can it or hand it to someone else to do. This is what I can't seem to figure out.

It started back in August. Nah, can that, it started back in March of last year. Before our Annual Dinner, I was asked if I could make a video slideshow of the Council's history to play before the dinner. I was just an intern on a stipend, and nobody was expecting much. I did doubletime, came in on weekends, wrote, scored and edited together a whole piece that floored the VP and the CEO. A couple of months later I was brought on as a contractor to do video as a regular paying gig.

In August, they asked if I could redo what I did for the Council for the GPF, a non-profit philanthropy group that the CEO had as a side project. I agreed, and was really interested. I talked about the model for the other video I made (act structure, how to deliver the idea and the content and raise dramatic tension to keep the audience interested the whole way through). This time, the client just completely ignored me and handed me a script that was terrible.

I worked with it and worked with it, and for 2 months, we had meetings and I put out different versions where they would ask me to cut things and put in video of their friends, but they never liked any of it. So my girlfriend and I went in and did what we did for the first video. Came in on weekends, rewrote, scored and completely remade the whole thing from the ground up. We showed it to them. They said it was great, but the script didn't say exactly what they wanted it to say. So they told me to can the script and replace the voiceover with video from the original.

I did, which was where the other thread came in. I felt like :badputer: destroying the whole idea, but I learned from the other thread and I went on. I did what they asked, replaced the script (the heart of the whole piece) with the old video. They watched it, then requested more changes. Cut out more video, add in more friends. Watched it again. Cut out more video, add in more friends.

Now, the Annual Dinner is coming back up. They want to play the video at the dinner, but still aren't satisfied with it. So they brought in a PR firm to manage the dinner and had them watch the video. Then the original. They told me to scrap the entire thing, go back to the original, and cut it to 3 minutes. And so I scrapped all of it, went to the original and cut it to 3 minutes.

The VP came up yesterday and watched it. He looked like he wanted to cry. He asked me what I thought about it. I told him the problem lies with the script, that the approach to the video lacked the compelling footage to make the script work, which was why I had tried rewriting it. He said I had to make it good, that I had to stop making it suck, and then asked if I believed in it. I told him that wasn't a fair question to ask, that I made all the changes they requested, all of the cuts, tossed out every good idea I thought I had and watched all of it get rejected for more video of their friends, and then get put on the spot when asked if I "believe" in the video. I said I will make every change they ask and I will make it look as good as I can, but I cannot overcome that fundamental, foundational problem.

So he told me to cut the beginning, add the other beginning back from the version that I had cut before, move some other clips around and then add in some special effects and graphics, then show it to the CEO, the client and the PR firm. If they don't like it, he's pulling it and telling them the video can't be done.

So, thanks for reading all of this - where did I go wrong? I feel like I really tried my best, and I've learned a lot (especially about the importance of the script - I feel like every time I tried putting something up, it crumbled because that section was so flat and uninspired), but I don't know what I can do here. They're blaming me for it, saying that I made it not work because they didn't like my artistic expression, but I've tried my hardest. I've had 6 different people come in and try directing the video, telling me what to put where and for how long and I've done it all faithfully, but the finger's still getting pointed at me for not making their suggestions work.

What do I do? Aside from :badputer: of course
 
Nothing. Suck it up and move on. This is the way the world works, and things like it happen in every profession.

I would complain if it comes up unfavorably if you have a performance review -- obviously, they can't MAKE you believe in their sucky vision, and it's unfair of them to demand that you do when you've been telling them why you don't for months -- but if the whole experience makes you completely miserable, then you've reached a crossroads -- push through it until you can find another job.

This kind of office politicking and backstabbing made me quit my last job and finally plunge into business for myself.
 
You worked hard, took some licks, and will keep on going. So dont fret it. They dont understand , and youve just gotta understand that. We understand with you so you can keep your sanity knowing that others like you agree with you.

It happens in all professions where there are people who just dont "get it". Its hard to explain, but its just an understanding. They obviously would not have gotten anything better with anyone else, since they are trying to mix what they think is what they want, and the content and idea they are following you on.

Like they want you to get to Kentucky, but they stuck you on a train to New York. Well you cant get to Kentucky using those tracks, so instead of jumpin off and walking, you just changed tickets cuz you know better and they dont. its an endless loop, and its happend to me before and all of us where a client just will NEVER be satisfied, simple as that.

So keep going and youll get over this, but walk away having learned alot.

Now go play some Wii and all will be better. :D

hope i could help.
 
Oh, that was delicious!!!

mrwr0ng, I sympathize with you. Tough first client, sounds like those people don't know what they want at all.
 
Oh man, you guys are great.

David, you're totally right - in fact, I told him that the big problem with the video was that they put politics above message during the whole process, and office politicking has been what's really killing this video. He asked me how I feel about the company now versus when I started and I told him that I've realised the non-profit was put together as a self-promotional vehicle for the CEO, not to actually help philanthropists or make the world a better place (for example, in my video, I had photos of the world being made into a better place - they had me cut that out, claiming "that's not what we do."). He disagrees that that's what the group is about, but when he asks me to put together a new version of the movie, it's going to be prominently featuring the CEO because I've learned that all she wants is to see herself as much as possible.

He tells me, "Screw this, I hate this video and I think what we're doing is total crap (yes, he says this to me), I don't care about this job anymore, but we're going to put together a 'good' video that we'll present to her." All I can think is, sorry boss man, but there's where I was in October. And I put that video together. And they cut it up, tore it apart and replaced it with the original.

Thankfully, I'm still employed and I'll be riding this a little bit longer to get the necessary amount of experience I need to go truly freelance, but it really freakin' sucks. But I've stopped complaining, and I told him I will do the best I can. But they're paying me to do what they say, not to believe in their vision, I just hope they can stop confusing the two.
 
Dude,
They are obviously insane! I probably get a client like this once evry two years or so. It's not you- it's them. The guy who asked you if you beleive in it... what a hoser--- Dude, it's freakin' annual dinner video!!! Do YOU beleive in your morning Cheerio's box?!

What complete bunch of boobs. Get out of that place as quickly as you can. Next time they ask you to change something say,

"Alright Cecil B. DeMille's, you have 2 hours left in the edit budget. Give me a list of 4 things you want done. That is all you will get, that is all I will do, and after that you can go back to drooling over pictures of your friends because I'm going to have to 'let myself go' as your video whipping boy. It was a tough decision, but one I had to make nonetheless. I'm very sorry."
 
Well if there was someplace better for me to go, I would. As it is now, most gigs want 2 years pro experience before you can really be considered for a lot of work, even freelance. I've got a year and a half here, so a bit more and then I'm really hoping things will pick up.
 
Im coming up on 2 years where im working at now as well, fortunatly i do alot more in combination with my video services, so good luck wished to us all in 2007 !
 
mrWr0ng said:
where did I go wrong?
Click to expand...

when you first got the script you should have told them it was crap and you would need more to work with than what they were giving you. you tried making a bad script work instead of telling them it was a no go from the beginning.
 
I had a meeting with the CEO yesterday to show the video, my boss said he would pressure her to give an up-or-down on this last version, otherwise we were calling it quits.

Well, he immediately caved, but she loves the video and she's very happy with it - so it looks like I won in the end, though the final product is a far cry from what I'd like it to be - but she gave it the green light, I'll make a couple more tweaks (the music should be "more inspiring" :confused: ) and then it gets shipped out.
 
One of the most important principles of business to learn in this instance is that clients who have to pay for video by the hour do not become creative beasts. It's usually the one's who feel they can dabble with the project for days on end at no additional cost that screw us over with time. Even if you're being paid a small stipend for this, try dividing the amount of money that you're getting by the hours worked. You'll find you're soon working for almost nothing.

All of my quotes include (1) review and re-edits session. This is where the client sits down and watches through the entire video. They get a chance to change absolutely everything, but they have to provide us with specific change information of what they'd prefer. That way they aren't expirementing on our time. Changes after this date are charged hourly, which at $95 per hour really keep them from changing too much.
 
Yeah, I can see the value in that.

Right now I'm their video production department, so I do all of the video production they want - typically I shoot about 3 - 4 1 hour programs per month, edit all of the programs (they have shooters from another company come in for the other gigs) and release them to distributors.

These videos are "side projects" that they have me do, so it's pretty much entirely in-house - they're paying me for my time there, but not what I'm specifically doing. But because of that, they also have unlimited time to make changes, since I'm there anyways.

But as soon as I get the amount of experience I need and I can pick up enough other projects then we can alter the arrangement to get a better video. I really think I can make great stuff, but when they get to dictate what I cut, where and when, with 7 different people each looking for different clips and meeting me individually to make specific changes, you just get too many cooks for one broth.

But hey, I'm working in going the direction you are, and I've still got a nice setup that gives me the time I need to work on this stuff and still get paid, so I can't complain too much.
 
Your story sounds like the company I work for, and why I'm desperately trying to get out on my own, run my own business.

I completely agree with dotconnproductions by the way. When people don't have to pay by the hour, and get to make any suggestion they like, even if they don't know about something at all, they'll make suggestions ad-nauseum. I felt sick for you when they paid the PR firm, God only knows how much cash, to make decisions that weren't any better than yours, assuming you don't know enough because you're just a lowly employee. Man, I really feel your pain.

If you feel secure in your job, at some point I would get a mental list of everything that went wrong that they did, cowboy up, and tell your boss to his face. You don't need to be a jerk about it, justs matter of fact. You can admit your own mistakes too, like not speaking up earlier. But for the most part, you need to be bold and tenacious and fight for what you think is right.
 
mrWrong, sadly it happens. Not the perfect situation by a long shot, but its a good opportuniy to learn to negotiate and deal with people in a business sense.

A great one I once heard... "cant you put a long slow zoom in there? I can do it with my handycam at home ". Thankfully someone with a brain was on hand and said to this guy, "We arent making a home movie". Funny ****, can still remember the look on the guys face as four of his collegues looked at him like a some kid who just peed on the floor ala the excorcist.

I do have a business background and most decisions arent taken lightly. They have an agenda which needs to be met, but what you can do is learn to play on their business sense (in some cases ego) to swing them. This takes years of practice, and sometimes you can say exactly the same thing in a different manner for a different outcome. its a skill that needs to be in anyones learning agenda if they are in business. And as an employee you are. Bad situation? Its a challenge to overcome.
 
I'll keep it simple, clients... never know what they want but always have the correct opinion.
95% percent of corporate video business is playing the psychologist because clients are full of insecurities, the other 5% is editing. If they see their faces on the video, the video is good.
 
Yeah, that's definitely the most important thing that I've learned. When I was starting the video, I was in the mindset of doing the best thing for the video, for the non-profit, putting together a video that showcased the ability of the non-profit and the global changes it could make happen if we all came together.

Now, after dealing with the CEO for the last few months, I realised she put the entire company together just to promote herself and get her to network with mega-rich old dudes and find some way to get onto the boards of their companies. I felt angry at how much good I COULD have been doing while she countered everything positive with more clips of her and her already-rich friends. I put together something that I thought had an inspiring and empowering message, but watched her tear it apart, get her "favourite" clips and then stick them all in a row.

But I've learned all about the psychology of making the video, instead playing to her ego and sticking her face all over it along with all the faces of folks she wanted to impress, and she was happy. It was an extremely important lesson in working for someone else.
 
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