Thought I'd do an entry on one of the comments posted on a blog below.
Anonymous wrote:
Maggie,
Check this out - the view of producers and their crackberry's - the cameraman's perspective:
http://www.b-roll.net/forum/showthread.php?t=23034
==============================
I checked it out and-- it hits a little too close to home! The post is about how a photographer couldn't get a question answered by his field producer because she was too busy tip-tapping on her Blackberry.
An admission: I do a whole lot of tip-tapping on the Blackberry. I check it constantly because I get emails constantly, both internal and external. I try to keep my personal emails on a separate device (that's almost a whole nother blog entry-- if you use your work computer for personal emails, understand these emails are company property). Hopefully, if I was engrossed in my blackberry, I hope I would have enough sense to snap out of it long enough to answer a question, or, in the case of an important email, at least to say-- hold on a sec, let me finish this up quickly.
Maybe the producer was not answering an email at all... but updating their Facebook page?
In any case, as for the question itself, whether to use a shotgun versus wireless, I tend to prefer wireless mics. That said, I generally try to defer tech questions to the people who use the tech. Shotgun or wireless? Well, what do you like for this one, Mr./Ms. Photog?
One of my favorite TV jokes: How many producers does it take to change a lightbulb? Answer-- Hmm, I don't know, what do you think?
Maggie L
One of the rare times I'm in the office
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Maggie,
I think you missed some of the point. The cameraman was likely being sarcastic about what mic to choose...
The point is too many producers, especially young ones are inexperienced. They don't know much about how to make good TV.
How can they? They are new to the biz.
But, rather than admit their experience (especially to the older, smarter veteran crews they work with) and ask for advice - they pretend to be in charge, and know what they are doing.
'Hiding' on a shoot by always being on the Crackberry gives the appearance that they are busy important people.
But really, they miss the "forest for the trees". Replying to a zillion e-mails doesn't help the pkg.
The producer should focus on what is going on IN THE FIELD.
The best field producers at the major networks, don't even have a Blackberry's. If you want to reach them, you call. Most questions can be answered in 2 minutes on the phone rather than 20 minutes of back and forth e-mails.
BTW - I like your website. You should write something on how to properly work with crews - something 90% of producers don't know how to do.
You make good points. I've only been with a network about two years, so I'd feel a little weird giving advice when there are so many people who are much better at it than me. Maybe I can recruit someone to do a guest post. I certainly hope I'm "part of the solution" on shoots and not the opposite... Most of the time, I feel like when you're working with good people, you should get out of the way and let them do their thing. It's only when you work with the odd individual that might not be at a certain level that you ought to offer a little guidance.
Post a Comment