Chugach3DGuy
Well-known member
Figured some of you folks out there would enjoy this, or bash your head into your desk until you can stop thinking about it.
I went in for a little one-on-one meeting with the boss man. Its a weekly event that's pretty much a cheap power-trip for our Fearless Leader. Usually, he'll give us all some time-wasting kind of homework assignment that involves us researching something for him because he's too busy (translated: bar-hopping until the cows come home). To keep this simplistic, my latest assignment was to put together a list of equipment and upgrades for the video department not to exceed $100k. Never mind that we don't even have $100 to spend let alone $100k! I just had to put something together. But not just anything- I had to build a set-up that would rival the top competitors here in town. We need a new camera, (one that can shoot the HD!) new NLE system, REAL software that's not the education version or jacked from The Pirate Bay or "borrowed" from the one guy that used to work here and you're sort of still friends with! We're goin' global this time, and we're gonna catapult this business into the stratosphere!
Well, spending $100k in fun-bucks is fun every now and then, but not when you're given a deadline of just a few days and no details to build on. So when the topic of new cameras came up, I started to talk about different options when I was cut off by this glorious little gem:
"You know, something I've learned recently is that people don't care about good cinematography. They're not concerned about good camera work or anything like that. They're concerned about what you DO to the footage once it gets to your computer. We don't need to focus on doing better photography- we need more toys in your editing suite."
What. The. Frak. Statements like that catch me off guard. There's still that insane little voice inside of me that comes out and says "It's ok to use logic and reason. We're all adults here. We've all been through school and people in general are reasonably intelligent." All I can say is that little voice got a good dose of Captain and Coke later on that evening...
Anyway, the meeting wasn't over just yet. I responded to that ridiculous statement by bringing the whole "garbage goes in, garbage comes out" argument. I even went as far as to argue that the image captured by the camera is 75% of the finished product. I can do a good job of tweaking things in post, but its not a freakin' magic cauldron that spits out pristine footage by itself. Its also nothing like those Staples commercials with the big "easy" button. Unfortunately, his mind seemed to be made up though, and he gave me his final bit of "advice" for seeking out a new camera:
"Look, just find a camera that doesn't cost much but gives good images. Once we get a camera that gives us good pictures, we don't need to worry so much about photography."
Yeah. If you think about that for too long, your nose will start to bleed. Just a friendly warning.
Interestingly enough, he can't comprehend the high cost of full-size, shoulder-mount cameras. "Why should we spend $50k on a camera and lens and it doesn't even have auto focus??? Our XL2 was only $5k when I bought it and it has auto focus! Besides, if we get one of these big expensive cameras, you'll probably want a raise to match the kind of skills you need to work with it. I can't afford that!"
So I'm thinking at this point I should sell him my Canon HV30 and be done with it. This is the sort of place that needs to be made into an HBO comedy/drama like Entourage or something. Only there won't be as many hot chicks, and whoever plays the part of me will have to master a facial twitch. How do people like this manage to stay in business? How?? I read about people here who follow a strict plan and others who take their business extremely seriously. And then I come in to the office to see a man who rolls in reeking of booze every other day and broken down equipment. Promises are made and broken, and yet somehow, things continue as though its normal. Its madness I tell you, madness!
Please contribute. If you've had a manager or supervisor didn't know his arse from his elbow, please give us a story. The way I see it this kind of managerial stupidity should be more entertaining than stressful!
I went in for a little one-on-one meeting with the boss man. Its a weekly event that's pretty much a cheap power-trip for our Fearless Leader. Usually, he'll give us all some time-wasting kind of homework assignment that involves us researching something for him because he's too busy (translated: bar-hopping until the cows come home). To keep this simplistic, my latest assignment was to put together a list of equipment and upgrades for the video department not to exceed $100k. Never mind that we don't even have $100 to spend let alone $100k! I just had to put something together. But not just anything- I had to build a set-up that would rival the top competitors here in town. We need a new camera, (one that can shoot the HD!) new NLE system, REAL software that's not the education version or jacked from The Pirate Bay or "borrowed" from the one guy that used to work here and you're sort of still friends with! We're goin' global this time, and we're gonna catapult this business into the stratosphere!
Well, spending $100k in fun-bucks is fun every now and then, but not when you're given a deadline of just a few days and no details to build on. So when the topic of new cameras came up, I started to talk about different options when I was cut off by this glorious little gem:
"You know, something I've learned recently is that people don't care about good cinematography. They're not concerned about good camera work or anything like that. They're concerned about what you DO to the footage once it gets to your computer. We don't need to focus on doing better photography- we need more toys in your editing suite."
What. The. Frak. Statements like that catch me off guard. There's still that insane little voice inside of me that comes out and says "It's ok to use logic and reason. We're all adults here. We've all been through school and people in general are reasonably intelligent." All I can say is that little voice got a good dose of Captain and Coke later on that evening...
Anyway, the meeting wasn't over just yet. I responded to that ridiculous statement by bringing the whole "garbage goes in, garbage comes out" argument. I even went as far as to argue that the image captured by the camera is 75% of the finished product. I can do a good job of tweaking things in post, but its not a freakin' magic cauldron that spits out pristine footage by itself. Its also nothing like those Staples commercials with the big "easy" button. Unfortunately, his mind seemed to be made up though, and he gave me his final bit of "advice" for seeking out a new camera:
"Look, just find a camera that doesn't cost much but gives good images. Once we get a camera that gives us good pictures, we don't need to worry so much about photography."
Yeah. If you think about that for too long, your nose will start to bleed. Just a friendly warning.
Interestingly enough, he can't comprehend the high cost of full-size, shoulder-mount cameras. "Why should we spend $50k on a camera and lens and it doesn't even have auto focus??? Our XL2 was only $5k when I bought it and it has auto focus! Besides, if we get one of these big expensive cameras, you'll probably want a raise to match the kind of skills you need to work with it. I can't afford that!"
So I'm thinking at this point I should sell him my Canon HV30 and be done with it. This is the sort of place that needs to be made into an HBO comedy/drama like Entourage or something. Only there won't be as many hot chicks, and whoever plays the part of me will have to master a facial twitch. How do people like this manage to stay in business? How?? I read about people here who follow a strict plan and others who take their business extremely seriously. And then I come in to the office to see a man who rolls in reeking of booze every other day and broken down equipment. Promises are made and broken, and yet somehow, things continue as though its normal. Its madness I tell you, madness!
Please contribute. If you've had a manager or supervisor didn't know his arse from his elbow, please give us a story. The way I see it this kind of managerial stupidity should be more entertaining than stressful!
