Are the massive cuts at ABC News good for freelancers?

Lensmith

Lensmith

Member
No, it's not something to celebrate when people lose their jobs. However, the business realities of today mean many companies are looking to cut staff. Of course there is a whole other thread that could be started about who should and shouldn't be cut.

But...if you're a freelancer...does this latest move give you confidence in the future for where you are positioned?

If you do currently freelance, I know there is no celebration ahead. I'm merely speaking from an unemotional business viewpoint.

A lesson I learned long ago during my own freelance years in Central America...sometimes, winning is surviving. Being positioned as a network level freelancer at present would seem to me a better position to be in rather than a recently laid off staffer just starting out.

But hey, I'm just a staffer now. I'm out of the loop and curious if what I see is similar to what others see. ;)
 
I don't freelance, I am lucky to have a staff job. But, I have friends that freelance, they tell me that there is soo much work they can't do it all.

A good friend of mine, freelances for one company that had a number of layoffs in the past 2 years. He was saying they amount of work he got in the past year from this one company, could have paid 2 to 3 staff crews. Its very good for him, and other freelancers, but I constantly wonder, why did they layoff people in the first place and then just hire more freelancers?

I'm not saying that will be the same at ABC, but they have to get content from somewhere. Either more from the people that are left, or they have to buy it.
 
I'm reposting this that I wrote on the other thread about the ABC cuts.

I don’t intend to minimize the severity of all these cuts, but 300 to 400 jobs with a company the size of ABC is not a devastating news when compared with what other industries are experiencing, although I’m sure it could be devastating for those who will receive pink slips.

The problem with maintaining steady employment in this industry is the wide availability of freelancers, no other industry has such independent pool of (mostly well qualified) daily labor available.

The cost of a freelancer, even thou his rates might be as much as ten times the daily cost of an employee, in the long range is a more economical option and a better controllable cost. Not to mention that the company doesn’t have to worry about investing and updating equipment.

Freelancer’s costs are added to each specific job, thus he (she) is no longer labor, now becomes a “cost of sales”, meaning that if there are no sales (assignments) there are no costs; an employee on the other hand is a fix liability on the company books thus effectively bringing the value of the company down.

Most freelancer that I know, (the experienced one with an extensive equipment package) in spite of the economy have seen their business skyrocket in the last few years as more and more companies are opting to go the freelancers way. I just heard that recently The Golf Channel have eliminated all the photographer position and are now going exclusively freelancers.

Also let’s keep in mind this is only happening to the news industry and that amounts to less than 10% of television business, there’s still another 90% percent out there that is doing very well.
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For the last 3 years business for most freelancers, at least in this area, has been going thru he roof. I said "most" freelancers because there are those who still have hard time making ends meet. Freelancer's success has everything to do with his skills to handle client's need. I know I sound like a broken record because I've been saying this for years, but this is the way it is. We have freelancers moving in this area by the masses, and a year later they move out.

Also don't forget the biggest stumbling block in becoming a freelancer, I have over $250,000 invested in equipment, this allows me to serve everyone that calls me regardless of what they need; every freelancer in his area has similar packages. It's a substantial investment.

Diversification of skills is the most important freelancer's assets. Leaving a station or place of employment thinking that you'll be able to make a decent living by doing exactly what you were doing before isn't going to work. You have to study and broaden your market in every possible direction.

Clients will not come to you, you have to find them and convince them that you are better. Don't play the cheaper game because it will only work until somebody cheaper comes along, it's a downward spiral. You get clients because you can do a better job and provide a better service; meaning that first you have to find faults in your competitors and capitalize.


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Those who shoot freelance for ABC, will they be forced to shoot w/ toy cameras or will they still shoot with real broadcast cameras?

Warren
 
satop- Sometimes paying more for freelancers than staff position still can save money in benefits and equipment overhead. It could very well be that your friend is still cheaper to hire as a day rate than to pay for health care, 401k, vacation etc.

That Maslow Media thing is strange to me. I can't imagine how many charlatans will be sending in tapes, can you imagine culling through all the submissions?

In the end, I think it's a good thing for an experienced freelancer with gear in the short term. In fact, don't think the market for high end production will go away, it may even grow still. However it's likely a bad thing for the overall market place in the long term. I sense that there is going to be a multi-tiered rate card the networks will want to pursue. Phone calls asking for a OMB rate but pushing for some extras and that sort of thing.
I shot/produced a doc years ago and it was accepted to a big doc festival in Europe. I speak proudly of it still and it was a thrill... for a while. There was a lot of great work at the festival and not just theatrical releases but stuff that would (and did) make network and cable air all over the Western hemisphere. What frightened me was the was the way very skilled people were just squeaking by on limited funds and willing to produce these films for a pittance. Even more shocking was the level of desperation and mistrust that one would witness in the mixing events (with one another and buyers). The point is that a lot of these producers were highly skilled, motivated and poor and they didn't care as long as they could find an audience.
If a lot of the people I met there OWNED their own gear (this is assuming that prosumer stuff makes the grade) it would create a good deal of competition for that mid-tier network call that I envision and they would be happy to tank rates if it meant a way to pay off some gear.
 
One of the shops I work through has a two-man crew out yesterday and today for ABC with a 355. They bought two 355s (last year I think - before the 700 was released) and I don't see them upgrading to 700/800s anytime soon.
 
Tv Shooter said:
A former ABC staffer that freelances now said he was told ABC would only use shooters with the Sony 700 or 800 cameras.
Today Maslow Media had this ad on Craigslist:
http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/tfr/1625092045.html

I wonder if they are crewing for ABC now?
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It's funny you mentioned this Ad from Craigslist Richard. I saw it too, and was very surprised. I thought Craigslist was scraping the bottom of the barrel. Is Maslow desperate? I forgot they were still around.
 
I doubt Maslow's people are missing any meals....sounds like they have a shortage of 700/800 owners/operators and trying to find some, then be able to crew for ABC and/or overseas clients.
 
I thought ABC News staff cameraman were using still shooting SD 16:9. At least they were when I talked to one during the Palin book tour.
 
dennis,
generally, you're right. SD16:9. preference is XDCAM (like a 510 or 530 in DVCAM). some things that have a longer turn-around are shot on varicam (GMA travel pieces, etc). there are always circumstances that might bring something else into the mix, though.
 
Two quick notes. As far as I know from my own personal experience ABC is shooting mainly SD in the DVCam codec with XDCam cameras. Anyone who owns a 355 is probably switching it to SD mode if they use it for ABC. For HD, ABC is asking for the HDX900, on tape at 720p. If they have moved to another specification I am unaware of it. But I have shot HD for them within the last four months.
 
my 350 was rented for a GMA shoot last month. SD 16:9 DVcam. I'm not sure how true the 700 or 800 thing is, i know of only one person in my area that owns a 700.
 
Warren if you mean to ask where NABET stands on this issue I can only conjecture but I think it is thus:

Unions mediate labor agreements. Equipment rentals falls outside the scope of labor. Rentals are agreements that some (a vast MINORITY) of the labor force make with management. In the case of the networks, because of the volume of work the networks are/were capable of providing, management dictates the terms of the rental prices, not the labor force. Certainly there are cases where individuals have cut deals -- bumping the price up or down -- with management. But on the whole, the freelance union members who work for the networks use the gear prescribed by management at the prices that management has agreed to pay.

None of that falls under the purview of NABET.
 
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