Hey I have the opportuntiy to maybe become chief at another station, anyone got any advice? I mean I'm not going in their like I'm the top dog..... b/c I know I'm not! But anything I should be looking out for, or maybe do going in or anything. Thanks a lot for any advice and help.
I may become Chief - Help!
- Thread starter Kramer
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SmlMktChief
Well-known member
Meet with photog staff and explain how you like things to be done. Make them comfortable with you. Write down any problems that THEY have had in the past, ie. equipment, management, reporters etc. Let them know that you will help them in any way you possibly can. BUT, don't let them think you will automaticly be thier friend...you are still thier boss.
Make a COMPLETE list of inventory, so you will know just exactly what you are dealing with. Write down ANY problems with any of the equipment or vehicles.
Get to know the Chief Engineer, he can be your best friend or your worst nightmare. Sit down with the ND and go over your EXACT duties, so there will be no surprises in the future. Also, let the ND know how YOU see your job, and what you expect from him/her.
Get to know the Assignments Editor, take them to lunch, they can be a big help (depending on market size).
I made up some forms that I keep on a floppy for different things, like...discipline forms, scheduling, car reports etc. Anything that you can think of that you might use more than once. Show them to the ND and get his approval BEFORE using any of them.
Have fun and good luck!
It can be fun if you don't let yourself get bogged down in the details.
Make a COMPLETE list of inventory, so you will know just exactly what you are dealing with. Write down ANY problems with any of the equipment or vehicles.
Get to know the Chief Engineer, he can be your best friend or your worst nightmare. Sit down with the ND and go over your EXACT duties, so there will be no surprises in the future. Also, let the ND know how YOU see your job, and what you expect from him/her.
Get to know the Assignments Editor, take them to lunch, they can be a big help (depending on market size).
I made up some forms that I keep on a floppy for different things, like...discipline forms, scheduling, car reports etc. Anything that you can think of that you might use more than once. Show them to the ND and get his approval BEFORE using any of them.
Have fun and good luck!
It can be fun if you don't let yourself get bogged down in the details.
El Guapo
Well-known member
Above all...make sure the ND is someone who wants you to be a part of a 'team'...also make sure the ND is someone you want to work with.
Have a clearly defined idea in your head of what you want to bring to the table.
I agree with the previous post about the Chief Engineer, as well.
More than anything, decide in your own head if this is something you want to do. Occasionlly you'll have to be the bad guy...make certain you're okay with that. You'll also have a lot more responibility dumped in your lap (in addition to a full shooting schedule)...are you up for that? It's also a very rewarding job...I like it better than just shooting. Good luck.
Have a clearly defined idea in your head of what you want to bring to the table.
I agree with the previous post about the Chief Engineer, as well.
More than anything, decide in your own head if this is something you want to do. Occasionlly you'll have to be the bad guy...make certain you're okay with that. You'll also have a lot more responibility dumped in your lap (in addition to a full shooting schedule)...are you up for that? It's also a very rewarding job...I like it better than just shooting. Good luck.
The thing that I noticed in my two stints as a Chief is how important it is to get to know your staff. Learn their strengths and weaknesses and try to pass that information on to the desk to better help them in assigning people. Photographers who hate to do sports but love to do investigative stuff need to be assigned that way. If the photogs tell you that they love to shoot a certain style of news then why not lead them in that direction.
I totally agree with a gear check. I had a list made up that covered EVERYTHING. I wanted to know what they had and what was needed. I did a full gear inspection twice a year. That may sound like too much or too little but for me, since I was also full-time on the street, with thirteen sets of gear to check it seemed to work out well. At the same time as the gear check I would inspect the vehicles. Looking for new damage, major increase in mileage, long over due oil change, cleanliness (inside and out) and just over-all maintenance.
The one thing that I never had the time to do was train. I would have liked to have spent more time with training to avoid problems later on.
Shooting styles from shop to shop and from ND to ND differ greatly. I would recommend finding out what the ND likes and whether or not it is a style that you can work in. My last stop was just that way. I did not agree with the type of shooting that the ND liked and had to live with it. It made life a bit tougher and eventually helped me decide to leave news.
One more thing and I'll shut up for now. I worked at a shop where we had monthly meetings to show off our best work and just talk about issues. It was done before work started each first Wednesday of the month. Each photographer brought their best package from the last month and we would critique 'em and then vote for our favorite. We had a pot ($1 for each package entered) that went to the winning photographer. Eventually our Chief even made up a trophy, "The Top Dog", that the winner got to keep for that month. It made work a bit more fun and got people to the meetings.
I lied, one more thing. Read this forum. Their have been some great discussions on here that will greatly help you. From deciding whether to take a job to what to do once you are in place. Read, read, read.
Good luck and have fun.
I totally agree with a gear check. I had a list made up that covered EVERYTHING. I wanted to know what they had and what was needed. I did a full gear inspection twice a year. That may sound like too much or too little but for me, since I was also full-time on the street, with thirteen sets of gear to check it seemed to work out well. At the same time as the gear check I would inspect the vehicles. Looking for new damage, major increase in mileage, long over due oil change, cleanliness (inside and out) and just over-all maintenance.
The one thing that I never had the time to do was train. I would have liked to have spent more time with training to avoid problems later on.
Shooting styles from shop to shop and from ND to ND differ greatly. I would recommend finding out what the ND likes and whether or not it is a style that you can work in. My last stop was just that way. I did not agree with the type of shooting that the ND liked and had to live with it. It made life a bit tougher and eventually helped me decide to leave news.
One more thing and I'll shut up for now. I worked at a shop where we had monthly meetings to show off our best work and just talk about issues. It was done before work started each first Wednesday of the month. Each photographer brought their best package from the last month and we would critique 'em and then vote for our favorite. We had a pot ($1 for each package entered) that went to the winning photographer. Eventually our Chief even made up a trophy, "The Top Dog", that the winner got to keep for that month. It made work a bit more fun and got people to the meetings.
I lied, one more thing. Read this forum. Their have been some great discussions on here that will greatly help you. From deciding whether to take a job to what to do once you are in place. Read, read, read.
Good luck and have fun.
check it out,
your time as a chief is limited.
as the industry is going there will be no such thing in ten years.
train them to do what reporters do.
train them to tell stories.
the future is v.j.
the only way to survive is to learn that skill.
the only way to survive is to be skilled in both arts.
we are on the edge here.
-aught1
your time as a chief is limited.
as the industry is going there will be no such thing in ten years.
train them to do what reporters do.
train them to tell stories.
the future is v.j.
the only way to survive is to learn that skill.
the only way to survive is to be skilled in both arts.
we are on the edge here.
-aught1
Brock Samson
Well-known member
San Fransisco... weird town...hmm... 
Frank McBride
Well-known member
You know, Mr. aught1, I'm a Christian and I can't STAND televangelists. Even if I agreed with your position, I'm quite sure I would be finding you pretty obnoxious and ultimately irrelevant at this point.
I find you to be both those things, as well a hypocrite. You plead for others to calm down have a reasonable discussion on the vj issue, then you come around the Chief Photographer section and interject your dogma where it is not requested or appropriate like some crazed zealot on the street wearing a sandwich board reading "The End is Nigh".
You're not doing your cause any favors.
FMc
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